Agoraphobia & Fear of Open Spaces (Episode 134)

Disordered: Anxiety Help

Josh Fletcher and Drew Linsalata

Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.9 • 665 Ratings

🗓️ 28 November 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Agoraphobia. Is it fear of open spaces? Do people with agoraphobia always fear open spaces? What even is agoraphobia and how to I overcome it?

This week we're looking at the complexities of agoraphobia, exploring its definitions, connections to panic disorder, and the fear of open spaces. We're sharing some personal experiences and insights on how navigate through these challenges, emphasizing the importance of exposure therapy (what a surprise) and understanding that specific triggers mostly don't matter.

We also include a few great did-it-anyways, including flying with an anxiety disorder, a primary fear for many struggling with agoraphobia.

Takeaways

Agoraphobia is the fear of losing control outside of a safe zone.
Many agoraphobics plan their lives around safe zones.
Distance does not equate to increased anxiety; it's about perception.
For some, wide open spaces can trigger feelings of anxiety and fear
Hypervigilance makes it difficult to cope in unfamiliar environments.
Exposure therapy is essential for overcoming agoraphobia.
Specific triggers (like open spaces) are largely irrelevant in the recovery equation.
Anxiety can distort perceptions of safety and control.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	I often say it's just the fear of losing control outside of a designated safe zone. You know you're
0:07.5	agoraphobic when you plan your life around being in safe zones or at least near a safe
0:13.8	zone. Safe people, I think, show up in agoraphobia more than any other because the safe person
0:19.6	often influences what a safe zone is.
0:23.1	I can go to this thing, but only if these three or four people will go with me.
0:30.1	Don't fall for the illusion and the trap that, oh my God, you know, I've got to go to the other
0:34.7	side of the country. I'm going to be a thousand times more anxious.
0:37.9	No, it doesn't work like that.
0:38.9	It's the same panic as if you go into somewhere that scares you near.
0:42.2	So usually the progression is panic attack, panic attacks, avoid, avoid, avoid, avoid, avoid,
0:49.1	agoraphobia.
0:53.1	Welcome to Disordered. This is episode 134 entitled Agrophobia and the Fear of Open Spaces.
1:00.9	My name is Joshua Fletcher, also known as Anxiety Josh, and I'm a psychotherapist who specializes in the world of anxiety and anxiety disorders.
1:10.0	I'm an author, a podcast host, a social media content creator, and a therapist that's really
1:17.2	passionate about providing evidence-based education to our wonderful listeners, and I'm
1:23.5	joined by.
1:24.5	I'm Drew Linzalata, the other half of Disordered.
1:27.3	I'm also a former sufferer of these things that we talk about here in this podcast, but better now. A therapist that specializes in anxiety and anxiety disorders in New York, though. Also a writer, social media dude, the whole thing. We're looking at the same. It's the same situation. So yeah, yeah and we got the other half of this microphone duo so
1:45.8	happy to be here we're talking agrophobia today agoraphobia today yeah this in response to a
1:51.9	question from Anton from Croatia he says hey Drew and Josh and in brackets alphabetically this is the
1:58.1	correct order to name you that is is very diplomatic. I appreciate that.
2:02.3	Greetings from Croatia. You can use my name if you like. Thanks, Anton.
	...

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