Agoraphobia is often called the fear of the outside. Agoraphobia is a phobia that is usually associated with a panic disorder or develops from one. The symptoms of agoraphobia are anxiety about being in places or situation from which escape might be difficult or in which help might not be available. This fear comes from the fear of having an unexpected or situationally predisposed panic attack. The fears of agoraphobic involve clusters of situations that include being outside the home alone; being in a crowd or standing in line, being on a bridge; and traveling in a bus train or automobile. If an attack occurs, the subject may exhibit signs like fainting, diarrhea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, crying, and freezing. Fear of these symptoms and situations usually cause the person to avoid the situations all together becoming eventually agoraphobic. The causes of agoraphobia are not unlike that of any other panic disorder. The prevalence of agoraphobia is not defined exactly but it is known that between one and two percent of persons that experience panic attacks are diagnosed with agoraphobia. Causes of agoraphobia are most likely hereditary. First degree biological relatives of individuals with a panic di
American Psychological Association. Diagnostic and Statistic Manual IV. Washington, DC: APA 1979.
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