It suddenly struck me during this lesson that I could not explain to someone what agoraphobia means. "It's something to do with open spaces?" I looked in the workbook--nothing. I looked in several dictionaries--"fear of crossing open spaces." But I'm not afraid of the sky falling on my head. I came to the Net and indirectly (is there a straight line on the Net?)I found here. Without following all the 35000 leads(and I thought it was only me with the problem), I found the definition at http://pages.infinit.net/drnayman/agorapho.htm that gave me a better explanation of the word.

The Attacking Anxiety course has been excellent for me. Indeed, if there had been a definition in the workbook, I would not have found this forum!

Dear Neil

I have a book called "Hope And Help For Your Nerves" by a Doctor Claire Weekes, and in it she goes pretty far in depth explaining agoraphopia. You may want to pick this book up. I highly recomend it to any one suffering from anxiety, especially agoraphopia.

It is my understanding that agoraphopia is the need to "escape" into whatever is comfortable, and usually people are most comfortable at home. This is why so many agoraphobics become house bound. However, it's not allways that severe. I, for example, am terrified of elevators. Now some people might say I'm clausterphobic, but it's not the small place I'm afraid of. I can take an elevator with windows no problem, no matter how small it is. It is the over whelming need to be able to "escape" any situation. See what I mean? Trust me, I'm no expert at explaining this, but I hope I was able to give you a little bit more insight. Be sure pick up that book I recomended. I think you will find it most helpful. You can find it on the web at either Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Good Luck Mellie

Hello Mellie

Thank you for your kind suggestion, it looks an interesting book. I see she has a written an fair selection.

Unfortunately, I have a good first hand knowledge of agoraphobia practice, it was the theory that stumped me. Using the phone terrified/s me. This week, I needed to keep speaking, by phone, to a woman who was suicidal. I managed to keep positive. I spoke about my situation. She said, wasn't that something to do with open spaces and I realized I wasn't sure of the answer.

Intellectualizing is also a resistance behaviour of mine, so I've seen and faced two Demons this week. I'm happy.

Take care, Neil

[This message has been edited by Neil (edited 04-27-2001).]

The best definition I ever heard of "agorophobia" was "fear of having a panic attack." I think that really sums it up. For me, it has nothing to do with open spaces, or being alone, or being outside, or driving, but at the core is about my own fear of what my body does when I feel anxious. So I think it's best to think of agoraphobia like that, not as a fear of leaving your house or of "the marketplace" (where the word comes from--the Greek word "agora" means marketplace), but a fear of having a panic attack so severe that you avoid things in order to avoid the feelings your body has when it becomes anxious. I find that makes it a lot easier to deal with.

This is a very neat and succinct definition. It is one I can relate to. What I find so strange is, how is it that all the dictionaries, that I've seen, are so off target with the modern understanding of agoraphobia.

I wonder how many others, like myself, don't get help with agoraphobia because the ubiquitous archaic definition misleads them.

Thanks Lori, for sharing your knowledge.