Health Topics for Mental and Emotional Health

Department of Psychiatry

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia literally means "fear of the marketplace." Now the term has come to mean fear of being out alone away from home. People with agoraphobia are terrified about being in places they associate with anxiety or panic. People with agoraphobia often have another disorder known as panic disorder. Panic attacks are severe spontaneous episodes of anxiety that can make people feel like they are dying, losing control or going crazy.

To avoid anxiety and panic attacks, people with agoraphobia usually begin to avoid going far from home by themselves. They may avoid crowds, stores, public transportation or parks. Sometimes people with agoraphobia are able to face situations that make them anxious if someone they trust is with them. People with agoraphobia try to avoid situations that frighten them. Sometimes they are able to force themselves into a situation, even though they are still very uncomfortable.

It is often very difficult at first for people with agoraphobia to come to appointments with their doctor or therapist. Some people with agoraphobia will use alcohol or drugs to try to control the anxiety.

People usually develop agoraphobia sometime between their teens and mid-thirties. Agoraphobia seems to run in families. Women are more likely than men to develop this disorder, which affects millions of people in the United States. It is a very distressing condition that can affect a person's life to the extent that the person may become increasingly housebound.

Treatments are available to help people with agoraphobia. These include:

• behavior modification (learning to change your response to situations that cause anxiety)
• relaxation therapy
• desensitization (practicing facing increasingly frightening situations)
• visual imagery (practicing facing a situation that causes anxiety by picturing it in your mind)
• support groups
• medications

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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