The term agoraphobia is so old that it's literal translation means a fear of open bazaars or marketplaces. In modern times, this definition has been expanded to include severe and persistent anxiety associated with virtually any social situation in which one might encounter others such as traveling in a bus or car, on an airplane, in a restaurant or any area where people are likely to gather.
Agoraphobia is thought to develop after the patient has already experienced panic attacks, and most people who seek help from mental health professionals suffer from both disorders. It is generally thought by the medical community, that agoraphobia arises as a result of repeated panic attacks that lead to a certain obsession with the obligations and stresses associated with social events.
Women are about twice as likely to develop agoraphobia as men. Though a definitive answer for this has not yet been established, the reasons may be tied to a greater social acceptance of women expressing fears and engaging in avoidance behavior.
Other Possible Phobias
Phobias are not limited to those related to social situations. When coming into contact with an object elicits a severe, involuntary and lasting anxiety, it is said that the patient has a phobia about that object. Some phobias are so severe in nature that even imagining contact with the object results in panic or fear that may be debilitating. Sufferers of phobias generally understand that their fears are irrational. These fears can keep them from engaging in situations where they are liable to come in contact with the objects or make them extremely uncomfortable when they encounter the element. Specific phobias can include such common elements such as certain animals; such as snakes, birds, dogs, cats or rodents, insects like bees or spiders, or activities like driving a car, swimming, seeing the doctor or even visiting the dentist.
Every year, specific phobias are experienced by approximately 8 percent of all adults. These recorded results are thought to be low as the majority of these phobias go undiagnosed in the general public. Specific phobias are thought to arise first during childhood, with some of the population succumbing during a second general time of onset during the mid twenties. Though some phobias can resolve themselves without treatment, most people endure their effects for years or decades.
Contrary to popular thought, most specific phobias do not result from a childhood trauma or other single event involving the object of fear. Phobias seem to be transmitted vicariously, through the thoughts and previously established phobias of friends or family members. Specific phobias can be a lasting result of unpredictable panic attacks, though the patient generally attributes the fear to a specific object or situation and avoids that element from then on.
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Find out more about Agoraphobia. Get to know the various causes and symptoms. Get to know more on other phobias such as Social Phobia.
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