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An Overview Of Agoraphobia

By Zinn Jeremiah

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 25Oct2007
Word count: 433
Viewed: 378 time(s)

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Though anxiety is often referred to as a singular disorder, there are actually several variations of the anxious condition. One of the more dramatic variations of anxiety is agoraphobia. Agoraphobia defined is a sense of fear or unease in unfamiliar environments. Agoraphobia is a mostly rare condition, affecting roughly five percent of the population, with women most often affected.

Agoraphobia is not inherently dramatic in the way it presents itself, but it can become so in extreme cases. In an extreme case of agoraphobia, the person affected becomes so overwhelmed by fear or unease or both, that they literally confine themselves to the perceived safety and security of their home. Agoraphobics that have these sorts of extreme symptoms are not people anxious per se: agoraphobics who confine themselves can often personally interact provided the interaction takes place within their confined comfort area.

It’s thought that agoraphobia has a connection to feeling insecure over a lack of control. Agoraphobics who find themselves in unfamiliar environments may become fearful about the possibility of circumstances occurring in this unknown territory that could leave them in some way damaged. The agoraphobic obsesses then over perceived dangers that may occur in unfamiliar places, and this obsession often leads to a high state of fear or panic. While agoraphobics may have panic attacks, it is the focus on unfamiliar environments triggering panic that defines their condition. An agoraphobic may panic only in unfamiliar settings in other words, whereas someone with panic disorder can have a panic attack at virtually any time.

People with a generalized panic condition may confine themselves, as the agoraphobic does, but this confinement for the person with generalized anxiety is not necessarily a solution to ending panic as it may be for the agoraphobic. Agoraphobics are different from people with a social anxiety condition as well because the agoraphobic’s unease is not with people so much as it is with settings. And again, agoraphobics can comfortably interact with other people within a physical comfort zone.

The outcome for someone with agoraphobia can be quite confounding, both for the person with agoraphobia as well as for people who are close to them. Some persons with extreme agoraphobia have been known to confine themselves to a perceived comfort zone for literally years on end. At its core, agoraphobia is an anxious condition, and though anxiety can be extremely painful and damaging, it is a highly treatable state. So it is with agoraphobia: with proper treatment, agoraphobia can be completely overcome and the agoraphobic can lead a normal existence that’s free of worry and fear.

Zinn Jeremiah is an online writer. For help with anxiety, visit anxiety help or anxiety treatment.

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