Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder that involves avoiding and fearing places or circumstances that could elicit panic attacks and feelings of helplessness or embarrassment. In circumstances where escaping or finding assistance may be challenging, it can cause extreme fear. A person may feel unable to leave their home due to their overwhelming fear. A generalized fear of being in public usually develops from mild anxiety about a specific event, place, or circumstance in agoraphobia over time. According to mental health professionals, the primary cause of agoraphobia is a fear of the physical and mental symptoms of anxiety, particularly the fear of panic, losing control, or embarrassing oneself. A person with agoraphobia avoids places they perceive as unsafe.
Here are some things that can make a person with agoraphobia feel safe:
- Being in familiar environments
- Being with a trusted companion
- Having an escape plan
- Avoiding crowded or enclosed spaces
- Avoiding situations that trigger anxiety or panic attacks
- Practicing relaxation techniques
- Seeking professional help, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy and medication.
People with agoraphobia, which causes severe panic attacks, frequently turn their homes into personal havens. Their homes end up being the only place they can feel at peace or, at the very least, less anxious about experiencing an anxiety attack than when they are out in public.
Our instincts tell us to gravitate toward areas where these terrifying episodes do not occur after we have experienced and survived these panic attacks so that we can continue to feel safe. This might seem to be a helpful cure. But in reality, it only serves as a short-term fix because over time, we find ourselves avoiding more and more locations outside of our homes.
How much of an impact can this event have on someone’s social life? Imagine having a panic attack while shopping at the supermarket. You suddenly begin to throw up, your body begins to tremble, and you experience a sense of impending death. Fortunately, you are able to leave the store unharmed and enter your car while giving thanks to God for your survival. Obviously, you won’t go back to that grocery store ever again out of concern that the same thing will occur again.
Imagine that the incident occurs once more while you are watching your son or daughter play little league soccer. A panic attack is suddenly sparked by something in the crowd or perhaps a particular smell, and the only thing you can think of is to run to your car, where you freeze until you decide to go home. If you want to avoid experiencing this sense of impending death and panic, you won’t want to attend this event. Instead, your home serves as a haven where you can feel safe and secure.
Having a “safe” place to go to where they can isolate themselves and feel more at ease and secure often provides relief for people with acute anxiety. Their residence serves as that haven.
