Jobs for People with Agoraphobia (9 Great careers)

In this brief guide, we will discuss jobs for people with agoraphobia, agoraphobia signs and symptoms, as well as some jobs for people with social anxiety and best jobs for people with anxiety or depression.

Jobs for People with Agoraphobia

Here are some of the best jobs for people with Agoraphobia:

• Writer
• Freelancer
• Day Care Center
• Headhunting Agency
• Babysitting.
• Pet sitting.
• Artist.
• Selling things online.
• Photography.
• Video Editor
• Proofreading and Editing 
• Online Tutors
• Social Media Managers
• Telemarketing

The best jobs for people with agoraphobia need to include a built in manner in which they don’t have to leave their familiar situation given that it causes them such severe anxiety, and thankfully with the advent of the internet and the rise in communication channels, this is more and more possible with many jobs.

Finding some of the best jobs for people with agoraphobia has actually become even easier since the beginning of the lockdown due to the pandemic, which has shown many industries across various sectors that it is completely possible to have people work from home.

Staying connected through the various modes of communication has become easier with time and now there are multiple forums to just do video calls, which is what has sustained a lot of companies over the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Therefore, finding the best jobs for people with agoraphobia is much easier in the current climate, and to ensure that you are getting the best possible opportunity you can always tell your employer of your condition before you take on the position.

Most people suffering from agoraphobia find that freelancing and writing tends to fit their criteria best, given that it merely involves an internet connection, a keyboard, and a computer.

One might be able to find freelance jobs for writers very easily on websites like Upwork, freelancer, and Fiverr.

Agoraphobia: Signs and symptoms

Agoraphobia is a very debilitating anxiety disorder that makes the person confined to their home and unable to leave their home because they feel extreme fear that they will get into a difficult position and not be able to leave.

The Diagnostic and Statistical manual gives the following criteria for Agoraphobia:

“Marked fear or anxiety about two (or more) of the following five situations:

• Using public transportation (e.g., automobiles, buses, trains, ships, planes).
• Being in open spaces (e.g., parking lots, marketplaces, bridges).
• Being in enclosed places (e.g., shops, theaters, cinemas).
• Standing in line or being in a crowd.
• Being outside the home alone.

The individual fears or avoids these situations because of thoughts that escape might be difficult or help might not be available in the event of developing panic-like symptoms or other incapacitating or embarrassing symptoms (e.g., fear of falling in the elderly; fear of incontinence).

Agoraphobic situations almost always provoke fear or anxiety.

The agoraphobic situations are actively avoided, require the presence of a companion, or are endured with intense fear or anxiety.

The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual danger posed by the agoraphobic situations and to the socio-cultural context.

The fear, anxiety, or avoidance is persistent, typically lasting for 6 months or more.

The fear, anxiety, or avoidance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

If another medical condition (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson’s disease) is present, the fear, anxiety, or avoidance is clearly excessive.

The fear, anxiety, or avoidance is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder—for example, the symptoms are not confined to a specific phobia, situational type; do not involve only social situations (as in social anxiety disorder), and are not related exclusively to obsessions (as in obsessive-compulsive disorder), perceived defects or flaws in physical appearance (as in body dysmorphic disorder), reminders of traumatic events (as in post traumatic stress disorder), or fear of separation (as in separation anxiety disorder).”

On the other hand, the International Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders gives the following criteria for Agoraphobia:

The term therefore refers to an interrelated and often overlapping cluster of phobias embracing fears of leaving home: fear of 

• entering shops, 
• Crowds
• public places
• of travelling alone in trains, buses, or planes. 

Although the severity of the anxiety and the extent of avoidance behaviour are variable, this is the most incapacitating of the phobic disorders and some sufferers become completely housebound; many are terrified by the thought of collapsing and being left helpless in public. The lack of an immediately available exit is one of the key features of many of these agoraphobic situations. 

Most sufferers are women and the onset is usually early adult life. Depressive and obsessional symptoms and social phobias may also be present but do not dominate the clinical picture. In the absence of effective treatment, agoraphobia often becomes chronic, though usually fluctuating.”

The clinical guidelines for diagnosing agoraphobia include:

• “the psychological or autonomic symptoms must be primarily manifestations of anxiety and not secondary to other symptoms, such as delusions or obsessional thoughts;
• the anxiety must be restricted to (or occur mainly in) at least two of the following situations: crowds, public places, travelling away from home, and travelling alone; and
• avoidance of the phobic situation must be, or have been, a prominent feature.”

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

Best Starter Jobs for Someone with Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is another condition that is characterized by an extensive fear of being in social situations but in case of social anxiety the fear is not so severe that it keeps the person from being outside their home; they may mainly be anxious in situations where they have to engage in social interactions.

The best jobs for someone with social anxiety might be the following:

Dog Trainer: Being a dog trainer is a good example of a job that might be appealing to someone with social anxiety because working with animals can often be very rewarding.

Other animal related jobs for someone with social anxiety might be the following:

• Veterinary technician
• Kennel operator or caretaker
• Zookeeper
• Rescue worker

These jobs will also limit social interaction a lot and they will give the person space to work quietly and independently., which is something many people with social anxiety might find easier than dealing with people.

Accountant: Accountants are individuals who manage bookkeeping and financial details for businesses and individuals, and this is something someone with social anxiety might be good at because it also involves the minimum amount of social interaction.

If you are good at analytical and mathematical things then being an accountant may work for you.

Landscaper: Landscapers work for landscaping companies, golf courses, or as private entrepreneurs and they take care of the outdoor areas and make them look aesthetically pleasing and luscious, which is something that may work well for someone with social anxiety.

Entrepreneur: Having your own business may be a good idea if you have social anxiety as it allows you to be in control, however, it may also leave you open to having your own employees you may have to talk to and lead, so it may be a good idea to have a partner.

Firefighter: It may sound like a daunting thing, but being a firefighter does not involve much social interaction and therefore may make a good job for someone with social anxiety disorder.

Computer Programmer: With all the focus on computer and the internet today, you can work with a computer from anywhere as a computer programmer, and for someone with social anxiety this may be a great thing.

You can also look into being an Application developer, as that is also something that requires the minimum possible social interaction but has many gains and allows you time to yourself.

Jobs for people with anxiety or depression

Jobs for people with anxiety or depression need to include some level of interaction with people but not something that involves a lot of confrontation or high pressure situations.

Jobs for people with anxiety and depression must also not include situations in which they may be asked, or made to, work in situations where they are just not able to get away or cope in any way, and they would ideally be jobs which allow them enough time to take care of their mental health condition as well.

Here is a list of some of the best jobs for someone with anxiety or depression:

• Small business owner
• Working with animals: vet, groomer, dog/cat sitter
• House Sitting
• Babysitting
• Writer
• Artist
• Physician
• Researcher
• Interior decorator
• Architect
• Computer programmer
• Gardener
• Teacher
• Scientist
• Banker
• Accountant
• Marketing
• Social media Management
• Content Management
• Telecaller

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we discussed jobs for people with agoraphobia, agoraphobia signs and symptoms,(you can take an agoraphobia test) as well as some jobs for people with social anxiety and best jobs for people with anxiety or depression.

Agoraphobia and other anxiety disorders like Social anxiety or generalized anxiety can often make working very difficult, if not downright impossible, in fact, some people suffering from these disorders may even have to leave their jobs because of the condition and depend on disability and unemployment benefits till they get better.

It is not impossible to hold down a job for someone with agoraphobia, especially in the current times that are so dependent on technology and allow for a great deal of work to happen online and over electronic means of communication.

If you have any further questions or comments about jobs for people with agoraphobia, please feel free to reach out to us.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Jobs for people with Agoraphobia

Citations

https://www.joblist.com/guides/the-most-beneficial-jobs-for-people-with-depression

https://www.verywellmind.com/best-jobs-for-people-with-generalized-anxiety-disorder-4157834