Agoraphobia

Intense fear of situations where escape may be difficult or help may be unavailable

The word was coined in 1871 by the psychiatrist Carl Westphal, from the Greek agora, “place of assembly, marketplace”. Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder in which a person fears places that would be hard to escape, such as public transport, shopping centres or crowds, and in severe cases they can no longer leave home. It is usually treated with cognitive behavioural therapy.