Agoraphobia is widely understood as the fear of open spaces. The definition is a rough translation of the Greek term "agora" which means marketplace and "phobia" which means fear. This definition while popular is limited since the person suffering from agoraphobia is not only afraid of open spaces but are afraid of any space that they feel they have no control of and from which help may not be readily available when needed. Thus, agoraphobia attacks may happen in the car, an elevator, at home, office, places of worship, standing in line, meetings and anywhere that people congregates while not necessarily being open spaces.

Agoraphobia is a condition of intense internal anxiety that persons suffering from the phobia will avoid places where the fear has happened before. The fearful feeling may be continuous even when the condition that triggered the attack has already been diminished. For some, the condition may be a continuous feeling of panic that could trigger more attacks; others may try to function normally but with great effort at hiding and controlling intense anxiousness. Still for others the fearful feelings could be permanent which could be approximated as a feeling of discomfort rather than panic.

A person suffering from agoraphobia may avoid going out and doing anything outside of places where they are comfortable and has a feeling of control. Sometimes for fear that they could embarrass themselves, they could be housebound for years until the over stimulated nervous system levels down. Clearly agoraphobia is both a phobia and an avoidant behavior.

In scientific circles, agoraphobia is explained as an attachment deficit.

A person suffering agoraphobia will have attacks of overwhelming fear that to the normal person may have no apparent reason and they may manifest a combination of the following symptoms.

* Breathlessness caused by racing or pounding heartbeat resulting to shortness of breathing, chest pressure and pain, heaviness in the chest, or chest discomfort.

* The patient may experience choking sensation, a feeling of having a lump in the throat, nausea, chills and hot flushes, increased heart palpitation, twitching muscles, jumpiness, trembling and jelly legs, excessive perspiration, stomach problems, sweating, tremors, terror and the urge to flee.

* The person suffering from an agoraphobia attack may have difficulty in concentrating and thinking and will feel numbness, dizziness and light-headedness.

* Agoraphobics may have bouts of depression, detachment, isolation, extreme anxiety and extreme fear. They could also have feelings of unreality and a detachment from their bodies.

* During these episodes, the person may have fainting like symptoms, fear of losing their sanity and fear of dying

* The person suffering form agoraphobia will have social problems, work problems, relationship problems and mental problems.

Agoraphobia is more prevalent in females rather than in males. The difference may be attributed to the social and cultural factors that may encourage the behavior and the coping strategies although there are varied explanations to contracting the phobia.

Agoraphobia may also come about as a result of repeated panic attacks that resulted to constant preoccupation, worry and avoidance.

Today, there are several approaches to the treatment of agoraphobia that often are accompanied with gradual exposure therapies in combination with cognitive therapy. These treatments may often involve anti anxiety medications like benzodiazepines and anti depressant medications that are mainly in the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor class.