Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder.
People with agoraphobia avoid being in certain places or situations because they are afraid they will have physical symptoms of panic and have no help or means of escape. For example, agoraphobics may develop an intense fear of driving, crossing bridges, or being in shopping malls. The terror can be disabling and, at its most extreme, can prevent those who have it from ever leaving their homes. A person who has agoraphobia may or may not also have panic disorder. Panic disorder is a condition in which there are a number of devastating episodes of unpredictable panic attacks marked by a sense of impending doom.