Agoraphobia: When Fear Keeps you Home and How a CBT Therapist Can Help
You want to leave the house, but something inside you says, What if I panic? What if I can’t get out? What if I have a panic attack? You might feel safer at home. But over time, the world outside starts to shrink. That’s what agoraphobia can feel like.
Agoraphobia isn’t just a fear of open spaces. It’s fear of being in a place where escape feels hard, or help might not come if you panic. It often shows up after someone has had panic attacks. You're not lazy. You're not weak. Your nervous system is just trying to protect you—from something it sees as dangerous, even if it's not.
If you live in Ontario and looking for an agoraphobia therapist, book a free consultation. We will match you with an online therapist in Ontario. Read about our therapy fees.
What Are the Early Signs of Agoraphobia?
Early signs of agoraphobia can vary from person to person. Signs and symptoms can include:
You feel anxious in crowded places
You avoid driving or taking public transit
You cancel plans last minute
You start to rely on someone to go places with you
You feel safer at home than anywhere else
At first, it might just be one or two places. Over time, the list of “safe zones” gets smaller.
What is Agoraphobia? (Source: Kati Morton)
What Do People with Agoraphobia Avoid?
Everyone is different, but here are some common avoidances:
Grocery stores
Malls
Elevators
Public transportation
Highways
Busy waiting rooms
Being alone in public
Leaving the comfort of their house
Avoidance makes things feel better in the short term. But long term, it feeds the fear.
Common Safety Behaviours
Safety behaviours help give you the illision that you are “safe”. However, they may be making your agoraphobia worse over the long term. Learn more about safety behaviours.
When people do go out, they often try to stay safe by:
Bringing someone with them
Sitting near exits
Looking for exits
Carrying water, meds, or a phone
Mapping out escape routes
Staying close to home
These safety behaviours are like training wheels. They can help at first, but they also keep your brain from learning that you're actually safe.
Why Does Agoraphobia Develop?
Agoraphobia often grows out of panic disorder or long-term anxiety. If you’ve had panic attacks in public, your brain may start to connect certain places with fear. Trauma, high stress, and sensitive nervous systems can all play a role. You might also have a family history of anxiety. A of agoraphobia can develop because of a multitude of reasons. For most people, they had a panic attack in public and they worry about it happening again.
How Agoraphobia Affects Your Life
It can be quiet at first—just a few skipped outings here and there. But over time, agoraphobia can affect work, school, relationships, and your sense of independence. It can be lonely. And it’s hard to explain to others when they say things like, “Just go out” or “You’ll be fine.”
But you’re not stuck. There’s help.
Can Agoraphobia Be Treated?
Yes. Agoraphobia is treatable. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatments. A trained agoraphobia therapist will help you:
Understand what’s fueling the fear
Work through panic and avoidance
Slowly face situations in safe, supported steps
Learn tools to calm your body and mind
Help you face situations without your safety behaviours
Therapy won’t push you into anything too fast. It meets you where you are. Learn how a man who overcomes agoraphobia with exposure therapy. If you have severe agoraphobia, you may want to make an appointment with your primary provider. Some people will need a combination of medication and therapy.
How to Help Someone with Agoraphobia
If someone you love has agoraphobia:
Be patient. They’re not doing this on purpose.
Don’t pressure them to “just go.”
Ask how you can support them.
Encourage small steps and celebrate progress.
Help them connect with a therapist who understands agoraphobia.
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
We offer online therapy across Ontario, so you can get help from the comfort of home. If you're looking for an agoraphobia therapist who understands what you're going through, we're here. Step by step, things can get better. Book a free consultation to learn how we can help. We have over 20 therapists to choose from including social workers, psychologists, and psychotherapists. Our Clinical Directors will help match you during your free consultation. Our therapy fees. Meet our online anxiety therapists.
