What is agoraphobia?

If you worry a lot about going to certain places because you might have a panic attack, that might be agoraphobia. It might feel like you have no choice but to restrict yourself to certain safe places and avoid certain situations, such as public transport, crowds or queues, but that can be really lonely and make life a lot less enjoyable. Getting help from a professional can help you a lot with your panic attacks and the anxiety of having one.

This can help if:

• you worry about having panic attacks

• you want to know what agoraphobia is

• you’re worried about someone who may be experiencing agoraphobia.

What is agoraphobia?

Most people develop agoraphobia as part of an anxiety or panic disorder , where the fear of having overwhelming anxiety when away from home makes it difficult for them to go out. If you have agoraphobia, you may be anxious about having a panic attack, or you may fear other places or situations where you’ve had a panic attack before.

This fear may make you avoid these situations or do things to help manage your anxiety, such as only catching the bus with a parent or friend. While these behaviours can decrease your anxiety temporarily, in the long term, they can make it worse.

What are agoraphobia symptoms?

Some common agoraphobia symptoms and signs include:

• you avoid situations because you’re concerned you’ll have a panic attack

• you worry that if you have a panic attack, you won’t be able to get away easily or that no one will be able to help you

• you agree to go to certain places only if someone goes with you

• you’re reluctant to leave or get anxious when leaving situations and environments that are familiar or feel safe

• you experience anxiety or panic when you can’t avoid certain situations.

What causes agoraphobia?

While there’s no single cause of agoraphobia, your likelihood of developing it increases if you have a family history of anxiety disorders or if you have experienced a panic attack or traumatic event in the past.

Agoraphobia develops over time as you start avoiding more and more places that make you feel anxious.

How can agoraphobia affect your life?

If left untreated, agoraphobia can really reduce your quality of life. For example, you may:

• feel unable to continue doing some activities, such as going to work or school, participating in hobbies, or leaving home to exercise or socialise

• experience isolation, loneliness, boredom and financial hardship (from not being able to work) can cause distress and increase the risk of depression

• start using unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as drinking or taking drugs, which can cause or contribute to other health problems

• feel powerless to do anything can lead to anger and frustration, which can damage your self-esteem and lead to depression and other anxieties.

These examples might sound bleak, but getting treatment for agoraphobia can help improve or even prevent these situations.

Agoraphobia treatments and therapies

The first step in getting effective agoraphobia treatment is to seek professional help . Your doctor and/or mental health professional will look into an agoraphobia diagnosis, then help work out the best treatment plan for your preferences and circumstances.

This will vary from person to person, but can include counselling or therapy, medication, relaxation training, support groups or self-help methods. Starting and going through agoraphobia treatment can be difficult, but remember that your mental health professional will work at a pace that suits you. Read more about how to get help for anxiety conditions .

These are some of the self-help techniques you can use to calm down when you find yourself panicking:

• Slow down your breathing: feelings of panic and anxiety can increase when you breathe too quickly. Try to breathe slowly and deeply, counting to three on each breath in and again on each breath out.

• Focus on something non-threatening: remind yourself that your frightening thoughts are a sign of your panic, rather than of what’s actually happening, and that they’ll soon pass. Try counting backwards from 100, or recall the words of a favourite song.

Read more about how to manage symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks.

Want to know more about managing agoraphobia? Ask ReachOut your questions about managing agoraphobia.