According to Agoraphobia- Anxiety Support http://www.geocities.com/Hotsprings/Fall... it is estimated that 1 in 20 people will develop some degree of agoraphobia in their lifetime. Regardless of this, it is still a rarely discussed and understood medical condition in the wider public. The word agoraphobia comes from the Greek word meaning 'fear of the market place' it has also been described as a 'fear of open spaces'. With these two definitions no wonder it isn't very well understood. A much more accurate way of viewing agoraphobia is to see it as avoidance of situations, in which, in the event of a panic attack, or marked anxiety, it will be difficult to escape or avoid. Agoraphobia is usually a secondary condition to an anxiety disorder such as panic disorder or social anxiety. Not everyone with an anxiety disorder will go on to have agoraphobia. It is important to realize that agoraphobia is a learned response.
For a person who suffers from an anxiety disorder learning to avoid certain situations to therefore avoid panic, or intense anxiety, can seem to be an efficient defense. It is also a very natural response. In a sense, it is our way of protecting ourselves. Unfortunately, the problem with this particular avoidance is that it can have a snowball affect. Avoiding situations can become our main tool in combating our anxiety and we avoid more and more until we may have very little 'safe' area to move in. It is important to understand that as the avoidance increases- so does our fear about those situations. We avoid more- we fear more. This is essentially how agoraphobia progresses.
Common places and situations that agoraphobics avoid can be supermarkets, waiting in long cues, confined spaces such as elevators and tunnels, large express highways and tall buildings. It can be difficult to put ourselves into a position in which we may feel intense anxiety and panic. It almost seems to go against instinct to make ourselves feel that way, especially considering the intensity of the perceived threat. Naturally, in our minds, if we don't go there, we won't experience that panic. However, if we don't put ourselves in such situations we also won't learn that it is o.k. That as horrible as it feels these things truly won't hurt us. We won't learn our own ways of dealing with them, and that we can control them. It should be noted here, that if primary anxiety disorders are treated successfully early enough usually they won't develop into agoraphobia. This is due to the person being taught other tools, or ways, of overcoming the anxiety: not avoidance.
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