Agoraphobia Definitions and Symptoms

Agoraphobia Symptoms - Part 4: Fear of Being Alone and "Scanning"

People with agoraphobia are usually afraid to be alone, even in a safe place, because they are afraid there would be no one to help in the case of a panic attack or emergency.

Because panic symptoms are so physical, some agoraphobics develop a distrust of their bodies and engage in obsessive scanning. Scanning is the constant monitoring of one's own body for strange or unusual symptoms.

Some but not all people with agoraphobia are prone to catastrophic thinking and can be extremely vulnerable when it comes to taking on new symptoms they hear about, even symptoms of other disorders.