{"id":122723,"date":"2021-06-10T11:00:07","date_gmt":"2021-06-10T10:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=122723"},"modified":"2023-03-09T13:59:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T13:59:26","slug":"agoraphobia-and-social-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/agoraphobia-and-social-anxiety.htm","title":{"rendered":"Agoraphobia and Social Anxiety – Are They Connected?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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photo by: Joice Kelly<\/p><\/div>\n

by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n

Have a total lack of interest in leaving your house lately? And between agoraphobia and social anxiety<\/a>, not sure where you fall? <\/span><\/p>\n

Can social anxiety become agoraphobia? <\/span><\/h2>\n

You had social anxiety before all the recent lockdowns<\/a>, but it seemed to ease. Now the world is opening up again, and it\u2019s back with a vengeance. You are worried that it\u2019s not just anxiety anymore, but agoraphobia.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Instead of one becoming the other, it’s more likely you have both at the same time.<\/strong> A<\/span>goraphobia and social anxiety have many similarities, and do intersect as\u00a0 a common ‘co-morbid<\/a>‘ (occurring together) diagnosis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But there are also differences, and understanding them<\/strong> can help you get the right treatment. <\/span><\/p>\n

What is agoraphobia? <\/span><\/h2>\n

The clich\u00e9 of agoraphobia is someone cowering at home, afraid to leave.<\/strong> But the condition is far more complex. And the fear is not just of \u2018leaving the house\u2019 or of\u00a0 ‘wide open spaces’. <\/span><\/p>\n

Agoraphobia is a fear is of being in any sort of situation where you might be trapped, or could<\/strong> only escape in an obvious and embarrassing way. <\/span><\/span>You are afraid that in that situation you will have a meltdown. <\/span>So essentially, the fear is of having a public panic attack<\/a> with an audience. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And that fear is enough that often, yes,\u00a0<\/strong> it seems easier to stay home.<\/span><\/p>\n

The NHS estimates<\/span><\/a> that two in 100 people in the UK have panic disorder.\u00a0 And of those people, a third go on to have agoraphobia. And they suggest that women are more than twice as likely to have agoraphobia than men.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Symptoms of agoraphobia\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Agoraphobia can mean you:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n