The Facts
Agoraphobia, meaning "fear of the marketplace" in Greek, is a type of anxiety disorder. It's a condition where a person feels intensely anxious about being trapped in certain situations from which they can't easily escape. The result is a feeling of panic. Movie theaters, long lineups in banks or stores, and buses or subways are examples of places feared by people with agoraphobia. They often end up avoiding these situations or only going with someone with whom they feel "safe." In extreme cases, they may end up housebound, terrified to go anywhere in public. Agoraphobia affects 3.8% of women and 1.8% of men in any given six-month period.