Agoraphobia is not the fear of open spaces, like many think it is. It is instead a disorder that people suffer from when they have a fear of places they cannot quickly escape from. For instance, a crowded store or a church would be difficult or even embarrassing for the person to get out of if they need to. They make associations with places in which embarrassing events may have happened before, whether they realize it or not.

Agoraphobia comes in various stages. There are people suffering from it that don’t want to leave their room ever, for fear of their own home. Then there are people who simply want to avoid a particular store. Of course, there are stages in between as well. Those with both severe and mild agoraphobia can find help via behavioral therapy.

Behavioral therapy is something that will help the person suffering with agoraphobia change their debilitating behaviors that foster their condition. For instance, if the person could not enter a particular store for fear of panic or not being able to get out of it, the therapist would work on the patient with that specific fear in mind. The therapist might ask the patient to step a foot into the door of the store, everyday for a week. When the anxiety dissipated from that task, they might ask the patient to walk around the store for five minutes.

These simple tasks can be quite anxiety provoking for someone with agoraphobia. They can bring on massive panic attacks and physical symptoms. Over time however, these tasks can be overcome by constant exposure. This process is often referred to as de-sensitization. After time, a person with agoraphobia can get over some of their anxieties and move on with their life. The process can be slow and difficult, but well worth it in the end!