On three separate occasions when she was out in public over the past three months, Vanessa has had to rush hom?On three separate occasions when she was out in public over the past three months, Vanessa has had to rush home after being overwhelmed by dizzy spells during which her heart pounded and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. On the last occasion she went to the emergency room but a thorough examination ruled out any medical problem. Nevertheless, Vanessa has become increasingly fearful about having more episodes and she has restricted her activities to only the most essential outings. Vanessa seems to be displaying symptoms of which of the following psychological disorders?A.) erythrophobiaB.) generalized anxiety disorderC.) social phobiaD.) agoraphobia

In psychopathology, agoraphobia refers to an anxiety disorder characterized by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe and that there isn't a safe way to escape. Examples of these situations can be: open spaces, public transit, shopping malls, streets or just being outside.

The symptoms that these people can experience are the usual anxiety symptoms such as feeling dizzy, increased of the heart rate, difficulty breathing and thoughts about something bad happening.

In this example, Vanessa has had to rush home when being outside because she feels dizzy and feels she can't breathe. The doctors have ruled out any medical problem. She remains fearful and she has restricted her activities outside. We can see that Vanessa is experiencing anxiety when going out, in an environment that apparently she perceives as unsafe (open space, the street). Therefore, this is an example of agoraphobia.