Agoraphobia
[/’spʌɪdə/] n.Fear of open spaces
The fear of open spaces. It can stop people from getting on public transport, going shopping, or ever leaving the house at all.
A big problem for a small group of people
Sufferers of agoraphobia are few and far between, which can only make the problem feel more isolating. There are 4,400 people in the world who don’t want to open their front doors, meaning the rest of the world will never see them unless they get help.
The biggest problem lies in the biggest country – the USA – which is home to 1,300 agoraphobics. The UK only has 390 sufferers, more than double Canada’s total of 170.
Australia, a country with a whole lot of wide, open spaces to feel frightened in, only saw 10 searches in 2021.
When there’s nothing around you,
nothing can hurt you.
But
nothing can help you
if you get into trouble
When you put it that way…
It’s safer inside
Agoraphobia is a fear caused by an environment people deem to be unsafe. Open spaces can seem hard to get out of, with no clear path home. It can be caused by past experiences, such as being lost, separated or trapped outside. It can even be genetic and passed down from generation to generation.
It often comes hand in hand with other anxiety disorders and can leave severe sufferers incapable of ever going outside. Being housebound only makes other anxieties worse, making agoraphobia one very difficult habit to break.
Opening the door to treatment
Without treatment, agoraphobia very rarely cures itself. In fact, it can often get worse, turning mild cases into an inability to leave the house.
- Behavioural therapy cures around 50% of people
- Antipsychotic medication is a good short-term solution