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Environmental Phobias

Fear of Leaving the House

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Fear of Leaving the House Versus Agoraphobia

 
Part of the difficulty in treating a fear of leaving the house is that it can be a challenge to define. Agoraphobia is the condition most commonly associated with a fear of leaving the home, and is the primary iteration of the phobia discussed here.

However, the two do not overlap completely. Agoraphobia may involve a severe panic attack typically triggered at the thought of suffering a panic attack or other serious psychological or physical issue if the status quo of your current situation is broken.

fear of leaving the house

Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously declared “We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” and it’s precisely that fear of fear itself which helps characterize agoraphobia. It’s the sensation of being so afraid of that situation triggering terror and a panic attack as to trigger one that propels agoraphobia.

In theory, this panic attack can be triggered by any situation in which escaping or asking for help seems impossibly dangerous or humiliating. However, it is true that the most common and well-known form of this panic attack-driven phobia does involve a fear of leaving the house. The fear becomes so intense people suffering from agoraphobia refuse to leave their “safe zones.”

Fear of large crowds is a common cause of agoraphobia. Sufferers often fear spaces such as subways, malls, or other areas where large crowds are common. This links the disorder closer with the fear of leaving home, as after all, the easiest way to avoid large crowds and the panic attacks they may trigger is to stay home.

What’s more, while it doesn’t cover all cases, agoraphobic panic attacks over leaving one’s home link the phobia to the home more closely than other forms of this fear. For example, staying inside for fear of being shot or getting into an accident may cause you to be afraid to leave your home, but it’s ultimately a fear of guns or cars that is at the root of your fear. With agoraphobia, your fear is directly linked to leaving your “safe zone”—the most common manifestation of which is the home.

As such, while the two aren’t a perfect match, agoraphobia is nevertheless one of the most closely linked and popularly understood forms of an otherwise more generalized fear of leaving the house.

Rarity and Statistics

 
Afraid of leaving the house? Yes it is a notoriously rare condition, with less than 1 percent of Americans suffering from it. Making it even more difficult is that roughly 1.8 American adults may suffer from some form of agoraphobia despite not having any previous history of panic attack disorders. The median age range for the onset of agoraphobia is between 20 and 30. While generalizations across gender lines are difficult, studies have shown women are more likely to report suffering from agoraphobia than men.

The National Health Service estimates that roughly 1 in 50 people in the UK have some form of panic disorder, with around a third of those people going on to develop some form of agoraphobia. That said, agoraphobia does not only manifest as a fear of leaving the house, so it remains unclear how many people suffer from that specific form of the condition.
 

Q & A

What are similar phobias?
The Fear of Small Spaces or Claustrophobia
Enochlophobia – Fear of Crowds

 
Upon seeking treatment, the NHS estimates that a third of people are eventually cured and remain symptom-free, one in five continue to struggle, and half experience improvement, but have periods where their condition is more serious, and may relapse if triggered by stressors.

Causes and Symptoms

 
Part of what makes agoraphobia so difficult to treat is that its causes are notoriously difficult to pin down. Instead of specific symptoms, doctors often refer to a series of questions that, given certain answers, may paint a picture of a possible case of agoraphobia. Some of these questions include:

  • Do you find the idea of leaving the house to be stressful?
  • Are there certain situations or places you feel you need to avoid, and if so, which?
  • What avoidance strategies, if any, do you use to cope with this stress?

One cause consistently linked with agoraphobia is a tendency toward panic attacks. While most people suffering from panic attacks are not agoraphobic, agoraphobia nevertheless typically manifests with and is triggered by panic attacks.

In addition to these questions and panic attacks, there are a wide range of potential symptoms that can be associated with fear of leaving the house, especially in its agoraphobic form, including:

  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Depression
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Sweating
  • Trembling
  • Hot or cold spells
  • Diarrhea
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Chest pain
  • Trouble breathing
  • Hyperventilating

Many of these symptoms are triggered and exacerbated by the extreme stress that can accompany agoraphobia. This stress is also characterized by extreme feelings of fear and shame, as well as the fear of and shame at the idea of these feelings manifesting should the subject leave their home. Examples include:

  • Fear of dying
  • Fear of humiliation
  • Fear of a loss of control
  • Fear of losing others
  • Fear of a panic attack

Therapy, Medicine, and Treatments

 
Severe cases of a fear of leaving the house, especially in the form of agoraphobia, nearly always require professional assistance in the form of therapy and psychological and psychiatric care. Doctors can ask you the aforementioned questions about your stress, triggering stressors, and the form your stress takes, along with queries about your personal and medical history. Based on that information, they can suggest one or more treatment possibilities.

In many cases, one-on-one therapy with an accredited professional is an important step. These sessions can help get at the root of your triggering stress factors in a safe, calm, controlled environment.
 

 

Other therapy program options include:

 

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This involves changing patients’ thought processes so they are able to think in a more positive way. In the case of a fear of leaving home, it can help address the specific problematic chains of thought patients may have connected to the subject. In the case of agoraphobia, it can address the issue of panic attacks and the chains of thought that may trigger them.
  • Interpersonal Therapy (IPT): This form of therapy focuses on interpersonal and cultural relationships and how they may impact your psyche, in this case, agoraphobic fears of leaving home.
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): This combines CBT and IPT, making use of stress management and mindfulness techniques.
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): This involves behavior change by way of acceptance and mindfulness. This means developing mental flexibility and the ability to change the way you view certain things, such as the nature of the world outside your home.

Support groups are another common form of treatment that can help treat the fear of leaving your home, especially in its agoraphobic form. Many of the issues stemming from agoraphobia involve fear, shame, and the associations of these factors with the outside world. By engaging in support groups that serve as a “safe zone,” patients can share their feelings with others with similar conditions. This can help them feel as though they are not alone, assuage some of the fears they have, and, thus, help them confront their agoraphobic fears, including the fear of leaving home.

Some types of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications that are used to combat agoraphobia and other conditions that can cause a fear of leaving your home include:

  • Paroxetine (Paxil)
  • Fluoxetine (Prozac)
  • Sertraline (Zoloft)
  • Alprazolam (Xanax)
  • Andclonazepam (Klonopin)
  • Diazepam (Valium)

Please NOTE this website does not recommend any medication, we are simply listing options that may be prescribed by your health professional.

SOURCES:

https://www.verywellmind.com/symptoms-of-agoraphobia-2671979
https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/anxiety-pictures/8-common-phobias.aspx
https://www.addictionhope.com/mood-disorder/agoraphobia
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/agoraphobia/
https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/agoraphobia#1
https://www.verywellmind.com/fear-of-leaving-the-house-2583915
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0887618588900047

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Your Fear Goes Up and Down

Are you someone who would rather climb the stairs than take the elevator? You call it squeezing in a workout after being sedentary the whole morning. Or perhaps you claim it's a faster route. These are both typical, normal, and acceptable reasons. But what if you need to be in the conference room on the eleventh floor in five minutes, and you're wearing your business suit and wingtips? Would you still prefer to take the stairs? If your answer is yes, then maybe it's time to take a closer look at your reasons for avoiding elevators. Elevators stir all sorts of emotions in passengers. From the discomfort of closeness to strangers to the sensations in our gut, elevators can be a source of the heebie-jeebies for many, but for some, they can also be a source of terror. Let's dig a little deeper into the latter, and see what this terror is all about and what can be done to manage it. To begin with, does being inside an elevator give you chills or the sweats? Or does it trigger an unpleasant memory? Perhaps you remember movies you've watched where something terrible happens inside an elevator. From Silence of the Lambs, The Shining, Final Destination 2, or the king of all elevator horror films, 2010’s Devil, the elevator becomes witness to something sinister and horrible. And you want nothing to do with any of it. You know that you're not claustrophobic. You can deal with heights just fine, too. And you know that you're not going to be trapped inside. All of these contribute to a fear of elevators—but they don't apply to you. Yet being inside one does something to you. It's hard to explain.

What is the Fear of Elevators Called?

What you have is a fear of elevators, which is called elevatophobia. It is most commonly triggered by an experience of getting stuck inside either due to a power outage or technical maintenance. Hearing about other people's experiences or watching a movie about similar circumstances can prompt a fear of elevators getting stuck with you inside. Usually, claustrophobics and agoraphobics may also develop elevatophobia because the triggers and objects of these fears are related. Claustrophobia is the fear of closed and cramped spaces, while agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped without any means of escape. Put the two together, and the elevator becomes the perfect combination of both phobias. The space is limited and closed, with only one means of entry and exit. You can add another point of access if you consider climbing the cables like they do in the movies, but that certainly isn't ideal.

Symptoms of Elevatophobia

If for some reason an elevator stops due to an outage or some technical difficulty, passengers with elevatophobia may go into full panic mode. Even if the maintenance team advises that it will just be a matter of minutes, by then, the person's mind has become irrational with the fear of the elevator falling, being stuck for hours, or other unpleasant thoughts. You would expect a person to exhibit the following physical symptoms: Additionally, you would be filled with that overwhelming anxiety where you feel that you have zero control over the situation. You start fearing the unknown and are filled with negative thoughts about death and imminent doom. You become irrational and unresponsive.

Possible Complications of Elevatophobia

When the panic sets in, the possibility of emergencies related to pre-existing conditions may make themselves known. This might include serious health crises like heart attacks or asthma attacks. When this happens, fear becomes a medical emergency. Elevator rides do not last long; it's just a matter of minutes or even less. But the fact that a person can escalate from panic to a near fatal medical situation classifies the fear of elevators as a 'hard phobia.'

Trying Some Self-Help Methods

Your fear of elevators can likely interfere with your social and work life and relationships. Not everyone understands that elevatophobia, like most phobias, can be crippling. But don't be disheartened. Depending on the level of your fear and level of control, you can gradually face and manage your phobia. Here are some recommendations you can try:
  1. Make a List of Everything that Entails Riding in an Elevator This is a systematic approach to getting over your anxiety. By following a step-by-step process, you can identify where the fear kicks in at its strongest. You can write a list of steps like pressing the topmost button and waiting to arrive on that floor, watching as the door closes and opens, being alone inside the elevator, or having delays with the doors opening. Now try doing the opposite. For example, face away from the door or occupy yourself with your phone so that you are distracted.
  2. Create Your Fear Ladder Although the name says fear of elevators, it is not the whole process that scares you. There are just phases and parts of the elevator riding experience that cause you to panic. So go back to the list you initially created and label the fear level you feel. You can do it numerically, too, like ten being 'really scary,' six, 'manageable scary,' and one, 'not scary at all.' You can put the corresponding fear levels so you can focus more time and effort into activities that are more scary to you.
  3. Face Your Fear By now, you have identified what scares you the most. You can try repetitive action to minimize your fear and increase your sense of ‘normalcy’. Remember that the longer you expose yourself to your fear, the better you get at handling your emotions. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stop. Pushing yourself too fast and too soon can backfire. Modify your pace and go slower instead.
  4. Talk About Your Fear People by nature, unfortunately, are not quick to offer understanding and support. You need to tell them what's wrong before they can empathize. Talk to someone who you trust and ask for their support, especially in the initial phase of overcoming your fear. If you are too afraid to ride the elevator alone, you can ask them to go with you, and before you realize it, you are on your floor, and there was no indication of panic.
  5. Learn To Be Patient Be patient with yourself and your predicament. This is, after all, your fight against fear. It might take hundreds of elevator ride practices before the fear gets under control. Even then, there might be some hesitations and episodes of nervousness. These are acceptable and expected, so cut yourself some slack and congratulate yourself for every progress.

Seeking Professional Help

Along with self-help, you can always enlist a medical professional's aid to support you with your elevatophobia. Talking to someone who has experience with similar cases can be comforting, because you know that you are not alone, and this situation can get better. Talk to your doctor about the severity of your fears and the symptoms that you experience. Explain how you deal with it in an attempt to control it. An exam and a health history are made to ensure that there are no unrelated or underlying problems that your symptoms might mask. Usually, phobias like this are approached with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Your doctor will talk about these options with you, and it's entirely up to you, with your doctor's recommendation, what you want to pursue. For psychotherapy, the most common type is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which aims to help you find different ways of behaving, thinking, and reacting when about to step inside an elevator or when already inside it. With medications, there are beta blockers and benzodiazepines, but note that these can have side effects. Whatever these side effects are, you should promptly share it with your doctor.

Simple Tips to Overcome Elevatophobia

Elevators are not perfect, but their likelihood to malfunction, fall, or get stuck is very low. If you are not fully confident with this information, you can help overcome your elevatophobia by learning common elevator safety tips and basic elevator operations. These should help curb your mild fear until you become more self-assured. In addition to that, here are some of the things that you can do to gradually overcome your fear of elevators—both in getting on and riding one.

Conclusion

Yes, elevatophobia can be a challenge in today's world, but don't allow the elevator to win. Don't let it stop you from taking a job on the top floor or attending a social gathering on the rooftop. Sure, you can take the stairs if you insist and arrive winded and sweaty, with the party about to wrap up. But is this the quality of life you seek? Elevators are designed to make life easier. There are guaranteed ways to help you overcome elevatophobia. Take the first step and seek help. Soon, you’ll see yourself breezing through the floors with those arduous stair climbs little more than a memory.
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