Agoraphobia - Symptoms and Treatments

Agoraphobia is defined as a fear of open spaces, but this description can be misleading. Agoraphobics are afraid of the anxiety response that occurs in certain situations, such as at work, school, or in other places outside of the home. In order to avoid experiencing these feelings of panic, individuals with agoraphobia may avoid these situations and may become entirely housebound in some cases.

A more accurate definition of agoraphobia would be that it is both a phobia and an anxiety disorder characterized by avoidance of the situations that trigger the anxiety response. Learn more about the symptoms and treatments of agoraphobia.