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Agoraphobia is the most common type of phobia,
and it is estimated to affect between 5-12% of Americans within
their lifetime. Agoraphobia is twice as common in women as in men
and usually strikes between the ages of 15-35.
The symptoms of the panic attacks which may
accompany agoraphobia vary from person to person, and may include
trembling, sweating, heart palpitations (a feeling of the heart
pounding against the chest), jitters, fatigue, tingling in the hands
and feet, nausea, a rapid pulse or breathing rate, and a sense of
impending doom.
Agoraphobia and other phobias are thought to be
the result of a number of physical and environmental factors. For
instance, they have been associated with biochemical imbalances,
especially related to certain neurotransmitters (chemical nerve
messengers) in the brain. People who have a panic attack in a given
situation (e.g., a shopping mall) may begin to associate the panic
with that situation and learn to avoid it. According to some
theories, irrational anxiety results from unresolved emotional
conflicts. All of these factors may play a role to varying extents
in different cases of agoraphobia. |
