Agoraphobia and Social Phobia - By: iris0326

Agoraphobia is an abnormal and persistent fear of public places or open areas, especially those from which escape could be difficult or help not immediately accessible. The very word agoraphobia itself lets us know the nature of this debilitating condition. 'Agora' comes from the Greek language and it means places where people meet, or a marketplace. 'Phobia' is a fear of something. Thus we can understand that people who suffer from agoraphobia have a fear of being in crowded places.

Social Phobia is an interpersonal pattern of behavior which is most likely to appear and cause distress when a person feels that their social goals of asserting their wishes or gaining approval from others are dangerously unattainable or likely to fail. It is a form of self-overprotection from perceived social threats.

Agoraphobia and social phobia have some similarities that make hard to distinguish from one another. Both of them are afraid to be in public settings. And since both are classified as phobias, both conditions can be successfully treated with a program of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Also there are differences between agoraphobia and social phobia. The main difference between agoraphobia and social phobia can be found in the nature of the fear causing the avoidance behavior. People with social phobia are afraid of social settings that involve groups of people or crowds. Agoraphobia, on the other hand, is the fear of open and public spaces, in the presence or absence of other people.

And people with agoraphobia, unlike those with social phobia, would also be afraid to walk alone in a forest or on a secluded beach because no one would be around to help if they had a panic attack or medical emergency.

Luckily, both agoraphobia and social phobia can be cured.

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