In a given year, approximately 3.2 million American adults ages 18 to 54 (about 2.2 percent of people in this age group) have agoraphobia. This condition is a type of phobia that causes an individual to feel an overwhelming, intense sense of fear. These people avoid places or situations in which they fear it may be difficult to escape. Some people who have agoraphobia even avoid normal, everyday activities, such as going to the grocery store. This condition can be treated with a specific form of short-term psychotherapy.