Types of Anxiety
Avoidance Behavior
Related terms · Avoiding anxiety-inducing places · Behaviors that are ceased
Avoidance behavior refers to avoiding places, people, or activities, or becoming unable to do things alone, due to the fear that anxiety or a panic attack may occur.
Reviewed by Korean Medicine Doctor Choi Yeon-seung · Last updated 2026-08-26
Meaning and Distinctions
What is avoidance behavior?
While it may reduce anxiety in the short term, repeated avoidance can further limit your mobility, work, and relationships. Avoidance behavior refers to avoiding certain places, people, or activities for fear of experiencing anxiety or panic attacks, or becoming unable to perform these activities alone.
- Easily confused terms
- We look at whether you are giving up your normal daily life due to fear, rather than it being a simple matter of preference or a rational safety choice.
- Why this is checked during medical evaluation
- This helps in setting treatment goals based not only on the frequency of panic attacks but also on the activities you are able to perform independently again.
- What to write down for your visit
- Please categorize and list the activities you avoid completely, those you can do with a companion, and those you managed to complete despite the difficulty.
Sleep and Mind Glossary
Compare similar terms here
You can check the brief meaning first and then proceed to the detailed explanation.Anticipatory AnxietyAnticipatory anxiety refers to a state where worry and tension increase before an actual situation occurs, due to the fear that a panic attack or uncomfortable event may happen again.AgoraphobiaAgoraphobia is a condition of fearing and avoiding places and situations where one feels it may be difficult to escape or difficult to receive help.Social AnxietySocial anxiety is a state where it is difficult to endure or one avoids situations such as conversations, presentations, or dining due to a fear of being evaluated by others or feeling embarrassed.
Read More
Check guides where this term is used
- Condition GuidePanic disorderPanic disorder is a condition characterized by unexpected panic attacks followed by a process of changing behavior due to fear of recurrence. While chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, and abdominal discomfort are actual physical symptoms, for new attacks, other causes such as heart, respiratory, or thyroid issues are checked first. Recovery of daily functioning is achieved not just by counting the number of attacks, but by reducing pulse checking, repeated emergency room visits, and avoidance of the subway or driving. Severe chest pain, fainting, neurological symptoms experienced for the first time, or urges for self-harm should not be dismissed as familiar panic.→
- Condition GuideAgoraphobia · Avoidance of going outAgoraphobia is a pattern of avoiding movement not because of the size of a specific place, but due to the fear that it will be difficult to escape or receive help if an attack or difficult situation occurs. This should be distinguished from panic attacks, fear of social evaluation, and the risk of dizziness or fainting, and an actual avoidance map should be created. If the number of attacks decreases but the distance you can travel alone or your dependence on a companion remains the same, record the number of attacks and mobility function separately to reset the next treatment goal. If there is fainting, new neurological symptoms, severe chest pain, or an increased risk of self-harm, a medical safety evaluation takes priority over exposure practice.→
- Medical GuideHow can I distinguish other causes from what feels like a panic attack?A panic attack can involve a rapid increase in symptoms such as throbbing, shortness of breath, trembling, and dizziness, along with sudden intense fear or discomfort. However, first-time chest pain, fainting, symptoms during exercise, or one-sided paralysis are not dismissed as panic. If these recur, record the starting scene, the time it took to reach the peak, and the places you have come to avoid, and then distinguish between physical causes, panic, agoraphobia, and social anxiety in order.→
- Sleep & Mind ColumnWhat do panic disorder, agoraphobia, and social anxiety fear? Differences between the fear of attacks, escape, and evaluation→
Evidence and Update Information
The following materials were referenced to verify the basis and scope of the definitions and treatment explanations.