Agoraphobia
What is Agoraphobia
People with panic disorder who avoid places or situations where they previously had a panic attack have agoraphobia. They typically avoid public places where the need for immediate escape might be difficult, such as shopping malls, public transportation, or large sports arenas. Their world may become smaller and smaller as they remain on guard for the next anticipated panic attack. Some will develop a fixed route or territory from which they cannot deviate. It may become impossible for them to travel beyond what they feel are their safety zones without suffering severe anxiety. About one in three people with panic disorder develops agoraphobia.
Info provided from adaa.org
Symptoms of Agoraphobia
The essential feature of Agoraphobia is anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult (or embarrassing) or in which help may not be available in the event of having a Panic Attack or panic-like symptoms.
Agoraphobic fears typically involve characteristic clusters of situations that include being outside the home alone; being in a crowd or standing in a line; being on a bridge; and traveling in a bus, train, or automobile.
A person who experiences agoraphobia avoids such situations (e.g., travel is restricted) or else they endure with significant distress or with anxiety about having a Panic Attack or panic-like symptoms. People with agoraphobia often require the presence of a companion.
Anxiety or phobic avoidance in agoraphobia can not be better accounted for by another mental disorder, such as Social Phobia (e.g., avoidance limited to social situations because of fear of embarrassment), Specific Phobia (e.g., avoidance limited to a single situation like elevators), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (e.g., avoidance of dirt in someone with an obsession about contamination), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (e.g., avoidance of stimuli associated with a severe stressor), or Separation Anxiety Disorder (e.g., avoidance of leaving home or relatives).
Agoraphobia is generally not diagnosed if Panic Disorder has already been previously diagnosed. As with all mental disorders, the symptoms listed above are not due to the direct physiological effects of a use or abuse of a substance (e.g., alcohol, drugs, medications) or a general medical condition.
Info provided from psychcentral.com
