What does agoraphobia mean? Definitions for agoraphobiaˌæg ər əˈfoʊ bi ə This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word agoraphobia Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: agoraphobia(noun) a morbid fear of open spaces (as fear of being caught alone in some public place) Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: agoraphobia(Noun) The fear of wide open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions. Origin: From agoraphobia, from + φόβος. Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Agoraphobia Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by anxiety in situations where the sufferer perceives certain environments as dangerous or uncomfortable, often due the environment's vast openness or crowdedness. These situations include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, as well as uncontrollable social situations such as may be met in shopping malls, airports, and on bridges.

Agoraphobia is defined within the DSM-IV TR as a subset of panic disorder, involving the fear of incurring a panic attack in those environments. The sufferer may go to great lengths to avoid those situations, in severe cases becoming unable to leave their home or safe haven. Although mostly thought to be a fear of public places, it is now believed that agoraphobia develops as a complication of panic attacks. However, there is evidence that the implied one-way causal relationship between spontaneous panic attacks and agoraphobia in DSM-IV may be incorrect. Onset is usually between ages 20 and 40 years and more common in women. Approximately 3.2 million, or about 2.2%, of adults in the US between the ages of 18 and 54, suffer from agoraphobia. Agoraphobia can account for approximately 60% of phobias. Studies have shown two different age groups at first onset: early to mid twenties, and early thirties. U.S. National Library of Medicine(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Agoraphobia Obsessive, persistent, intense fear of open places.

Numerology The numerical value of agoraphobia in Chaldean Numerology is: 2 Pythagorean Numerology The development of the English language following the Industrial Revolution The development of the English language following the Industrial Revolution. Jessica Courtney, BA (Hons) English language and Literature, University of Brighton (UK) [ Victorian Web Home —> Political History —> Social History —> The English Language ] Thanks to Dr Catherine Watts, Principal Lecturer, School of Language, Literature and Communication, University of Brighton, for recommending this essay. Dates in parentheses following words indicate the years of their first recorded use. Page numbers unless otherwise indicated refer to Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (2000). Introduction The Industrial Revolution , which began early in the eighteenth century when British society began to move away from a cottage industry towards an industrial society, had, as Melvyn Bragg points out, a major impact on language (2004: 238). Indeed, Bragg notes that the Industrial Revolution displayed a new vocabulary.

For example, in 1851 at the Great Exhibition the English language showed the world what it made of the machine age and how trade terms denigrated by Johnson now powered the language as empathetically as Tyndale's Bible (Bragg, 2004: 238). These are some of the words that appeared at the Great Exhibition, some plain English and others coinages from other languages: 'self-acting mill'; 'power looms'; 'steampress' and 'cylindrical steampress' (Bragg, 2004; 239) to name a few. The standardisation of spelling was just one aspect of a more general attempt to regulate the language, an attempt especially prominent in the second half of the eighteenth century when there was a growing feeling that English needed to be 'ruled' or 'regulated', as classical Greek and Latin were believed to have been (Barber, 2000: 203). Commentators like Swift wanted to protect English against the charge of 'barbarism' . . .

to 'fix' language so that it no longer varied (Graddol, Leith and Swann 1996:157). I have chosen to focus on the Victorian era, specifically on the impact the Industrial Revolution had on the English language. I find it fascinating that standard English, the language we use today, derives from the language standardised during the Industrial Revolution, and I have therefore organized this essay around six words fields each of which social changes created by the Industrial Revolution made prominent: fashion Each of these word fields contains eight or more words that the Industrial Revolution adapted, changed, customised and invented and that became common currency in Victorian England. Fashion The word crinoline was first recorded in 1830 (235). It was borrowed from the French word crinoline meaning 'hair cloth,' and adapted from the Italian word crinolino, from crino 'horsehair,' which in turn was from the Latin word crinis 'hair' + lino 'flax, thread,' from the Latin linum. Crinoline was primarily described a stiff fabric with a weft of horse-hair and a warp of cotton or linen thread.

However, by 1850 the meaning of the word had changed and had come to mean a stiffened petticoat or rigid skirt-shaped structure of steel designed to support the skirts of a woman's dress into the required shape (235). The word aniline (1850) describes a chemical used in the making of colourful dyes. It was borrowed from the French aniline, which was perhaps reinforced by the German Anilin. The word aniline was coined in 1841 by C. J. Fritzsche (1808-1871) which he ultimately coined from the Portuguese anil 'the indigo shrub,' from Arabic an-nil 'the indigo,' assimilated from al-nil. Some philogists have suggested that the word aniline is a formation in English from the word anil 'indigo dye', a word which had been known in England since 1581 (35). The word magenta (1860) describes the brilliant purplish-red aniline dye that was entitled magenta in allusion to the Battle of Magenta in Italy where it was first discovered (621).

Magenta was adopted to describe the bright purplish red, blood red, colour that covered the battlegrounds. In 1859 the French and Sardinians defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Magenta, supposedly liberating Italy and helping to advance its cause of independence, which in turn fired the imaginations of European Liberals (Etymonline.com: 2009). The word mackintosh (1836) was coined as a tribute to Charles Macintosh (1766-1843), who invented a waterproofing process. Many had attempted to invent water proofing, the earliest being the Spanish explorers, but they made a clumsy move in the wrong direction (Funk, 1998: 85). Then there was Joseph Priestly, a chemist, who in 1770 discovered by accident that a congealed blob of white sap could rub out pencil marks. Unsurprisingly, he named this invention a 'rubber'.

So it was not until 1823 when a young man who devoted all his spare time to science, particularly chemistry, discovered that if you cemented two layers of fabric with the thicknesses of Indian-rubber you could create a waterproof material. The discovery of waterproofing led to the invention of raincoats, which became hugely popular. To honour the man who made them possible, they were given the name mackintosh as a tribute to his hard work and dedication (Funk, 1998: 85). The word leotard (1886) alludes to the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1830-1870), who performed in such a garment and made it famous (589). It was actually many years after Léotard's death that the first known use of the name leotard was used. Léotard himself actually called the garment a maillot, which in French has now come to be the word for a swimsuit (Wikipedia, 2009).

According to Barnhart, raglan (1863), alludes to Fitzroy James Henry Somerset, Lord Raglan (1788-1855) who gave his name to a loose-fitting overcoat with sleeves extending to the collar (2000: 882). Lord Raglan was a British Field Marshal in the Crimean War , aide-decamp, secretary to the Duke of Wellington , and an English nobleman who eventually married the Duke's daughter (Funk, 1998: 87). The word lingerie (1835), a borrowing from the French lingerie 'things made from linen', derives from the Old French linge meaning 'washables' as in faire le linge 'do the laundry'. The word ultimately comes from lin for 'washable linen', the fabric from which European garments were initially made before the general introduction of cotton from Egypt and then from India (599).

The word peignoir (1835) describes a 'women's full or very loose dressin gown' (771) usually sheer, made of chiffon, and sold with matching nightgown, negligee, or panties, but more often than not a peignoir is worn with no underwear. The word peignoir is a borrowing of the French peignoir, which comes from Middle French peignouer meaning 'garment worn over the shoulders while combing the hair' (771). This word comes from the Middle French peigner 'to comb', derived in turn from the Latin pectinare 'a comb'. The French peignoir was a gown put on when going to and from the bath, but in English the meaning changed to a women's morning gown (Etymonline.com: 2009). Food The word toffee was first recorded in 1825. Before then it was known as tuffy or toughy, which was a Southern British English variant of the word taffy.

McGee (1984: 410) claims that the word toffee comes 'from the Creole for a mixture of sugar and molasses' and that it entered the language early in the nineteenth century (1984: 410). The modern spelling of the word toffee was first recorded in 1862, in one of Charles Dickens ' letters (1147). The word pasteurize (1881) honored Louis Pasteur (1822-95), the French chemist and bacteriologist, who discovered of the germ-theory of illness and invented the process of heating food, milk and wine in order to kill most of the micro-organisms in them (762). (Whereas pasteurization kills most micro organisms sterilization kills all of them.) Although we would normally associate Louis Pasteur with the pasteurization of milk, in fact the fermentation of beer and wine first caught his attention, so only seems right then that amongst all his great achievements he should also be referred to as 'God's gift to the French brewery' (Funk, 1998: 174).

His many experiments in the little town of Lille, in the heart of the grain and beet-sugar industries gave us pasteurized milk, which we should grateful for when were having a nice cup of tea. The word cereal (1832) meanis 'grass yielding edible grain' (155), originally from the earlier adjective meaning 'having to do with corn or edible grain'. The word cereal comes from the French word céréale, which was adapted from Latin Cerealis 'of grain,' originally 'of Ceres,' from Ceres, the Roman Goddess of agriculture (Funk, 1998: 366). So when you are eating your morning bowl of cereal, you are actually paying a small tribute to the ancient Goddess Ceres. The story behind the origin of this word goes back to 496 B.C., when the Roman countryside was cursed by a terrible drought that was killing all the crops, so the high priests of the day turned to the divinatory oracle and asked for help. As a result of this convergence, the priests announced that a new goddess Ceres must be adopted and that immediate sacrifices must be made to her to bring rain.

She became the protector of the crops from then on. So the Latin adjective Cerealis, which meant 'of Ceres,' gave us our word cereal (Funk, 1998: 167). The word pasta (1874) and comes from the Italian word pasta, first used in a book about Rome (762). The word derived from the Late Latin pasta pastry cake 'dough, pastry cake, paste,' from Greek pasta meaning 'barley porridge,' which was probably originally 'a salted mess of food,' from neutral plural of pastos 'sprinkled, salted,' from passein 'to sprinkle' (762). The word vermouth (1806) is borrowed from the French vermout which was an adaptation of the German wermut, which means 'wormwood' (1199). The English pronunciation with (th) at the end was initially influenced by the spelling. However in the French and German pronunciation of the word the (th) is pronounced (t), because the sound (th) is foreign and uncommon in these languages (Funk, 1998: 179).

The word salami (1852) borrowed from Italian salami. The plural of salami is salamen meaning 'spiced pork sausage', which comes from Vulgar Latin salamen from salare meaning' to salt' (952). The word salami originates from the word sal 'salt' with a suffix -ame that is used in Italian as an indicator of collective nouns (Etimo.it: 2009). Originally salami meant was all kinds of salted meats, but over time the word salame specialised to indicate only the most popular kind of salted and spiced meat. The word kosher, 'right or fit according to Jewish law' (570), was first recorded in 1851. It is a borrowing from Yiddish kosher, from the Hebrew word kï¿½shï¿½r meaning, 'fit, proper, lawful' (570).

Food that is not in accordance with Jewish law 'kosher' is called 'treif' meaning 'torn' and refers to meat which either comes from an animal killed by another animal, or killed with a dull knife which means the animal felt pain at the point of death or having a defect such as a disease that renders it unfit for slaughter (Wikipedia, 2009). The word hobnob (1831) is an extended sense of the earlier hobnob (1828), 'to drink together, taking turns toasting each other' (Dictionary.com: 2009). The word hobnob is most likely from Middle English habbe 'to have' and nabbe, a contraction of ne + habbe, meaning 'to have not,' hence the word hobnob means, 'to have and have not, to give and take'. The phrase hobnob 'give or take' can be found in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (Shakespeare, 1975: 105). Leisure The word toboggan (1829) — previously referred to as tobogin in 1820 — describes a simple sled used as traditional means of transport for people and goods.

Toboggan or 'long, flat-bottomed sled,' comes from Canadian English, which was borrowed from Canadian French tabagane, from Algonquian tobakun 'a sled' (1147). The word toboggan was also used as American English colloquial for a type of long woollen cap, which has been recorded from 1929 (earlier toboggan cap, 1928), presumably because one wore such a cap while tobogganing (1147). The word badminton (1874) , after an estate in Gloucestershire, the country seat of the Duke of Beaufort, where it is thought the game was first played (71). Beauforts' Estate, Badminton, was apparently the scene of several innovations of English living in the late nineteenth century. The game badminton was first played in England in 1873, after British Officials who had been stationed in India imported and introduced the game into English society. Everyone has played or heard of the game badminton.

There was also a drink named badminton after the game s made from claret and soda (Funk, 1998: 313). Unlike the game, it has long been forgotten. The word bridge (1843) supplanted the earlier name for the game — biritch (116). The game was enthusiastically taken up by British men in the lush 1880s, when it became as much a man's game as poker (Funk, 1998: 314). Although women were initially excluded from the game, by the turn of the century they played the game. In fact, the popularity of bridge made women's clubs even more popular and widespread than men's clubs. The symbols used on British cards came directly from the French, but the names are a mixture of French, Spanish and Greek. For example the spade is from the Spanish espade, or 'sword', which ultimately comes from the Greek spathe which meant 'wooden sword' (Funk, 1998: 314)..

The word marathon (1896) alludes to Marathon, a plain in Greece about 25 miles west of Athens, where an army of 10,000 Athenians defeated 100,000 Persians, at the Battle of Marathon (Funk, 1998: 316). After the battle an unknown courageous runner left the battlegrounds and brought the news of the thrilling victory to the city of Athens that lay some 26 miles away. In 1896 when the Olympic Games were revived for the first time, a long-distance race was planned to cover the same ground in order to commemorate the distance the runner had travelled to bring the news of the victory (632). The word polo (1872) describes the game referred to as somewhat like hockey only played on horseback with a ball and mallet (814).

Anglo-Indian polo originated from Baltic, a Tibetan language of the 'Indus Valley' (Funk, 1998: 318) and is related to the Tibetan term pulu, which means 'ball.' The game initially seemed to originate in the East and spread across from Persia to Constantinople to Tibet, and then to China and Japan. Finally in 1871 the British imported polo from India and played it on their own soil for the very first time (Funk, 1998: 318). The word rugby (1864) describes an 'English game somewhat like football' (943). The word rugby came about when it was used to name the game played at Rugby , the famous English pubic school for boys situated in a city in Warwickshire, central England which is unsurprisingly called Rugby (943). The word hike (1809) and comes from English dialect hyke or heik meaning 'to walk vigorously, tramp or march' (482).

The informal understanding of the word hike means to 'raise with a jerk, pull up' (482), was first recorded in 1873 in American English. The word croquet (1858) describes a game played with wooden balls and mallets ' (237), and borrowed from Northern French dialect crouquet meaning 'hockey stick', which is derived from Old Northern French croquet meaning 'Shepherd's crook'. Originally a variant of Old French crochet, from Old Norse krokr 'hook'. Croquet originated in Brittany and was popularised in Ireland in 1830 and then in England in 1850, where it was very popular and played often in the summer months (237). Medicine The word acne (1835), a medical term that describes a specific skin condition, comes from New Latin which was borrowed from the Late Greek aknas, and originally came into existence because of a sixth century Latin misreading by the author Aetius of the Greek word akmas 'point' (9). The word streptococcus (1877) refers to a kind of 'spherical bacterium that causes serious infections' (1075).

The word was coined and named by the Austrian surgeon and bacteriologist Dr. A. C. Theodor Billroth (1829-1894), a friend of the great composer Brahams (1833-1897). The word streptococcus comes from the New Latin terminology, but the elements are formed from pure Greek, streptos 'a twisted chain' and New Latin coccus spherical bacterium, which is derived from the Greek kokkos berry, 'a seed'. Billroth's chose the name because under the microscope these bacteria seemed to resemble long necklaces or chains (1075). Stethoscope (1820) describes 'an instrument used for listening to sounds in the lungs and heart' (1067). The word was first coined in 1819 by René Théophile Hyacinthe Lannec (1781-1862), a French physician generally considered the father of pulmonology (Inventorsabout.com, 2009).

The word stethoscope is borrowed from the French stéthoscope, derived from Greek stethos meaning 'chest, breast' + the French -scope. The word ambulance (1809) refers to a 'mobile or field hospital' (29). The word comes from the French ambulance, from hôpital ambulant — iterally 'walking (hospital) — derived from Latin ambulantem meaning 'to walk.' The word ambulance was not commonly used until the meaning transferred from 'hospital' to 'vehicle such as a wagon or cart used to carry the wounded from the field'. This switch happened during the Crimean War when ambulances as we know them today came into general use, as was cited in the Manchester Guardian in 1854 (29). The word diphtheria (1857), which describes a 'contagious disease of the throat' (280), was first coined in France by the French physician Pierre Bretonneau (1778-1862), who also identified typhoid fever and distinguished scarlet fever from diphtheria.

The word diphtheria comes from New Latin diphtheria, from the French word diphthérie, which derived from the Greek word diphthérï¿½ meaning 'hide, leather', so named because of the tough membrane that forms in the throat (280). In England however the disease was formally known as the Boulogne sore throat, because it initially spread from France (Etymonline.com: 2009). The word aspirin (1899) was coined as a trademark name in Germany (56). However it was actually in 1897, whilst German chemist Felix Hoffmann (1868-1946) was searching for something to relieve the pain of his father's arthritis (Inventorsabout.com: 2009), that a stable form of acetylsalicylic acid was produced that is now more commonly known as aspirin. The word leukemia (1855) was coined by the renowned German pathologist Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902) in 1856 (591).

Virchow , the first to describe the abnormal excess of white blood cells in patients, was uncertain as to the cause of these excess blood cells, and so used the purely descriptive term leukemia from Greek leukos meaning 'clear, white blood' to refer to the condition. The word leukemia was formed in English from leuk 'white' +-emia 'blood' which derived from earlier German leukämie in 1848. There was also another form, leucocythmia which occurred in 1852, but disappeared from the record of the English langauge in early 20th century (591). The word gynecology (1847) was borrowed from French gynécologie, from the Greek gynaiko-, which combined the form gyne meaning 'women' + French -logie 'study of' (458). Unlike today when there is no shame in being a gynecologist or going to see one, the historic shamefulness associated with the examination of female genitalia in the nineteenth century long inhibited the science of gynecology.

Chemistry The word benzene or benzine (1835) describes 'volatile chemical compounds obtained from hydrocarbons' (89), which are the central compounds of the field of organic chemistry. The word benzene is borrowed from the Germen benzin derived from Benz (oesaure), benzoic acid obtained from benzoin. The compound benzene has been the subject of many studies by scientists, ranging from the English chemist and physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867) to Linus Pauling (1901-1994), an American scientist, peace activist, author and educator. In 1825 Faraday first isolated and identified benzene from the oily residue derived from the production of illuminating gas, giving it the name bicarburet of hydrogen. It was then later in 1833 that the word benzine was coined by the German chemist Eilhard Mitscherlich (1794-1863), who produced the compound via the distillation of bezoic acid from benzoin and lime (Etymonline.com: 2009).

So Mitscherlich gave the compound the name benzin, which we still use today despite the minor spelling changes. The word halogen (1842) is used to describe 'any chemical element, such as iodine or chloride that combines directly with a metal to form a salt' (462). The word, a borrowing from Swedish halogen, which comes from the Greek háls, means salt + modern scientific suffix -gen. This is so because of the salt that is formed after the chemical reaction (462). It was coined by Swedish chemist Friherre Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1779-1848), one of the fathers of modern chemistry along with John Dalton (1766-1844) English chemist, meteorologist and physicist, and Antoine Lavoisier (1743-1794) French Nobleman, Chemist and biologist (Chemistrydaily.com: 2009).

The word petri dish (1892) is named after the German bacteriologist Julius Petri (1852-1892), who invented such a dish for incubating germ cultures and introduced it in 1887 when working as an assistant to Robert Koch (1843-1910). The word describes 'a shallow circular glass dish for keeping bacterial culture' (783). The word germinal (1808), which describes a germ 'of or in the earliest stage of development' (429), derives from New Latin germinalis 'in the germ', which derived in turn from Latin germen meaning 'sprout or bud' (420). The word thallium (1861 describes 'soft, malleable metallic chemical element' (1130). Thallium is New Latin, from Greek thallós meaning 'green shoot' which comes from the Greek word thóllein meaning 'to bloom' + the Latin form -ium (a chemical suffix). Thallium was given the name and is so called because of a bright green emission line in its spectrum (1130).

The English chemist and physicist, Sir William Crookes (1832-1919), coined the word thallium in 1861. This was his first important discovery that was made possible by the help of spectroscopy (Chemistrydaily.com, 2009). Because of this work, his reputation as a valued chemist became firmly established and, in 1863, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society (Worldspirituality.org: 2009). The word hydrate (1802) coined by the French chemist J. L. Proust (1754-1826) (500) describes a 'compound produced when certain substances unite with water.' It is borrowed from the French hydrate, which comes from the Greek hydr- meaning 'water' (500). The word palladium (1803) was coined by English Chemist and physicist William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828) (749) and comes from New Latin Pallas, an asteroid discovered two years earlier in 1802.

'This was so called after Pallas Athena, the Greek Goddess of wisdom, industries, arts and sciences' (749). Wollaston was also famous for the discovering other chemical elements, one of them being Rhodium (Chemistrydaily.com: 2009). The word rhodium 'metallic chemical element' (926) (1804), which the English chemist and physicist, William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828) discovered in 1803 (926). Wollaston made the discovery of rhodium in England, by using crude platinum ore that was most likely obtained from South America (Chemistrydaily.com, 2009). The word rhodium is formed from Greek rhódon 'rose' + New Latin -ium (a chemical suffix); this is because of the rosy colour of the elements salts (926).

Psychology The word agoraphobia (1873), which refers to the morbid fear of open spaces, public places, and unfamiliar situations (20), was coined by German psychiatrist Carl Westphal (1833-1890) in 1871, as the German word agoraphobie, which was formed from the Greek agora 'marketplace' and phobia 'fear' (20). The American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-86), who only had about a dozen of her own poems published in her lifetime, may have suffered from some form of agoraphobia or anxiety disorder. She was known as an eccentric recluse and after 1860 she never left the bounds of the family property (Neuroticpoets.com (2009). The word ethos meaning 'characteristic spirit of a people or community' (346) (1851 and may have come from New Latin, although it is more likely to have come directly from Greek ethos meaning 'moral character, person's nature or disposition' (346) from the Indo-European swedhos.

This concept of ethos was an important concept in Aristotle's work (Etymonline.com: 2009). Hypothalamus meaning 'the part of the brain under the thalamus controlling the temperature, the pituitary gland' (502) (1896) comes from New Latin hypo- 'under' + thalamus the part of the brain where a nerve emerges. The word hysteria (1801), used to describe 'fit of emotional outburst, imaginary illness and even real disability' (502), comes from New Latin, which was borrowed from Middle French hystérique and originates from Greek hysterikós and hystéra meaning 'womb'. The term hysteria was thought to be more specific to women and referred to a medical condition which was believed to be caused by disturbances of the uterus and lack of sexual intercourse which caused suffocation and madness (Etymonline.com: 2009). The term hysteria was coined by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (502).

The novelist Charlotte Gilman (1857-1935), famous for "The Yellow wallpaper" and Herland suffered from ongoing hysteria and in 1887 was treated with 'rest cure' by S. Weir Mitchell (1829-1914) (Gilman, 1995: viii). The word psychiatry (1846), which is used to describe 'the study and treatment of mental disorders' (858), was coined in 1808 by Johann Christian Reil (1759-1813) a German physician, physiologist, anatomist, and psychiatrist. It refers to a field of medicine that focuses specifically on the mind, and aims to study, prevent and treat mental disorders in human beings. The word psychiatry, which comes from the French psychiatrie, in turn formed from the Greek , meaning 'soul and mind', combines the two forms psyche + iatreía from iatrós meaning 'healing, cure' (858).

The word hypochondria (1839), 'imaginary illness or illness without a specific cause' (502) , is borrowed from Late Latin hypochondria meaning 'the abdomen' which comes from Greek hypochondria; hypo- 'under' + chróndros 'cartilage of the breastbone'. This reflects the ancient beliefs that the viscera of the hypochondria were the seat of melancholy. The noun hypochondriac in the modern sense (502) first appeared in 1888. The word claustrophobia (1879) is used to describe 'an abnormal fear of enclosed spaces' (177), and is typically classified in medical terms as an anxiety disorder, which can often result in panic attacks. Claustrophobia iusually has two main symptoms, one being the fear of restriction and the other being the fear of suffocation. The word claustrophobia comes from New Latin claustrophobia, which is formed from Latin claustrum meaning 'closed spaces' + New Latin phobia meaning 'fear' (177). The word psychosis (847 describes a 'severe form of mental disorder or disease' (859).

psychosis is New Latin and comes from Greek psyche meaning 'soul, mind'. It is a combination of two forms psyche + -osis from New Latin meaning 'abnormal condition'. In 1890 the word psychotic 'suffering from psychosis' was coined from psychosis (859). Conclusion JC: This handful of words represents a minuscule portion of all those adapted, changed, customised, and invented in the nineteenth century — many as a direct result of the Industrial Revolution. What I find fascinating, apart from the discovery and invention of something new, is why Victorian physicians, chemists, psychiatrists, and others coined these names for their discoveries and inventions. For example why did Carl Westphal choose agoraphobia and why do such words seem so complicated and strange to us in the twenty-first century? It is evident from the handful of words that 'English went back to Latin and Greek in many of its descriptions of the new' (Bragg, 2004: 240). GPL Why?

Because, beginning in primary school, every educated person in the U.K, Europe, and America studied classical languages, they believed that basing technical terms on Latin and Greek provided a way to make new words d easily understood by all educated Europeans. The Latin and Greek roots of these words allowed people who spoke different modern languages in their everyday life to understand the new coinages. For example the use of suffixes, such as -ology and -osis in words like gynaecology and psychosis may seem odd to those without a knowledge of the classical languages, but to someone in England, France, Germany, or Italy with a rudimentary knowledge of Latin and Greek could quickly decipher even newly invented words. Although those who coined new words thus used classical languages as a means of both communicating effectively and guaranteeing rapid acceptance of their neologisms, most of them might also have been aware that new words with obvious Latin and Greek roots distinguished their users from the poorer and less educated.

Although Oxford undergraduates famously used slang themselves — ain't was particularly common — slang was by and large considered 'the language of crime, poverty and ignorance, useful only as comic relief in the less distinguished dramas on the London stage' (Bragg, 2004: 243). One could, of course, consider words such as agoraphobia, gynaecology, and psychosis examples of the jargon or slang of the educated classes. Bibliography Fear of open spaces | definition of Fear of open spaces by Medical dictionary Fear of open spaces | definition of Fear of open spaces by Medical dictionary Related to Fear of open spaces: Fear of flying Agoraphobia Definition The word agoraphobia is derived from Greek words literally meaning "fear of the marketplace." The term is used to describe an irrational and often disabling fear of being out in public. Description Agoraphobia is just one type of phobia, or irrational fear. People with phobias feel dread or panic when they face certain objects, situations, or activities. People with agoraphobia frequently also experience panic attacks, but panic attacks, or panic disorder, are not a requirement for a diagnosis of agoraphobia.

The defining feature of agoraphobia is anxiety about being in places from which escape might be embarrasing or difficult, or in which help might be unavailable. The person suffering from agoraphobia usually avoids the anxiety-provoking situation and may become totally housebound. Causes and symptoms Agoraphobia is the most common type of phobia, and it is estimated to affect between 5-12% of Americans within their lifetime. Agoraphobia is twice as common in women as in men and usually strikes between the ages of 15-35. The symptoms of the panic attacks which may accompany agoraphobia vary from person to person, and may include trembling, sweating, heart palpitations (a feeling of the heart pounding against the chest), jitters, fatigue, tingling in the hands and feet, nausea, a rapid pulse or breathing rate, and a sense of impending doom. Key terms Benzodiazepines — A group of tranquilizers often used to treat anxiety. Desensitization — A treatment for phobias which involves exposing the phobic person to the feared situation. It is often used in conjunction with relaxation techniques.

Phobia — An intense and irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation. Agoraphobia and other phobias are thought to be the result of a number of physical and environmental factors. For instance, they have been associated with biochemical imbalances, especially related to certain neurotransmitters (chemical nerve messengers) in the brain. People who have a panic attack in a given situation (e.g., a shopping mall) may begin to associate the panic with that situation and learn to avoid it. According to some theories, irrational anxiety results from unresolved emotional conflicts. All of these factors may play a role to varying extents in different cases of agoraphobia. Diagnosis People who suffer from panic attacks should discuss the problem with a physician. The doctor can diagnose the underlying panic or anxiety disorder and make sure the symptoms aren't related to some other underlying medical condition. The doctor makes the diagnosis of agoraphobia based primarily on the patient's description of his or her symptoms. The person with agoraphobia experiences anxiety in situations where escape is difficult or help is unavailable-or in certain situations, such as being alone.

While many people are somewhat apprehensive in these situations, the hallmark of agoraphobia is that a person's active avoidance of the feared situation impairs his or her ability to work, socialize, or otherwise function. Treatment Treatment for agoraphobia usually consists of both medication and psychotherapy. Usually, patients can benefit from certain antidepressants, such as amitriptyline (Elavil), or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors , such as paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), or sertraline (Zoloft). In addition, patients may manage panic attacks in progress with certain tranquilizers called benzodiazepines , such as alprazolam (Xanax) or clonazepam (Klonipin). The mainstay of treatment for agoraphobia and other phobias is cognitive behavioral therapy. A specific technique that is often employed is called desensitization. The patient is gradually exposed to the situation that usually triggers fear and avoidance, and, with the help of breathing or relaxation techniques, learns to cope with the situation. This helps break the mental connection between the situation and the fear, anxiety, or panic.

Patients may also benefit from psychodynamically oriented psychotherapy, discussing underlying emotional conflicts with a therapist or support group. Prognosis Forsyth, Sondra. "I Panic When I'm Alone." Mademoiselle April 1998: 119-24. Organizations American Psychiatric Association. 1400 K Street NW, Washington DC 20005. (888) 357-7924. Anxiety Disorders Association of America. 11900 Park Lawn Drive, Ste. 100, Rockville, MD 20852. (800) 545-7367. National Institute of Mental Health. Mental Health Public Inquiries, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 15C-05, Rockville, MD 20857. (888) 826-9438.

agoraphobia [ag″or-ah-fo´be-ah] an anxiety disorder characterized by intense, irrational fear of open spaces, especially a marked fear of being alone or of being in public places where escape would be difficult or help might be unavailable. It may be associated with panic attacks (see panic disorder ) or may occur independently (officially called agoraphobia without history of panic disorder). agoraphobia without history of panic disorder agoraphobia with fear of having an attack of one or only a few incapacitating or embarrassing symptoms, which the person may or may not have had in the past, rather than a full panic attack. a·gor·a·pho·bi·a (ag'ōr-ă-fō'bē-ă), Avoid the mispronunciation agor'aphobia. Do not confuse this word with acarophobia or acrophobia. A mental disorder characterized by an irrational fear of leaving the familiar setting of home, or venturing into the open, so pervasive that a large number of external life situations are entered into reluctantly or are avoided; often associated with panic attacks. [G.

agora, marketplace, + phobos, fear] agoraphobia /ag·o·ra·pho·bia/ (ag″or-ah-fo´be-ah) intense, irrational fear of open spaces, sometimes occurring in association with panic attacks. agoraphobia (ə-gôr′ə-fō′bē-ə, ăg′ər-ə-) n. [ag′orə-] Etymology: Gk, agora, marketplace, phobos, fear an anxiety disorder characterized by a fear of being in an open, crowded, or public place, such as a field, tunnel, bridge, congested street, or busy department store, where escape is perceived as difficult or help not available in case of sudden incapacitation. Agoraphobia Morbid fear of open spaces, crowded public places (markets, malls, crowds) or leaving home. Agoraphobia differs from phobic states which are more limited and are evoked by a specific palette of situations. It is characterised by generalised anxiety and is associated with panic attacks.

It has an early adult onset, 2:1 female:male ratio, often arises in an abnormal physiologic and psychologic substrate and responds poorly to therapy. agoraphobia Psychology Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets; fear of leaving a safe place. See Phobia . Cf Monophobia , PAD syndrome . ag·or·a·pho·bi·a (ag'ŏr-ă-fō'bē-ă) A mental disorder characterized by an irrational fear of leaving the familiar setting of home, or venturing into the open; often associated with panic attacks. [G. agora, marketplace, + phobos, fear] agoraphobia An abnormal fear of open spaces or of being alone or in public places. Agoraphobia may be so severe that the sufferer refuses to leave his or her own home and becomes permanently house-bound. It is the commonest of the phobias. The term derives from the Greek agora , an open assembly place or market and phobia , fear or horror.

ag·or·a·pho·bi·a (ag'ŏr-ă-fō'bē-ă) Mental disorder characterized by irrational fear of leaving the familiar setting of home or venturing into the open. [G. agora, marketplace, + phobos, fear] agoraphobia (ag´ərəfō´bēə), n an anxiety disorder characterized by a fear of being in an open, crowded, or public place where escape may be difficult or help may not be available if needed. agoraphobia in animals, a reluctance to go outside. Includes companion animals and especially horses that have been kept in stables for long periods. See also barn rat. Irrational fear | definition of Irrational fear by Medical dictionary Irrational fear | definition of Irrational fear by Medical dictionary phobia [fo´be-ah] a persistent, irrational, intense fear of a specific object, activity, or situation (the phobic stimulus), fear that is recognized as being excessive or unreasonable by the individual himself. When a phobia is a significant source of distress or interferes with social functioning, it is considered a mental disorder (sometimes called a phobic disorder ).

Some typical phobias are: acrophobia (fear of heights), astraphobia (fear of lightning), cenotophobia (fear of new things or new ideas), claustrophobia (fear of closed places), hemophobia (fear of blood), and xenophobia (dread of strangers). Phobias are subclassified as agoraphobia , social phobias , and specific phobias . See also anxiety disorders . adj., adj pho´bic. simple phobia specific phobia . social phobia an anxiety disorder characterized by fear and avoidance of social or performance situations in which the individual fears possible embarrassment and humiliation, for example, fear of speaking, performing, or eating in public. specific phobia an anxiety disorder characterized by persistent and excessive or unreasonable fear of a circumscribed, well-defined object or situation, in contrast to fear of being alone or of public places ( agoraphobia ) or fear of embarrassment in social situations ( social phobia ). Common specific phobias involve fear of animals, particularly dogs, snakes, insects, and mice; fear of closed spaces (claustrophobia); and fear of heights (acrophobia).

pho·bi·a (fō'bē-ă), Any objectively unfounded morbid dread or fear that arouses a state of panic. The word is used as a combining form in many terms expressing the object that inspires the fear. [G. phobos, fear] phobia /pho·bia/ (fo´be-ah) a persistent, irrational, intense fear of a specific object, activity, or situation (the phobic stimulus), fear that is recognized as being excessive or unreasonable by the individual himself. When a phobia is a significant source of distress or interferes with social functioning, it is considered a mental disorder (sometimes called a phobic disorder ); in DSM-IV phobias are classified with the anxiety disorders and are subclassified as agoraphobia, specific phobias, and social phobias.pho´bic (fō′bē-ə) n. 1. A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous. 2. A strong fear, dislike, or aversion.

phobia [fō′bē·ə] Etymology: Gk, phobos, fear an obsessive, irrational, and intense fear of a specific object, such as an animal or dirt; of an activity, such as meeting strangers or leaving the familiar setting of the home; or of a physical situation, such as heights and open or closed spaces. Typical manifestations of phobia include faintness, fatigue, palpitations, perspiration, nausea, tremor, and panic. Some kinds of phobias are agoraphobia , algophobia , claustrophobia , erythrophobia , gynephobia , lalophobia, mysophobia , nyctophobia , photophobia , xenophobia , and zoophobia. Also called phobic anxiety , phobic disorder , phobic reaction. Compare compulsion. See also simple phobia , social phobia . phobic, adj.

phobia Greek, πηοβοσ, fear Psychiatry An irrational fear or an objectively unfounded 'morbid' dread of an element in the environment or particular activity, of such intensity as to evoke anxiety, panic, and adverse physiologic effects, and compel its victim to avoid contact therewith at virtually any social cost; phobias may result from displacing an internal conflict to an external object symbolically related to the conflict Common phobias Achluophobia–darkness, agora–open spaces, ailuro–cats, algo–pain, andro– ♂, auto–solitude, batho–depths, claustro–closed spaces, cyno–dogs, demo–crowds, erythro–blushing; gyno–♀, hypno–sleep, myso–dirt/germs, pan–everything, pedo–children, xeno–strangers. See Agoraphobia , Cancer phobia , Displacement , Fever phobia , Homophobia , Monophobia , PAD syndrome , School phobia , Simple phobia , Social phobia .

pho·bi·a (fō'bē-ă) Any objectively unfounded morbid dread or fear that arouses a state of panic. The word is used as a combining form in many terms expressing the object that inspires the fear. [G. phobos, fear] phobia An inappropriate, irrational or excessive fear of a particular object or situation, that interferes with normal life. Phobias may relate to many objects including reptiles or insects, open spaces or public places (agoraphobia), crowds, public speaking, performing or even eating in public and using public toilets. Exposure causes intense anxiety and sometimes a PANIC ATTACK . Treatment is by cognitive behaviour therapy. Phobia In psychoanalytic theory, a psychological defense against anxiety in which the patient displaces anxious feelings onto an external object, activity, or situation. Mentioned in: Agoraphobia , Antianxiety Drugs , Anxiety , Benzodiazepines , Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors phobia, n an intense, irrational, and obsessive fear of a particular object, activity, or situation such as animals, heights, meeting new people, or enclosed spaces.

pho·bi·a (fō'bē-ă) Any objectively unfounded morbid dread or fear that arouses a state of panic; used as a combining form in many terms expressing the object that inspires the fear. [G. phobos, fear] Overcome Agoraphobia & Fear of Open Spaces - Treatment for Agoraphobia - 10 Harley Street, W1G 9PF Buckinghamshire - Stoke Poges Leeds - Horsforth Manchester - Sale Overcome Agoraphobia - Fear of Open Spaces Do you suffer with Agoraphobia? Do you experience feelings of fear or anxiety at the thought of being away from home or a place of safety? Do you avoid going out? Some people with Agoraphobia can end up feeling that they are a prisoner in their own home. Do you think you will have a panic attack if you can't get back home? Being worried you'll have a panic attack or some other terrible thing is commonly experienced by sufferers. NLP & Hypnotherapy can work for you. We have over 12 years experience in successfully treating Agoraphobia quickly and for good. Contact us and find out how we can help free from the fear. Agoraphobia?

Imagine what your life will be like without it... The term Agoraphobia is widely misunderstood. It's literal definition suggests a fear of "open spaces". However that can be a slightly misleading view because Agoraphobics are not necessarily afraid of open spaces. Rather, they are afraid of having panicky feelings, wherever these fearful feelings may occur. For many, they can happen at home, as well as in open spaces, or in crowded supermarkets, places that are certainly not "open". The lack of an immediately available exit is one of the key features of many of these Agoraphobic situations. In fact Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder linked to feelings of panic which develops when a person begins to avoid spaces or situations associated with anxiety. Typical "phobic situations" might include driving, shopping, crowded places, traveling, standing in line, being alone, meetings and social gatherings. Agoraphobia arises; from an internal anxiety condition that has become so intense that the suffering individual fears going anywhere or doing anything where these feelings of panic have repeatedly occurred before. Once the panic attacks have started, these episodes become the ongoing stress, even when other more obvious pressures have diminished.

This sets up a "feedback condition" which generally leads to increased numbers of panic attacks and, for some people, an increase in the situations or events which can produce panicky feelings. Others experience fearful feelings continuously, more a feeling of overall. discomfort, rather than panic. A person may fear having anxiety attacks, "losing control", or embarrassing him/herself in such situations. Many people remain in a painful state of anxious anticipation because of these fears. Some become restricted or "housebound" while others function "normally" but with great difficulty, often attempting to hide their discomfort. Agoraphobia, then, is both a severe anxiety condition and a phobia, as well as a pattern of avoidance behavior. So what's making me feel like this? We find that the majority of people with Agoraphobia have an internal dialogue that just keeps running with unhelpful thoughts and/or they are constantly imagining very scary situations or unpleasant things happening to them. Consider the true cost of living with Agoraphobia. If you are living with Agoraphobia, what is the real cost to your health, your career or education and to your family life?

Avoiding the issue indefinitely would mean resigning yourself to living in fear, missing out on priceless life experiences big and small, living a life that is just a shadow of what it will be when the problem is gone. For anyone earning a living, the financial toll of this phobia is incalculable. Living with fear means you can never concentrate fully and give your best. Lost opportunities. Poor performance or grades. Promotions that pass you by. Agoraphobia will likely cost you tens, even hundreds of thousands of pounds over the course of your lifetime, let alone the cost to your health and quality of life. Treatment for Agoraphobia The good news is that because this like other phobias is a learnt response it can be changed easily and responds very well to the methods we use. From experience we typically find that in the majority of cases Agoraphobia is treatable in 2 or 3 sessions. Next step, have a FREE* consultation with one of our therapists We offer FREE* twenty minute mini consultations so you can have some private one-on-one time with a phobia specialist to find out more about the services we provide. The appointments are free and there is no obligation to take things further.

These consultations are beneficial if you are considering treatment for your phobia and wish to find out more about what phobia treatments may be available to you. * Terms and conditions apply Did you find what you were looking for? We hope that you found what you were looking for if not please let us know and where ever possible we will do our best to get the information for you. We love feedback so if there is something you liked or didn't like about this website please let us know via our feedback form so we can make this website even more helpful for you. If you weren't persuaded to contact us please let us know why . We might even give you a free appointment to say thank you and prove that you can overcome your fear! * Free initial consultation only available at Buckinghamshire & London Harley Street Clinics. READ TESTIMONIALS My freedom from claustrophobia has finally given me the prospect of being able to travel & to explore new places, I am finally free of the stress, fear & anxiety which had accompanied me for so many years. - Rowena Hi Paul, WOW, what can I say! You have truly helped Cara conquer her Needle phobia, which would of effected her for the rest of her life. Many thanks.

- Seamus Dear Paul, Thank you a thousand times for giving me my life back. The best thing I ever did was pick up that phone & dial your number. Thank you so much. - Jenny Hello Paul, Previously it was just an impossible dream due to the fear & panic of what may happen. I lost the fear & now feel total elation. Thank you so much for giving me a new life. - Kim Dear Paul, Words can't express how much your help has changed my life. I feel so happy, confident and free now. I look forward to my future. - Bronwyn Hi Paul, My friends could not believe how well I coped and I was so thrilled with myself. Thank you so much!!! - Pauline x Hi Paul, I came to you on Friday. And I'm sorry I haven't been in contact sooner, I have just been thinking of the right words. I guess what I want to say is Thank You! - Rose Hi Paul, I cannot put into words how grateful I am to you. I feel so comfortable in my own skin and I'm excited about the future. Thank you for giving me my life back. - M.L.

Phobias: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis - Medical News Today Phobias: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis Written by Christian NordqvistReviewed by Timothy J. Legg, PMHNP-BC, GNP-BC, CARN-AP, MCHES 4 14 A phobia is an irrational fear, a kind of anxiety disorder in which the individual has a relentless dread of a situation, living creature, place, or thing. Individuals with a phobia go to great lengths to avoid a perceived danger which is much greater in their minds than in real life. If confronted with the source of their phobia, the person will suffer enormous distress, which can interfere with their normal function; it can sometimes lead to total panic. For some people, even thinking about their phobia is immensely distressing. A phobia starts when a person begins organizing their lives around avoiding the object of their fear. A phobia is much more serious than a simple fear. People with a phobia have an overpowering need to steer clear of anything which triggers their anxiety. Contents of this article: Fast facts on phobias Here are some key points about phobias. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.

Phobias are much more serious than simple fears Over 50 million people in the U.S. have a phobia Females more commonly suffer from phobias than males Despite phobic individuals being aware that their fear is irrational, they cannot control the feelings Symptoms may include sweating, chest pains, and pins and needles Specific brain areas are involved in phobias What is a phobia? The word "phobia" is used for a number of quite different concepts. If the phobia is of something that the phobic person very rarely comes into contact with, such as snakes, their daily lives will not be affected. However, some complex phobias are impossible to avoid, such as agoraphobia (fear of leaving home or being in public places) or social phobia (fear of being among groups of people). There are three main categories of phobias: Specific phobias (simple phobias) A disproportionate fear about specific situations, living creatures, places, activities, or things. Examples include a fear of: Dentists (dentophobia) Birds (ornithophobia) Frogs (ranidaphobia) The two examples below, social phobia and agoraphobia, are known as complex phobias.

They are linked to a deep-rooted fear or anxiety about certain situations, incidents, or circumstances, which make them much more disabling than simple phobias. Social phobia Social phobias are now called social anxiety disorder. A person with social phobia finds being in social situations difficult and sometimes unbearable. Going to parties, weddings, functions, or exhibitions cause sufferers anxiety; there is fear of being embarrassed or humiliated in public. It often includes a fear of being judged by other people. People affected with social phobia feel that they will be scrutinized and singled out in the crowd; they prefer to avoid social gatherings altogether. Psychologists say that a high proportion of adults with social phobia start taking measures to avoid social situations during their teenage years. Studies have shown that their progressively isolated lifestyles make them more susceptible to developing depression . Experts emphasize that social phobia is not the same as shyness . Obese people may develop social anxiety disorder , simply because of their weight. Agoraphobia An individual with agoraphobia is frightened of finding themselves in situations where there is no escape; they fear being stuck in a desperate situation with no help.

Agoraphobia may include a dread of traveling on buses or trains or going into large shops or shopping malls. When symptoms are severe, the patient may find stepping out of their own home unbearable. Sufferers have an increased risk of also suffering from panic disorder. As with social phobia, crowded and public places are avoided. How common are phobias? In industrial nations, phobias are the most common kind of anxiety disorder. They can affect people of any age, sex, and socioeconomic status. An estimated 19 million Americans have a specific phobia, 15 million have a social anxiety disorder , and 1.8 million have agoraphobia. A higher percentage of women suffer from phobias than men. Simple phobias usually start early on in life - during childhood, and often go away by the time the person reaches late teens. Complex phobias generally start later on. Most common phobias Arachnophobia (fear of spiders) is among the top ten phobias worldwide. The ten most common phobias in the U.K. and U.S.

are: Social phobia - fear of being in places with a lot of people Agoraphobia - fear of being somewhere with no support, away from home, open spaces Claustrophobia - fear of being in constricted, confined spaces Aerophobia - fear of flying Headache A feeling of anxiety is produced by simply thinking about the object of the phobia Children may cry, become very clingy, attempt to hide behind a parent's legs or an object, or have tantrums Complex phobias Complex phobias are much more likely to affect the patient's well-being than specific phobias. Those who suffer from, for example, agoraphobia, may have a number of other associated phobias as well, such as monophobia (fear of being left alone) or claustrophobia (fear of feeling trapped, closed spaces). In severe cases, agoraphobics will rarely leave their homes. Causes of phobias It is unusual for a phobia to start after the age of 30; most of them begin during early childhood, teenage years, or early adulthood.

They can be caused by a stressful situation or experience, a frightening event, or a parent or household member who has a phobia which the child becomes progressively aware of. Common causes for specific (simple) phobias These usually develop when the child is aged 4-8. In some cases, it may be the result of something that happened early in life. The trigger might have been an unpleasant experience in a confined space, which festered and developed into claustrophobia over time. As mentioned above, witnessing a family member's phobia is a common cause for phobias that started during childhood. A child whose mother has arachnophobia is much more likely to develop the same phobia. Experts stress that phobias picked up from parents are learned fears - they are not genetically inherited. Common causes for complex phobias The causes of agoraphobia or social phobia are still a mystery; nobody is sure exactly why they appear. Researchers believe they are caused by a combination of life experiences, brain chemistry, and genetics. Social phobias are more likely to be caused by an extremely stressful experience than agoraphobia, researchers say. Phobias and survival - there may be evolutionary explanations for many phobias.

In prehistoric environments, remaining in wide open spaces would have increased the risk of being attacked and eaten by a predatory animal. The instinct to stay at home, especially for young children, aids survival. Young children in their caves and huts would have had to learn to avoid dangerous snakes and spiders quickly. Social phobia may have been a useful survival instinct during ancient and prehistoric times. Being among people you do not know, from perhaps another tribe, was much more dangerous than finding yourself among a crowd of strangers in a shopping mall today. Neurobiology of phobias Specific areas of the brain - the amygdala in particular - are associated with phobias. Some areas of the brain - the prefrontal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and the amygdala - store and recall dangerous or potentially deadly events. In future occasions, if a very similar event is confronted, those areas retrieve that same memory, causing the body to react as if it was happening again. With some people, the event may feel as if it is repeating itself many times. Some effective treatments manage to get the brain to replace the memory and reactions with something more rational.

Phobias are irrational phenomena - the brain overreacts to a stimulus. Unfortunately, the brain areas that deal with fear and stress keep retrieving the frightening event inappropriately. Neuroscience researchers have found that phobias are often linked to the amygdala , which lies behind the pituitary gland. The amygdala can trigger the release of "fight-or-flight" hormones, which put the body and mind in a highly alert and stressed state. Tests and diagnosis of phobias When diagnosing a phobia, a doctor will aim to determine whether or not an object triggers unreasonable fear. People with a phobia are nearly always aware that it is present, and they are not defensive when discussing their symptoms with a doctor. This helps diagnosis enormously. Even so, millions of sufferers never discuss their fears with a doctor. This is unfortunate because there are effective treatments available. Treating phobias If the phobia does not cause severe problems, most patients find that by simply avoiding the source of their fear is enough to stay in control. Some phobias are not possible to avoid, as may be the case with aviophobia (fear of flying). In such cases, professional help should be sought.

The good news is that with proper treatment, most phobias can be cured. Treatment needs to be tailored to the patient for it to work - no single treatment works for everybody. The doctor, psychiatrist, and/or psychologist may recommend behavior therapy, medications, or a combination of both. Therapy is aimed at reducing the symptoms of fear and anxiety, and to help patients manage their reactions to the source of their fear. Medications

Question: What is the word commonly thought to mean "a morbid fear of open spaces"?
Answer: Agoraphobia