Agoraphobia is used to describe a number of related phobias (irrational fears) that can be classified as the following:
Leaving home (actually coming out of the house)
Going into shops or public places
Being in crowds or crowded places
Travelling on buses, trains or planes
These are all symptoms of agoraphobia; agoraphobia causes are not the same and should not be confused with the symptoms. A cause is the trigger that can bring on the symptom, the exact cause being unknown. Some researchers believe that some of the following may be related:
Psychological factors
Genes
Panic disorder.
The general belief at one time was that all cases of the problem were tied into and related to panic and anxiety attacks, however over the last decade or so research has shown that that almost half of people with agoraphobia have at no time in the past displayed or suffered from anxiety or panic attacks.
Very briefly agoraphobia can lead to change in behaviour in that a person with this condition will avoid situations that will lead to anxiety. Only leaving the house with a friend or relative, ordering goods online to save them visiting shops not going to the theatre, avoiding family parties, a change in behaviour like this is also referred to as avoidance. Avoiding these types of activities can lead to that person and sometimes their close relative's lives being very restricted. Having a panic attack in a public place which could lead to an embarrassing situation where getting help or escape would be impossible. These are just some of the patients real fears and thoughts that can trigger the condition. There may very well not be any real reason to you and I why this should bother them but to that person suffering agoraphobia the situation is very real and to them could be life threatening.
How common is Agoraphobia?
In the UK alone there are approximately 10 million people suffering from some type of phobia of which approximately half of these are agoraphobia suffers. There could in fact be more because some people do not talk about their problems to anyone but suffer in silence.
It is estimated that agoraphobia without panic disorders affects around 4% of women and 2% of men during a one year term.
These facts were arrived at by the mental health charity in the UK called Mind who do sterling work within the mental health field.