Agoraphobia involves fears of being in situations from which escape might be difficult or help might not be available if panic symptoms, or other embarrassing symptoms (i.e., losing bowel or bladder control, fainting, vomiting), might occur.
Typically, the types of situations that are avoided include things like being away from home, being in open spaces (parking lots, bridges, markets), enclosed spaces (movie theaters, stores), public transportation (buses, trains, planes), and standing in lines or being in crowds. People with agoraphobia fear the possibility that such “symptom attacks” will occur and often engage in greater levels of avoidance over time, to the point that some people can become home bound.
