Tuesday, June 25, 2013

What Is Agoraphobia (and What It Is To Me)?

Over the years I have read many articles, books and visited many websites. Agoraphobia is described as a fear of open spaces, but it can be a lot more diverse than that. I have read about people who were confined to one room of their home and some who only had trouble when it came to crowded places and big stores. An agoraphobic may fear being in places where they think they may have an anxiety attack in front of others or where leaving quickly may be difficult. An agoraphobic may start avoiding places where they feel uncomfortable and slowly their world gets smaller. For me standing in lines, being in crowded places, having to go to the back of a large store and far from my vehicle are all triggers for my anxiety attacks. It's like my body can tell how far I am away from home and the tension and anxiety build. Agoraphobia is commonly seen along with panic attacks. Are their any agoraphobics out there? What situations cause your agoraphobia to get worse?

2 comments:

  1. I am also agoraphobic and being alone is my main trigger. I don't like traveling on subway, buses, public transportation in general. When I go out I don't leave my neighborhood/town.

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    1. I also hate being alone. My mind just seems to race. I used to take the public bus but that was before my anxiety gave me too much trouble. I have to go where I am going and get straight back now so the bus would be hard because it went over half the city before getting me to my destination. Thanks for you comment :) It's nice meeting others with agoraphobia.

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