Agoraphobia

  What Is Agoraphobia? Agoraphobia is a rare type of anxiety disorder. If you have it, your fears keep you from getting out into the world. You avoid certain places and situations because you think you’ll feel trapped and not be able to get help. For example, you might worry or panic when you are in: Public transportation (buses, trains, ships, or planes) Large, open spaces (parking lots, bridges) Closed-in spaces (stores, movie theaters) Crowds or standing in line Being outside your home alone You may be willing to go just a handful of places, or you may even dread leaving your house.  Causes - Agoraphobia Agoraphobia can develop as a complication of panic disorder. Agoraphobia can sometimes develop if a person has a panic attack in a specific situation or environment. They begin to worry so much about having another panic attack that they feel the symptoms of a panic attack returning when they're in a similar situation or environment. This causes the person to avoid that par...