Is this Agoraphobia and does it get worse?

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I know there might be other threads about Agoraphobia, but I've typed in ''Agoraphobia'' in the custom search bit and nothing come up, so I thought I'll start a thread about this.

Almost 2 years ago, when for the first time in 8 years we had lot of proper deep snow and thick lethal ice, I struggled to survive emotionally, and it was the first time I started hating snow. I was in a busy town, with solid ice everywhere, and all the way through the busy town I had a couple behind me, sniggering and laughing each time my foot slipped on the ice (simply because I looked around and saw nobody else was slipping like I was so they probably thought it was fun to watch somebody who is slipping.) Because I have Dyspraxia, I tend to hold myself very stiff and so I'm probably more prone to slipping on ice more than other people. So from that day onwards, I began to develop some sort of anxiety of being out in public places, because of the fear of something embarrassing happening to me again, making people laugh and snigger at me (which lowers my self-esteem). At first I just thought it was a bit of an anxiety what I'll probably overcome, but between then and this day, it seemed to have deteriorated, not to a point where I can't go out, but I'm afraid of it coming to this stage.
I seem to have developed this fear of being looked at, because I fear people thinking I'm weird when I'm not even doing anything to look weird. I make an effort with myself: had a nice haircut recently, wear trendy clothes, ect. So I don't see why people should look at me. But it's not just that - I have a big fear of embarrassing myself in public. Going in shops is the worst thing for me to do on my own. I have trouble with paying, because I drop money everywhere, can't grip the carrier bags properly when packing my stuff, and I'm just all fingers and thumbs. And I hate using the self-service tills, because I'm so slow, and the more I know that people in the queue are watching and waiting for me to finish, the more flustered I get. So with shops it's nothing to do with the lights, noise, smells, whatever. Toddlers agitate me when they scream and cry near me, but that's very hard to block out. Even the crowds in general don't worry me (they never used to) - it's just when somebody is invading my space or are in my way when I want to get something, or if I'm in their way and I don't know where to stand.
And every morning before I go out, I always get butterflies in my stomach, (which means I'm feeling nervous just to go out). Also teenagers make me edgy when I have to pass them on my own because they sometimes shout out things.
But I don't get any fears when I'm with someone. It's when I'm on my own out in open public places is when I get anxious. I feel everybody's watching me and looking at me, and I tend to feel very unconfident, which makes me walk stiffly. I wish I could relax but I can't, and I just hope this won't get worse. I am seeing my GP to get referred to CBT, but they are taking their time. I know I have got some sort of Agoraphobia or Social Phobia. I even start feeling very cold but sweaty when people are coming towards me, which is nerves. I never know where to look, whether to look at them or completely turn my head away and.....ohh it's a very complicated thing to explain to people, unless I actually take someone out to show them what nerves me about people.
When I get on the bus I feel all the people are staring at me, but when other people come on the bus, I look at the people’s head’s in front of me and they don’t move, as though they’re not looking at the people getting on, but when I get on everyone turns their heads to look straight up at me, and it makes me very anxious and offended. And I can't just stop worrying about it just like that, because the anxiety is there, and there are all these unwanted thoughts going round in my head which is making me confused. I know most females are self-conscious about themselves and how the look, but I think I take the biscuit.
Is this Agoraphobia?

I couldn't say for certain, but it sounds like it.

I have Agoraphobia myself. I believe it will get better in time.

I had agoraphobia in my late twenties, to the point of not wanting to leave my house.
I would have panic attacks in restaurants, theaters, stores.

The books by Dr Claire Weekes, "Hope and Help For Your Nerves" other books, CD, DVD on her methods.

Her method was so highly regarded that she was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Medicine.

I recommend her works highly and am grateful she did recordings to pass on.

I am fine when I'm out with someone I know, but when I'm out on my own, it feels worse than walking through a dark forest at night.

could be agoraphobia.. or a general social anxiety perhaps. i was diagnosed myself a few years ago.
CBT can help immensely if you engage in it (which can be very scary at first) i didn't get CBT for it but had received it before for similar difficulties so i kinda did it myself and it did help somewhat.. besides if i don't go out, i won't get food etc so 'needs must'..
as with any anxiety problem / it can get worse but i believe it's more in our hands than people might realise, that is to say, if you get someone to shop for you for example and generally avoid challenging yourself to tackle fears then they are likely to grow. on the other hand, if you do 'challenge' yourself, get out there etc you can reduce anxiety to a more manageable level. i still find it challenging, get funny looks, people laughing at me and even outright taking the p*ss to my face.. but ultimately i feel it's worthwhile to keep trying, hopelessly naive and optimistic as that might sound.
ultimately the only opinion of oneself that matters is one's own.. and on the off-chance there is a God, His.
hope that doesn't sound patronising, i empathise & sympathise, only offering my personal opinion in the sincere hope of helping, if only a little.
fudo

If you can be outside by yourself without experiencing issues the its not agarophobia.

Sounds to me you have a strong social anxiety issue since your primary fear is that of being seen by others in an unfavorable light ... Like slipping in the ice. Social anxiety often has the affected person avoid such social encounters by avoiding people...in your case you seem to have chosen that not going out is the best way to avoid it.

Glad to read this thread. I don't know if you are suffering from agoraphobia. My primary physician diagnosed me as agoraphobic after answering a few questions. I challenged her opinion and she yelled at me. I have not been diagnosed with agoraphobia by a mental health professional. As I read these posts I think I have a social anxiety disorder. I often stay inside for a week or more and dislike going out in public alone but I force myself to do it at times. Sometimes there is no other way to get things done. I do not like being looked at and keep the blinds closed in my apartment so no one can look in and I limit my time outdoors. I have always had great anxiety regarding being looked at and all of the other aspects of being out in public. When I go out in public with a person I trust I have less anxiety.

I have been dxd with panic disorder & agorophobia , it affects me when I am out on my own but not when I am with my son or my dog.

I have a fear of florescent lighting and shops and places where it maybe difficult to escape and artificially lit places of a nightime. However, I am ok if I walk in the park with the dog throughout the day and ok in certain shops with lots of natural light.