What is Agoraphobia?

This video describes the DSM diagnosis of Agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is characterized by fear and anxiety specific to two of five situations: public transportation, open spaces, closed spaces, crowds, leaving home. Agoraphobia has several differential diagnoses including specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. Most individuals who have Agoraphobia have a comorbid anxiety disorder.

[emotiveformula]

Been dealing with major anxiety whenever I leave my house. I’m constantly afraid to go out in public. It sucks because that’s the one thing that holds me back from a job. Everyone just thinks I’m too lazy to work. Wish I could conquer the fear of getting out in the world

[mynameisnotjerome]

I have developed agoraphobia out of nowhere. I'm a teacher (university) and during a lesson I suddenly felt trapped, like I was a prisoner. I felt like for the next 90 minutes I have to be here and everyone's attention is on me, there is no escape and no reasonable excuse for me to leave. I had a panic attack and since then I have been drinking a few shots of rum before I go and teach.

[AmethystDragon]

I have been those very ways my whole life and I believe that being made fun also adds to those fears.

[AmethystDragon]

Sometimes I'll have a perfect day. Can talk to people. I've somehow to push it away for a job. And when I'm feeling like I've got it all down, I can say hello, how are you, to people I know I'll never talk to again. But.. sometimes..it hits and I can't.

[michellerosa]

I have agoraphobia for more than 7 years now. Since I was bullied throughout my childhood by my family and peers at school. Also, suffering from heart break and betrayal. Being on Facebook which is my only outlet made it a lot worse for me.

[andrewsimpson]

suffer from anxiety depression panic attacks and agoraphobia, when I'm having a panic attack I get a churning sick bloated feeling in my stomach and a rushing feeling in my body and that feeling I'm going down a rollercoaster then, my heart beating really fast then feel like I'm going to pass out then the cold sweats and burning sensation all over my body with chest and arm pain feels like I'm going to die, once I get through it and stand up I feel dizzy faint sick aching all over, the next day as soon as I wake up my brain automatically focus on the attack I had yesterday then I'm constantly thinking about it worries me and hoping it doesn't come back and then it all happens again it's like a vicious circle I can't seen to break out of it affects my quality of life and I've developed agoraphobia for 5 years now as I'm frightened to leave the house in case I have one in public and away from home, it's a living nightmare. Ive seen the doctors and had ECG many times and blood test was all normal, but i keep thinking that have missed an underlined illness that doctors haven't detected i know thats not the case but my mind won't stop thinking about that and makes me worry and panic even more, im in constant state of panic and can't seem to break out of it, im only 41 yeaes old and i look out my window looking at people getting on with there day laughing smiling and been happy, as im looking at people passing by tears are streaming down my face and im getting to the point I feel like im having a nervous breakdown and going to loose complete control I'm afraid to wake up on a daily basis as I know the kind of day im going to have i really cant do this anymore I'm so drained and tired I don't know what to do someone please help me 😥

[rhifunke]

I actually have no idea why I’m afraid to leave the house. I was never this way before Covid. (or maybe I was but didn’t notice it as much?)
I’ve always had anxiety but I was a social butterfly, I loved making new friends and going out. Now… I just hate myself because it’s so hard to leave. It’s hard to put on clothes. It’s hard to put on makeup. It’s hard to walk outside. And by the time I get wherever it is I planned on going, I’m overwhelmed by the simple tasks of leaving the house and the anxiety “outside” brings on. I miss the old me. But when I was her, I hated her too.

[jellylivi]

open spaces are very scary for me now as someone in a mall shooting I’m terrified of people and large / open spaces but like my brother said
“It’s not the guns/ weapons it’s the people that Mis-use them”

[annemeridien]

Dr. Grande, You have been a great help for me understanding my adult daughter. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and expertise!

[GagaDebbie]

I used to just have panic and social anxiety.. ptsd. I NOW after 20 years, I am homebound..It’s worse than ever. The reason? Stigma is still alive and well. People have been ruthless and mean. Talk about shamed and judged! Why? Because it’s an invisible illness. They can’t see it. I am horrified of people. It’s a double negative. First, for me* it was due to long term exposure/trauma/abuse. THEN, I’m judged because I’m looked at like I have leprosy. It is debilitating. My heart goes out to anyone suffering with this. I’d rather have a cancer…at least people would bring me chicken soup instead of pointing fingers.

[serendipitous_synchronicity]

Ending a toxic relationship, caused major discomfort when leaving my house.
On my mobile phone, I've just figured out how to get hold of your older videos Dr Grande.

[iAmiSaid]

I discovered your channel 2 years ago, instantly became a regular watcher of your newly posted vids. Point is - Just now wanted to do some research on agoraphobia. I thought, it'd be great if Grande had a video on this, I type key word in the search box... and bam
... Thank you Dr grande, I'm going back to the basics here, and nobody better to explain them than you😊

[radaka]

Years ago I watched a movie and for comedy a character had agoraphobia and some of the funniest parts in the movie. But years later actually having it, its no joke, there is nothing funny about it. It ruins lives. And we don't even understand why.

[SARAHANAREBA]

I have a social anxiety diagnosis but I identify with agoraphobia a lot.

[jodinakamura]

This video gives details regarding Agoraphobia as well as reminds of the common comorbidity involved in many cases.

[BeingBetter]

I have agoraphobia too. I talk about how I'm trying to overcome it on my channel. I have comorbid bipolar disorder, but no panic disorder social anxiety or other specific phobias. My panic disorder became agoraphobia, I never had panic disorder prior to that. My agoraphobia is fear of a panic attack.

[MrAlexH]

I think my fear is that people are going to crowd me too much, trap me in an aisle at a store, trap me in a room, talk at me all at the same time and demand a thought-out response to each line of dialogue RIGHT THEN, get too close to me (idk why I get like this cause “too close” to me is flexible.) And then I’ll react like a triggered cave man and walk away in handcuffs to the backdrop of a LOT of scared and/or angry and/or confused people. So idk if that’s a combo of agoraphobia and social anxiety or what.

[kinggenesis]

I've been dealing with panic in wide open places since being in jail for years

[rando]

I had a phobia of being in a car crashing through a bridge and drowning. I had nightmares about it a few times. The last nightmare I had of it, I seemed to die finally from being trapped in the car, drowning. After waking up, I remembered the nightmare and didn't have that specific phobia anymore. It was weird but somehow, it resolved it.

[LudicrousScotty]

small comment only from me, Agoraphobia sucks hate it hate it, and I don't suffer from it, I know someone who does and its hard even being around that person.