Months of limited exposure to the rigors of daily commutes, crowded malls and other activities might have worsened symptoms, mental health experts say.
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“The challenge,” he said, “is it is very difficult to assess agoraphobia in a situation where whole communities are told to stay inside, they are told that there is some risk for doing outside activities, and they are told to make their home environments as comfortable as possible for the duration of lockdown.”
The pandemic has accelerated people’s tendency to cocoon, complicating efforts to sort out the agoraphobics from the homebodies, Taylor said. “You’re creating a pleasure palace,” he said. “You’ve got your Netflix, you’ve got everything delivered to you, the food is delivered. You don’t need to go outside.”While anxiety disorders tend to run in families, there’s also an element of learned behaviors related to agoraphobia that can date back to childhood, Cassiday said.
“They are justifying it by saying, `Why should I waste that time commuting?’ ” she said. “But really, it’s that, ‘I’m afraid to be away from home, to be on the expressway, to be where I feel trapped and can’t get to my safe comfort zone.’ ”Agoraphobia, which may include panic attacks, involves elevated and persistent fear about at least two of the following situations, according to the latest diagnostic criteria.
If someone is worried that their heightened anxieties might meet diagnostic criteria, one question to consider is whether their fears are irrational, said
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