Respected psychologist and expert on serial killers, Dr. Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver), renowned for her astonishing lectures, becomes agoraphobic after being brutally attacked by one of the irremediable psychotics she lectured on after one of her lectures at a local university. Due to the horrific attack and her new illness, Helen's life and simple "existence is defined by the walls of her apartment." While living as a prisoner in her own home, she "finds herself embroiled in the deadly mind game of a vicious copycat serial killer" through her only connection to the outside world, the Internet. When she makes the connection that there is a copycat killer on the prowl, she contacts the local police department. The psychologist and a detective then begin to work together to eliminate the serial killer and overcome the agoraphobic disorder that has paralyzed her for more than a year. In order to bring the killer to justice and stay alive, she must fight her fear of leaving the apartment and confront her attackers. A phobia is the fear of a specific circumstance, situation or objects. Agora is an ancient Greek word meaning market. The combination of the two words gives us agoraphobia, which is the fear of being in crowded places, the fear of losing control in public, or the fear of not being able to escape to a safe place (usually one's home) . It became a medically recognized disorder in the mid-1800s. “The Anxiety Disorders Association of America says that about one in 11 Americans suffer from panic attacks. Two-thirds also suffer from agoraphobia, and about three-quarters of all agoraphobes are women. .... I didn't think. All of this could trigger a cycle of fear. Other interesting facts I learned are: • Nearly 3.2 million Americans (ages 18 to 54) suffer from agoraphobia according to the National Institute of Mental Health. • Although not officially part of the definition, many people with agoraphobia also have depression. • Agoraphobia is caused by a combination of family environmental, psychological, genetic and personality factors. • The onset of this disorder is usually between late adolescence and the mid-30s. • Up to four times more women than men are diagnosed with agoraphobia. .• Agoraphobia is not physically dangerous! That's the key here. The symptoms are those of a panic attack, which is also not physically dangerous. It's the symptoms that are scary. • There is no record of anyone dying from a panic attack or agoraphobia..