Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder precipitated by the fear of having a symptom attack or panic attack in a setting from which there is no easy means of escape. As a result, sufferers of agoraphobia may avoid public and/or unfamiliar places. In severe cases, the sufferer may become confined to their home, experiencing difficulty traveling from this "safe place."

The word "agoraphobia" is an English adaptation of the Greek words agora and phobos, and literally translates to "a fear of the marketplace."

Agoraphobia is a condition where the sufferer becomes spooky in environments that are unfamiliar or where he or she perceives that they have little control. Triggers for this anxiety may include crowds, wide open spaces or traveling, even short distances. This anxiety is often compounded by a fear of social embarrassment, as the agoraphobic fears the onset of a panic attack and appearing distraught in public.

Agoraphobics may experience panic attacks in situations where they feel trapped, insecure, out of control or too far from their personal comfort zone. In severe cases, an agoraphobic may be confined to his or her home. Many people with agoraphobia are comfortable seeing visitors in a defined space that they feel in control of. Such people may live for years without leaving their homes, while happily seeing visitors in and working from their personal safety zones. If the agoraphobic leaves his or her safety zone, they may experience a panic attack.

Agoraphobia occurs about twice as commonly among women as it does in men . The gender difference may be attributable to social-cultural factors that encourage, or permit, the greater expression of avoidant coping strategies by women. Other theories include the ideas that women are more likely to seek help and therefore be diagnosed, that men are more likely to abuse alcohol as a reaction to anxiety and be diagnosed as an alcoholic, and that traditional female sex roles prescribe women to react to anxiety by engaging in dependent and helpless behaviors. Research results have not yet produced a single clear explanation as to the gender difference in agoraphobia.

There is no one single cause associated with agoraphobia. Instead, there are a number of factors that contribute to the development of agoraphobia. These factors include:

Family Factors:
Having an anxious parent role model.
Being abused as a child.
Having an overly critical parent.

Personality Factors:
High need for approval.
High need control.
Oversensitivity to emotional stimuli.

Biological Factors:
Oversensitivity to hormone changes.
Oversensitivity to physical stimuli.

Additionally, research has uncovered a linkage between agoraphobia and difficulties with spatial orientation. Normal individuals are able to maintain balance by combining information from their vestibular system, their visual system and their proprioceptive sense. A disproportionate number of agoraphobics have weak vestibular function and consequently rely more on visual or tactile signals. They may become disoriented when visual cues are sparse as in wide open spaces or overwhelming as in crowds. Likewise, they may be confused by sloping or irregular surfaces. Compared to controls, in virtual reality studies, agoraphobics on average show impaired processing of changing audiovisual data.

Treatment Our Anti-Anxiety subliminal hypnosis program was specifically designed to ease the symptoms of anxiety disorders like agoraphobia. Self Confidence and Complete Relaxation can also benefit those suffering from agoraphobia. Subliminal Therapy is a psychological process in which critical thinking faculties of the mind are bypassed and a type of selective thinking and perception is established in the patient. We recommend our subliminal hypnosis sessions be used when you are falling asleep or meditating. It is in these times when you will receive maximum benefits as the subconscious mind is open to suggestion.