Individual Counseling Insights brought to you by California Psychotherapeutic Resources, Inc.

Have you heard of agoraphobia? It’s a type of anxiety disorder that leads you to fear and avoid places or situations that might cause you to have a negative reaction — a bit of panic or a general feeling that you’re trapped, helpless or embarrassed.

No surprise — an uptick in agoraphobia has been noted as the Covid-19 pandemic wears on.

Jessica Migala, writing for the website The Healthy, says that “Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in early 2020, a lot of things have changed. In general, people are spending more time at home, either because they have to quarantine, they want to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission, or they have lost their livelihood and are unemployed. It’s hard to look at a crowd of people who aren’t wearing face masks and not think—is that really safe?”

The issue is of even more importance to people who were already prone to anxiety before the pandemic changed our lives. “While the mental health impact of this isolation can vary,” Migala goes on to say, “the impact on people who already have anxiety or some level of fear of crowds or interacting with others is undeniable.”

If any of this hits home for you, check out the full article here — it has some valuable advice on coping with anxiety in general and agoraphobia specifically.