Tips for Treating Agoraphobia

Moving Out of the Safe Zone

The term "agoraphobia," like most other terms that relate to inexplicable fears, has its roots in Greek; in this case, a combination of the words "agora," (an open-air marketplace) and "phobos" (fear; and also the name of one of the two hunting dogs of the God of War). However, the common definition of agoraphobia, a fear of open spaces, or the reverse of claustrophobia, only tells part of the story. Agoraphobia, in its most potent form, has far more to do with a fear of strange places or situations that with the openness of the space you happen to inhabit. 

Agoraphobia has been linked to social anxiety disorder, to depression and to generalized anxiety disorder. In certain cases, the disorder can be misdiagnosed, as it occasionally mimics the actions of a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder, such as following a ritual before driving or always ensuring the presence of an item during movement. Symptoms include a feeling of helplessness, panic or fear when confronted with an unfamiliar location or situation, as well as more general signs of anxiety, such as sweaty palms, nervousness, increased heart rate and respiration and occasionally cramps. Agoraphobes tend to actively avoid switching jobs, routines or situations and have been known to turn down promotions and even raises to avoid change in their safe zones. They will also follow very set paths to and from work or stores and will generally not want to try "new" things. 

The disorder is, fortunately, relatively rare. Current medical case studies indicate that agoraphobia is one of the less common phobias, with about .25% or 1 in 400 people suffering from the phobia. In most cases, the phobia is relatively light, manifesting only as an uncomfortable feeling of unease or "butterflies" when the sufferer is forced into unfamiliar surroundings.