Agoraphobia has many definitions but is essentially an anxiety disorder. It is said to be the fear of having a panic attack, but is also said to be a fear of being in a place where there is no help readily available to the sufferer. Because of this, the sufferer avoids public places, especially unfamiliar ones.

Typically, when one thinks of Agoraphobia in general, we think of it to be the irrational fear of being outside. The sufferer appears to be unable to leave their home or a safe indoor location - apparently due to this intense fear of being out in the open.

However, it is perhaps better to think of this problem as a social anxiety condition, rather than the fear of being in an open space. The anxiety is linked to being in a public place, with others around. Rarely are sufferers afraid of being outside in a situation that doesn't include other people, and most sufferers are not simply afraid of being outside, but the social ramifications of being trapped in a bad situation while outside.

The fear an agoraphobic feels when outside is an anxiety disorder. The anxiety one feels is that of the potential a bad situation will occur in the open or in public, and usually the panic is strongly linked to the fear that others will see the sufferer in an embarrassing or compromised position.

Indeed, the fear of the social ramifications is usually the chief reason behind an agoraphobic's anxiety, more-so than the fear of the bad situation occurring itself.

Commonly an agoraphobic initially had no fear of being outdoors until a particularly stressful situation caused them to have a panic attack. If the panic attack occurred in a public place with many people aware of the attack, then the situation can be amplified. A sufferer can then begin to fear not the initial distressing situation, but that another panic attack could occur.

The person will begin to develop an irrational fear of being in the same type of situation, in case another embarrassing panic attack happens in a public place.

Eventually the sufferer begins to condition themselves to believe that being outdoors itself is the factor that brings on the panic attack, and the pattern of avoidance can continue until the sufferer feels unable to leave the house, or be around groups of people.

Of course this is particularly damaging as the agoraphobic is one of the least likely sufferers to seek medical treatment or counseling. However it should be noted that those who are able to recognize this problematic cycle almost always make a full recovery with the right help - nine out of ten agoraphobics who seek medical help make a complete recovery.

Early discovery and treatment is key to a quick recovery.