Mental illness, especially common disorders such as depression and anxiety, affect more people than you may believe. Even some of the most accomplished and famous figures in history have suffered from social anxiety and agoraphobia. Learn and spread awareness about famous people with agoraphobia to end the stigma around mental illness.
What is Agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder associated with fear or panic in crowds, lines of people, or anywhere outside one’s “safe area,” typically their home. Agoraphobia can take mild to extreme forms, from preventing social growth and interaction to limiting one’s world to a very confined space. Although it’s treatable with exposure therapy, it is considered one of the more difficult anxiety disorders to treat because getting help requires leaving the “safe area.”
While people may become total recluses, others may function somewhat normally while dealing with agoraphobic anxiety. As with all mental health issues, no two cases of agoraphobia are exactly the same.
There are a number of famous people that with agoraphobia. Here are three famous agoraphobics that may surprise you.
Famous People With Agoraphobia
Emily Dickinson
This famous poet created dark yet relatable poems, many of which explore her depression and fascination with death. She also dealt with agoraphobia, confining herself to her family’s property, where she wrote, baked, and tended the garden. She had a reputation as an eccentric recluse.
Sigmund Freud
Ironically enough, Freud—the founder of psychoanalysis and arguably the world’s most famous psychologist—was agoraphobic. Freud even made his own theories about agoraphobia, sexuality, and repression. He thought his female patients feared going out into the streets because of sexual temptations. Perhaps Freud had some sexual repression issues of his own.
Barbara Streisand
In recent years, one of the most famous people with agoraphobia is Barbara Streisand. After forgetting the words to a song during a performance in 1967 at Central Park in New York, Streisand’s stage fright became so severe that it manifested into agoraphobia. It took nearly 30 years for her to conquer her fear and finally return to the stage.
Anxiety Treatment at Morningside Recovery
In addition to treating various types of substance addiction, Morningside Recovery also specializes in mental health rehab. Our dual diagnosis program helps people understand the depths of their mental illnesses and learn management strategies to cope with the symptoms. We also teach clients how to manage symptoms of their mental illnesses in ways that don’t rely on drugs or alcohol. Some of these programs for co-occurring disorders include:
To learn more about our programs and how to find help for yourself or someone you love, call us today at 855-631-2135.
