Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is the irrational fear of being in public places. An agoraphobic person may fear going to the mall because it is a wide open space with many people, leaving them feeling exposed, or they may feel they can't get out should they need to suddenly. The agoraphobics fear of leaving their comfort zone causes them to limit the places they go, and sometimes they may stop leaving their house altogether. Thoughts of leaving might cause extreme anxiety over what they perceive as humiliating or harmful and lead to panic attacks.