They fear that they will die, lose control, or go crazy as result of these symptoms. As a result, they often escape or avoid situations that they believe will cause them to have panic attacks or use unhelpful coping behaviors in an attempt to create a sense of safety.
Continuous anxiety over the occurrence of panic attacks can often lead to the development of agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is the fear or avoidance of situations in which help may not be available or escape is difficult in the case of a panic attack.
Common agoraphobic situations include shopping malls, bridges, elevators, and being home alone. Typically, panic disorder first occurs in early adulthood and is twice as common in women. Six million American adults experience panic disorder in a given year. Panic disorder and agoraphobia run in families and are caused by a combination of genetic, temperament, biological, and psychological vulnerabilities.
They can also be learned through early life experiences, specifically experiences which taught the individual to perceive the world as a dangerous place and their internal body sensations as harmful. Fear of another panic attack can lead to avoiding similar circumstances or the place where it occurred in an attempt to prevent future panic attacks.
Agoraphobia can severely limit your ability to socialize, work, attend important events and even manage the details of daily life, such as running errands. Don't let agoraphobia make your world smaller. Call your doctor if you have signs or symptoms listed above. Biology — including health conditions and genetics — temperament, environmental stress and learning experiences may all play a role in the development of agoraphobia. Agoraphobia can begin in childhood, but usually starts in the late teen or early adult years — usually before age 35 — but older adults can also develop it.
Women are diagnosed with agoraphobia more often than men are. Agoraphobia can greatly limit your life's activities. If your agoraphobia is severe, you may not even be able to leave your home. Without treatment, some people become housebound for years. You may not be able to visit with family and friends, go to school or work, run errands, or take part in other normal daily activities.
You may become dependent on others for help. There's no sure way to prevent agoraphobia. However, anxiety tends to increase the more you avoid situations that you fear.
If you start to have mild fears about going places that are safe, try to practice going to those places over and over again before your fear becomes overwhelming. If this is too hard to do on your own, ask a family member or friend to go with you, or seek professional help. If you experience anxiety going places or have panic attacks, get treatment as soon as possible.
Get help early to keep symptoms from getting worse. Anxiety, like many other mental health conditions, can be harder to treat if you wait. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Medication may be recommended if self-help techniques and lifestyle changes aren't effective in controlling your symptoms.
You'll usually be prescribed a course of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs , which are also used to treat anxiety and depression. In severe cases of agoraphobia, medication can be used in combination with other types of treatment, such as CBT and relaxation therapy.
Read more about treating agoraphobia. Around a third of people with agoraphobia eventually achieve a complete cure and remain free from symptoms.
Around half experience an improvement in symptoms, but they may have periods when their symptoms become more troublesome — for example, if they feel stressed. Despite treatment, about 1 in 5 people with agoraphobia continue to experience troublesome symptoms. In the UK, up to 2 people in have panic disorder. It's thought around a third will go on to develop agoraphobia. Page last reviewed: 18 December Next review due: 18 December Overview - Agoraphobia. Someone with agoraphobia may be scared of: travelling on public transport visiting a shopping centre leaving home If someone with agoraphobia finds themselves in a stressful situation, they'll usually experience the symptoms of a panic attack , such as: rapid heartbeat rapid breathing hyperventilating feeling hot and sweaty feeling sick They'll avoid situations that cause anxiety and may only leave the house with a friend or partner.
What causes agoraphobia? Diagnosing agoraphobia Speak to your GP if you think you may be affected by agoraphobia. Your GP may ask you the following questions: Do you find leaving the house stressful?
Are there certain places or situations you have to avoid?
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