A hot summer day. In an exclusive area of a large city, a family is all set and ready to leave for a holiday in the hills. Just when they are about to start, the lady has a sudden change of mind, what more, she appears to have taken ill all of a sudden. She is rushed to the hospital. The medical tests  show there is nothing wrong. It is too late — they have missed the flight. They get back home, she is in tears, husband’s angry and the children are throwing a tantrum, disappointed.  The duty doctor makes a guarded suggestion: why not consult a psychiatrist?

The psychiatrist has diagnosed it as ‘Agoraphobia; one among hundreds of phobias discovered so far.
This is happening in all of major cities all over the world. The symptoms are many but fairly common to all sufferers in one form or the other. With no medical history, victims suffer from sudden palpitations diarrhoea, stomach cramps,or  just panic attacks.

Panic attacks

The word agoraphobia is derived from the Greek word ‘Agora’, meaning; Public Place and ‘phobos ‘ meaning ‘fear .  This is not an accurate description though.  The sufferers of this crippling anxiety disorder experience panic attacks in situations they deem threatening. This can be anything from leaving the comfort zone of the home or fear of public places or even because of crowds.

Unfortunately, most people dismiss this as ‘exaggerated fear’ or ‘meek and cowardly’ behaviour. Agoraphobics often seek help only when the attacks are accompanied by other disorders like severe anxiety or depression.
The perception about and interpretation of this phobia differs from country to country, but all agree, that this phobia is in fact a cluster of phobias

What exactly is this Agoraphobia? It is not so much fear of ‘public places’ as fear of being afraid. It is fear of being in a situation where there is no ‘escape’. That could be anywhere or any situation that can trigger a panic attack.
There are several cures. They include psychotherapy, medication and psychoanalysis.  There are other, less conventional cures, still in the experimental stage such as Emotional Freedom Technique. Ultimately, a positive attitude will go a long way in curing this phobia.