Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia: Introduction
Agoraphobia is often called "fear of open spaces"
but this description is simplistic and misleading.
Agoraphobia is like an unreasonable fear or anxiety associated with unfamiliar surroundings
or situations, but this description also oversimplifies a complex issue.
In some cases, agoraphobia arises associated with panic attacks from panic disorder,
and the fear of places or situations occurs when these were the triggers of the panic attacks.
In other words, agoraphobia becomes like a "fear of having another panic attack" or
a fear of anything or anywhere that might trigger a panic attack.
A vicious cycle sets in where anxiety or fear of certain places or situations
make a panic attack more likely to occur, which in turn raises the anxiety level.
Whatever its description, agoraphobia can be not only emotionally stressing,
it can actually become debilitating,
leading to a life of self-imposed isolation.
Symptoms of Agoraphobia
See full list of 6
symptoms of Agoraphobia
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical testing related to Agoraphobia:
- Child Behavior: Home Testing
- Mental Health (Adults): Home Testing
- Mental Health: Home Testing:
- Brain & Neurological Disorders: Related Home Testing:
- more tests...»
Disease Topics Related To Agoraphobia
Research the causes of these diseases that are similar to, or related to, Agoraphobia:
Medical Textbooks Online about Agoraphobia
Medical Books Excerpts
- ANXIETY
- "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)
- [ read ]
- Anxiety
- "In a Page: Signs and Symptoms" (2004)
- [ read ]
- Anxiety
- "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Anxiety
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Anxiety
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- Anxiety
- "Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Anxiety
- "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Anxiety
- "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms" (2007)
- [ read ]
Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Wrongly Diagnosed with Agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia: Self Assessment Tools
Agoraphobia: Medical Mistakes
Agoraphobia: Undiagnosed Conditions
Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:
Misdiagnosis and Agoraphobia
Common asymptomatic heart disorder can cause anxiety-like conditions: Anxiety symptoms may be due to heart disorder - There is a reasonably
common heart disorder called ...read more »
Undiagnosed stroke leads to misdiagnosed aphasia: BBC News UK reported on a man who
had been institutionalized and treated for mental illness
because he suffered from sudden inability to speak.
This was initially misdiagnosed as a "nervous...read more »
Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for
a patient to show mental decline to dementia.
Whereas this can, of course, occur due to various medical...read more »
ADHD under-diagnosed in adults: Although the over-diagnoses of ADHD
in children is a well-known controversy, the reverse side related to adults.
Some adults can remain undiagnosed, and indeed the condition has...read more »
Bipolar disorder misdiagosed as various conditions by primary physicians: Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder)
often fails to be diagnosed correctly by primary care physicians.
Many patients with bipolar seek help from...read more »
Eating disorders under-diagnosed in men: The typical patient with
an eating disorder is female.
The result is that men with eating disorders often fail to be diagnosed or
have a delayed diagnosis.
See ...read more »
Depression undiagnosed in teenagers: Serious bouts of depression can be
undiagnosed in teenagers.
The "normal" moodiness of teenagers can cause severe medical depression
to be overlooked.
See misdiagnosis of depression...read more »
Undiagnosed anxiety disorders related to depression: Patients with depression (see symptoms of depression)
may also have undiagnosed anxiety disorders (see symptoms of anxiety disorders)....read more »
Read more about Misdiagnosis and Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia: Research Doctors & Specialists
Research related physicians and medical specialists:
Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:
Hospitals & Clinics: Agoraphobia
Research quality ratings and patient safety measures
for medical facilities in specialties related to Agoraphobia:
Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »
Choosing the Best Hospital:
More general information, not necessarily in relation to Agoraphobia,
on hospital performance and surgical care quality:
Agoraphobia: Rare Types
Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:
Causes of Agoraphobia
See full list of 18
causes of Agoraphobia
More information about causes of Agoraphobia:
Treatments for Agoraphobia
See full list of 7
treatments for Agoraphobia
News Archives for Agoraphobia
Medical news articles related to Agoraphobia include:
Source: HealthDay News
Videos for Agoraphobia
Though erectile dysfunction and other sexual hindrances can have biological causes, for many the problem is psychological. Performance anxiety can be...
Anxiety and worry can appear at any time; day or night. Sometimes you know why, sometimes it can appear out of the blue. Learn how these problems can...
We've all experienced anxiety at one time or another, and a little anxiety never hurt anyone. But too much anxiety can interfere with your...
We've all experienced anxiety at one time or another, and a little anxiety never hurt anyone. But too much anxiety can interfere with your...
See full list of 5 related videos
Patient Surveys for Agoraphobia
Reseach about Agoraphobia
Visit our research pages for current research about Agoraphobia treatments.
Clinical Trials for Agoraphobia
The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally
and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.
Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Agoraphobia include:
See full list of 7
Clinical Trials for Agoraphobia
Statistics for Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia: Broader Related Topics
Types of Agoraphobia
Stories from Users Related to Agoraphobia
Related forums and medical stories:
User Interactive Forums
Read about other experiences, ask a question about Agoraphobia, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:
Article Excerpts about Agoraphobia
Panic Disorder: NWHIC (Excerpt)
Some people’s lives become greatly restricted -- they avoid normal
everyday activities such as grocery shopping, driving, or, in some cases,
even leaving the house. Or they may be able to confront a feared situation
only if accompanied by a spouse or other trusted person. Basically, they
avoid any situation they fear that would make them feel helpless if a
panic attack occurs. When people’s lives become so restricted by the
disorder, as happens in about one-third of all people with panic disorder,
the condition is called agoraphobia. (Source: excerpt from Panic Disorder: NWHIC)
Phobia: NWHIC (Excerpt)
And agoraphobia, which often accompanies
panic disorder, is a fear of being in any situation that might provoke a
panic attack, or from which escape might be difficult if one occurred. (Source: excerpt from Phobia: NWHIC)
Definitions of Agoraphobia:
A morbid fear of open spaces (as fear of being caught alone in some public place)
- (Source - WordNet 2.1)
Contents for Agoraphobia:
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