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Avoidance Behavior:
Generally, people with agoraphobia avoid places and
situations that are hard to escape from or that might be
embarrassing to have to suddenly leave. This is usually
because they fear having a panic attack or unexpected
catastrophe and not being able to get help or get away. In
other words, people with agoraphobia avoid situations in
which they are likely to feel trapped or stuck without help.
Examples of situations avoided by most people with
agoraphobia are:
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being outdoors
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being away from home alone
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being in crowds
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sitting in a middle row in a theater
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standing in lines
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taking an elevator
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crossing a bridge
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driving a car (especially in heavy traffic)
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using public transportation like buses and planes
To sum it up, people with agoraphobia are likely to avoid
the risk of getting caught in any situation where escape
would not be easy, immediate, and unnoticed.
In many cases, agoraphobics avoid going anywhere that is
beyond a certain distance from their home, unless it is a
“safe” place or they are with a “safe” person (read below).
Because of the dire need to avoid unsafe places and the
possibility of a dreaded panic attack, people with
agoraphobia become masters at making up excuses to explain
their avoidance behavior.
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