# Phobia of being stuck in a certain place?



## c0ry (Jan 24, 2009)

I have no idea what this is called, but recently it's been triggering panic attacks for me. Whenever I'm in a place that I can't leave, I start having a panic attack. For example, on the express bus today after the last stop before the main part of the journey, when I realized I was stuck on the bus and couldn't get off, I started panicking. Another example, I went to see a show at a planetarium and as soon as they said re-entry wasn't permitted and I realized I was stuck there and couldn't exit... I had a panic attack. 

It's not claustrophobia because I'm not in tight places. I have no idea what this is, and I'm wondering if anyone else experiences it/knows what it's called. Thanks


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

I'm the same way. It's the reason I don't like going out with people unless I'm driving myself. It also makes public transit difficult at times. I was on a train that was delayed for 3 hours and I had a full blown, crying, mom-phoning panic attack. Awful and embarrassing.


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## ohioisforloners (Jan 14, 2009)

I am not really sure what would trigger this, but it seems like many people have the same phobia. What happens if you are in a group of people or friends in the same sort of "can't leave" situation? I just wonder if it's a case of being alone and feeling panicked that everyone is focused on you and somehow know you are having an attack.

I can't really help much on this since it does not happen to me, but I am interested in learning more about it.


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## bcarroll (Mar 28, 2009)

Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder, often precipitated by the fear of having a panic attack in a setting from which there is no easy means of escape. As a result, sufferers of agoraphobia may avoid public and/or unfamiliar places. In severe cases, the sufferer may become confined to his or her home, experiencing difficulty traveling from this "safe place."

DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria

A) Anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult (or embarrassing) or in which help may not be available in the event of having an unexpected or situationally predisposed panic attack or panic-like symptoms. Agoraphobic fears typically involve characteristic clusters of situations that include being outside the home alone; being in a crowd, or standing in a line; being on a bridge; and traveling in a bus, train, or automobile.

B) The situations are avoided (e.g., travel is restricted) or else are endured with marked distress or with anxiety about having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms, or require the presence of a companion.

C) *The anxiety or phobic avoidance is not better accounted for by another mental disorder, such as Social Phobia* (e.g., avoidance limited to social situations because of fear of embarrassment), Specific Phobia (e.g., avoidance limited to a single situation like elevators), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (e.g., avoidance of dirt in someone with an obsession about contamination), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (e.g., avoidance of stimuli associated with a severe stressor), or Separation Anxiety Disorder (e.g., avoidance of leaving home or relatives).[16]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agoraphobia


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## c0ry (Jan 24, 2009)

ohioisforloners said:


> I am not really sure what would trigger this, but it seems like many people have the same phobia. What happens if you are in a group of people or friends in the same sort of "can't leave" situation? I just wonder if it's a case of being alone and feeling panicked that everyone is focused on you and somehow know you are having an attack.
> 
> I can't really help much on this since it does not happen to me, but I am interested in learning more about it.


I can't even respond to that, because I've grown so avoidant over the years that I don't even have a group of friends or people to go into a situation like that with.



bcarroll said:


> Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder, often precipitated by the fear of having a panic attack in a setting from which there is no easy means of escape. As a result, sufferers of agoraphobia may avoid public and/or unfamiliar places. In severe cases, the sufferer may become confined to his or her home, experiencing difficulty traveling from this "safe place."
> 
> DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria
> 
> ...


This is great info, thank you. I've heard of this phobia before, but had no idea this is what I've been experiencing.


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## jaayhou (Jun 20, 2007)

Nail on the head. I frequently avoid getting rides with people to events/gatherings for fear that things will go bad and I'll be compelled to leave. I once took a weekend trip across the state with a so-so friend to visit a couple of his friends at an university. I honestly don't know how I did it or why I agreed to it in the first place, but I made through without freaking out too much.

And that reminds me of another time I took a weekend retreat with about 100 people I'd never met before. I thought I'd force myself to meet people by committing to it (great idea, huh?). There was absolutely no escape, save faking a medical emergency. I don't think I'd ever have the balls to do anything like that again. 

Just the other day I got a ride with a friend to a sporting event, but I had to work the next day (which always ruins my night--I have an intense fear of not getting a full night's sleep before working.) Of course, the whole group wanted to go out afterward, so I used by backup plan. I called my girlfriend and had her pick me up. I wouldn't have agreed if couldn't have set up an escape plan before hand.


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