What is agoraphobia? 7 Hollywood stars who suffer from it

In 2021, Netflix published the film The Woman in the Window, which tells the story of a woman suffering from agoraphobia. And that year many wondered: What does this disorder consist of?

According to the specialized site Medline plus, agoraphobia is a disorder that consists of intense fear and anxiety of being in places from which it is difficult to escape or where help may not be available. It generally involves a fear of crowds, bridges, or being alone in outdoor spaces.

MayoClinic agrees: It says that agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that causes sufferers to feel fearful of situations that might make them feel trapped, helpless, or ashamed.

What are the causes and symptoms of agoraphobia?

It is a type of anxiety disorder for which the exact cause is unknown. It sometimes occurs when a person has had a panic attack and begins to fear situations that could lead to another attack, Medline Plus says.

As regards the most recurrent symptoms of those suffering from agoraphobia, they are the fear of being alone, of being in places where escape could be difficult, of losing control in a public place or the feeling that the body and the environment are unreal.

There are also physical symptoms, which manifest as discomfort or pain in the chest, choking, dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat or tremors.

How can it be treated?

The MenteAMente portal underlines the importance of early diagnosis: “Treatment of agoraphobia should be as early as possible. Agoraphobia must be differentiated from reasonable fears, such as walking at night in dangerous neighborhoods.

“It is also important to differentiate cases in which the fear appeared on a specific occasion. The symptoms must last several months,” the site emphasizes.

Treatment can be psychological, pharmacological or combined. “The decision on the type of treatment will depend on the patient’s preferences, as well as the severity of the symptoms and the functional disability they cause.”

MayoClinic, on the other hand, notes: “Treating agoraphobia can be difficult because it involves facing your fears. But with proper treatment, which usually consists of a type of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy and medications, you can avoid it .” trap of agoraphobia and enjoy life more.

7 celebrities who suffer or have suffered from agoraphobia

Kim Basinger

Kim Basinger’s worst fear as a child was read aloud in class, to the point that teachers believed he was having a nervous breakdown. When she went to receive her Oscar in 1997 for LA confidential He didn’t know what to say despite having studied his speech several days before.

Barbra Streisand

The problem of this multifaceted artist is this finds it difficult to act in intimate spaces. In an interview with Oprah WinfreyBarbra said she couldn’t sing in someone’s living room.

Woody Allen

It is one of the many phobias that still accompany the director by Annie Hall. Woody never enters tunnels or goes to the countryside at night. Nor do you bathe in showers with the drain in the center of the tub.

Emma Stone

The Oscar winner for La La Land told Glamor When she was little she went to therapy because “I was borderline agoraphobic.” “I couldn’t leave my mother’s side. “I don’t have panic attacks anymore, but I had a lot of anxiety,” she revealed.

Sally Campo

The actress has stated on several occasions that she has suffered from panic attacks before attending events.

Macaulay Culkin

The protagonist of Home Alone he suffered from agoraphobia as an adult. “It wasn’t like I went to a therapist and he told me. “I only realized it when I started going out and I felt like the buildings were eating me,” he told CNN.

“I didn’t even realize that I didn’t leave the house much. You know, there were always photographers in the bushes and things like that, and there were a lot of things out there trying to consume me,” he said. added the actor.

Billy Bob Thornton

The actor told the BBC that he probably suffers from agoraphobia sometimes he is afraid to go out and public places cause paralyzing fear.