II. Definitions
- Agoraphobia
- Anxiety in a public or crowded place without easy escape
- Avoidance behavior to prevent Panic Attack in these settings
III. Findings: Types of activities avoided by patients with Agoraphobia
- Being distant from home
- Being separated from their safe person
- Physical exertion associated with Panic Attacks
- Going to enclosed places without easy egress or escape
- Restaurant or theater
- Store
- Public transportation
- Driving
- Social events where Panic Attack would be embarrassing
- Substance ingestion that would provoke attack
IV. Diagnosis: DSM5
- Marked fear or anxiety about actual or anticipated exposure in public spaces, lasting >6 months
- Occurs most of the time in two of five common, different situations
- Using public transportation
- Being in open spaces
- Being in enclosed spaces (e.g. theater)
- Standing in a line or crowd
- Being outside alone
- Fear is out of proportion to actual danger of situations
- Diagnosis requires both fear of public places AND active attempts to avoid these situations
- Results in Clinically Significant functional Impairment
V. References
- (2013) DSM-5, APA