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Talk:Agoraphobia

Deletion of non-profit links
Nonprofit helping links devoted to helping agoraphobics should not have been removed from this site. Wikipedia does not prohibit having a few (relevant) nonprofit resource links added in an "External Links Section" at the bottom of the page.

It should also be noted that agoraphobics, being housebound, often find it extremely hard to get help. This should also be discussed in the article as it is very relevant to the subject.

Wikipedia policy discourages fanatical, obsessive and especially thoughtless removal of links. A relevant nonprofit link has nothing in common with a commercial link, although some wiki editors haven't figured that out...

I ask for help from administrators and editors to prevent or reverse fanatical removal of relevant nonprofit links from this site... Please appeal over the heads of thoughtless nonprofit link removals. Aggressive removal of appropriate links is vandalism. 69.171.160.216 (talk) 08:34, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

Other anxiety disorders
Is claustrophobia a close (not total) opposite of this? If not, is there a "lonliness-phobia"? --Menchi 23:23, Jul 31, 2003 (UTC)

Lonliness-phobia exists - 'monophobia'. wildeep

LexieP1997 (talk) 22:04, 22 May 2021 (UTC)This article is not biased, but very informational. The symptoms, causes, and treatments were accurate and helpful. The references were not outdated, all information included came from resources from the past decade until now.

There seems to be some confusion between agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder here.... Agoraphobia has to do only with fear of wide-open spaces, populated or not. RoseParks 20:55, 11 Jun 2004 (UTC)

-- agoraphobia is not at all 'only' a fear of 'wide-open spaces'. Despite it's common definition as a 'fear of open spaces' it is in fact very rarely such a fear. In fact it's etymology ('fear of the market place') is far more accurate. It is normally peopled spaces that are feared, but it is entirely distinct from social anxiety disorder because it is the spatial setting as well as the people that are usually feared. Some common examples of the manifestation of this fear are: being 'trapped' in a public space (e.g. in a queue), or being in an unfamiliarpublic space (in contrast to one's familiar 'safety zone').

Agoraphobia is a disorder where patients fear the anxiety or panic experienced when staying outside one's safe zone. The practical effect is that a patient has trouble venturing outside one's own house. --MegaHasher 08:06, 7 February 2006 (UTC)

 * I'm so confused about this. I have a mild fear of open spaces, but it has nothing to do with crowds.  Is this agoraphobia?  If anything, a crowded open space would make me feel closed in, which is the opposite.  Basically, my fear involves being in a large open area alone or with very few people.  It's definitely a spacial thing, so I don't think it's monophobia, but it really doesn't have anything to do with a "safety-zone", just the actual idea of not being enclosed.
 * If you mean places like steppes, an empty Forbidden City, airfields, or $#£@HOLY SHIT!! STRAIGHT DESERTS LIKE THIS then I'm 100% with you. I can't understand how people abuse this word.. I mean, I bet people like me are looking for a phobia of open spaces - something that at least makes sense, as you sense how humongous the Earth is compared to you, size difference being a natural flight-or-fight (hate that word) response from any being towards anything huge.. but now psychologists just took something with an etymology completely unrelated and slanted some pussy-ass female anxiety disorder. ARGH. If only. ): I'm an idiot. --88.193.241.224 00:30, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

There are a variety of fears that can cause of agoraphobia. It is inaccurate and unfair to use language that presumes a single cause for all cases of agoraphobia. 69.171.160.216 (talk) 08:57, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

Term 'social agoraphobia' should not have been removed
A significant percentage of agoraphobia is due to social anxiety disorder or social phobia, not a fear of open spaces. Hence the term 'social agoraphobia'.

Constricting the scope of the article is not only overly narrow in perspective but it makes the article harmful by way of misinformation. 69.171.160.158 (talk) 22:55, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

One more point, I'm not saying that social agoraphobia is the only form, but it along with OCD and PTSD clearly establish it as not merely a fear of open spaces in all cases as the opening paragraph incorrectly states. 69.171.160.158 (talk) 23:13, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

Difficulty getting help
This is an enormous problem for agoraphobics and should not be overlooked. Among therapists and psychiatrists, no one, and I mean no one in the USA will visit an agoraphobic in their home. And very few will do telephone counseling.

Consequently, many agoraphobics in the USA go untreated for years. I don't know why this isn't discussed in the article. 69.171.160.49 (talk) 08:38, 7 March 2010 (UTC)

Is agoraphobia an illness?
Agoraphobia is an established mental illness diagnosis, recognized by National Institute of Mental Health, so I guess this point is not disputable, regardless of the "Liotti" reference. I am inclined to delete this paragraph. -MegaHasher 01:01, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

-I raised the 'is agoraphobia an illness' issue. Although I devoted basically no time to developing this section there is definitely a case for its reinstatement. Being an established mental illness diagnosis doesn't qualify it as an illness becuase it means nothing. DSM-IV - the most widely read mental health manual in the world - defines agoraphobia as a 'fear of open spaces' which is broadly at variance with what people 'with' what they understand as 'agoraphobia' expereince. In other words the medical world has a fairly poor understanding of what agoraphobia is. wildeep 5/5/06

-As someone with lifelong agoraphobia, I have a little insight on this. Logically speaking, whether or not the medical community understands what agoraphobia is--and admittedly, it is not "a fear of open spaces"--or defines it properly, does not change whether it is a legitimate illness or not. The medical community in the past, after all, did not understand epilepsy either, often thinking it was some form of demon possession, but that does not change the fact that epilepsy has always been a medical illness. The fact that agoraphobia often presents with panic attack disorder, and actual physiological changes take place during attacks, gives further evidence that it, too, is an illness. It sounds as though we are looking at things backwords here. The point of medical and psychological science--as is the case with any science--is to observe phenomena and try to explain it. Just because we do not yet have an explanation for something does not make any difference to its legitimacy.

-Hair splitting about Definitions Isn't Very Constructive. Whether or not it's 'an illness' is a non-issue (kind of a manufactured issue). There is no use or purpose in even discussing it. Agoraphobia is a serious problem worthy of more than trivial distractions. 69.171.160.158 (talk) 23:00, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

-Notably classified as a disease by WHO in ICD 10: F40.0: http://apps.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/?gf40.htm+f40 MistyMorn (talk) 11:01, 22 April 2011 (UTC)

Large percentage of agoraphobics are female
It has been the case, in the past, that the majority of agoraphobics are female.

In males, agoraphobia is usually expressed somewhat differently. While few men are confined to their homes, they may be confined to their home towns; they suffer panic attacks when they leave their, say, city of residence. If one attributes the cause of some agoraphobia to overprotective parents, this makes perfect sense. Looking at these two ideas together, one can see why Agoraphobia has been referred to as the "hidden" diease. Some housewives can function very well as long as they are at home. Once their children are old enough to do many of the "outside" chores, the mothers' affliction is hard to detect outside the family.

The ancient term agoraphobia is translated from Greek as fear of an open marketplace. Agoraphobia today describes severe and pervasive anxiety about being in situations from which escape might be difficult or avoidance of situations such as being alone outside of the home, traveling in a car, bus, or airplane, or being in a crowded area (DSM-IV).

Most people who present to mental health specialists develop agoraphobia after the onset of panic disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 1998). Agoraphobia is best understood as an adverse behavioral outcome of repeated panic attacks and the subsequent worry, preoccupation, and avoidance (Barlow, 1988). Thus, the formal diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia was established. However, for those people in communities or clinical settings who do not meet full criteria for panic disorder, the formal diagnosis of agoraphobia without history of panic disorder is used (DSM-IV).

The 1-year prevalence of agoraphobia is about 5 percent (Table 4-1). Agoraphobia occurs about two times more commonly among women than men (Magee et al., 1996). The gender difference may be attributable to social-cultural factors that encourage, or permit, the greater expression of avoidant coping strategies by women (DSM-IV), although other explanations are possible.

Other government materials:

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1997/297_bump.html

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/numbers.cfm -MegaHasher 06:56, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

Prevelance

- two times more common in women is a massive underestimate at least of reported cases of agoraphobia. 70 - 90% is more accurate.

Is Agoraphobia a Women’s Disease?

Agoraphobia has been referred to as a “women’s disease.” Approximately four times as many women are diagnosed with agoraphobia than men. This, however, does not mean that an equal number of men are not experiencing the anxiety symptoms of agoraphobia. A number of potential reasons for the greater number of agoraphobia diagnoses among women are currently being explored in research:

• Women are more likely to engage in help-seeking behavior, therefore, more women are actually diagnosed with agoraphobia.

• Masculine sex-role stereotypes make it hard for men to openly admit feelings of anxiety.

• When men do experience the symptoms of agoraphobia they are more likely to turn to alcohol and be diagnosed as alcoholics.

• Female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) decrease during the pre-menstrual phase making it easier for women to develop conditioned anxiety responses.

• Traditional female sex roles prescribe women to react to anxiety by engaging in dependent and helpless behavior (like the behavior of an agoraphobic).

• Women are more likely to stay at home alone during the day, making them more likely to become aware and worry about unusual bodily sensations.

Research studies that have investigated reasons for the larger number of females with agoraphobia have not produced a clear explanation. While there are some convincing studies to support each of the above explanations, there are equally convincing studies that don’t. Explaining the gender gap in the diagnosis of agoraphobia is an area in need of further research.

Information source: Bekker, M. H. (1996), Agoraphobia and Gender: A Review; Clinical Psychology Review, Vol. 16, No. 2, pp.128-146.

For more information on agoraphobia visit: http://www.agoraphobia.ws

I think my Agoraphobia Resource Center site at the above Web address would be useful to people looking for information on agoraphobia. I am a recovered agoraphobic with a master's degree in psychology who wants to provide educational information on agoraphobia for people on the Internet. May I request a link under "external links" on the main page for agoraphobia? --saprice 8:47, October 4, 2006.

its true

agraphobia is actually true because i suffer from it myself i go to school and try to do my best at goin into lessons and stuff i am doin ok at the moment but i have recently had a meetining with my mum and the education welfare officer about my addendence in school. now i only cant stand goin into 3 lessons. when i walk into a crowd of people i feel like im going to collapse because my heart is beating really fast and my face goes really red so i roll my sleaves up and walk outside or some where away from the crowd i also hate sitting in a circle with people because i fell trapped and nervous and i need to get away.

For Agoraphobics who need more information visit: http://www.anxiety-agoraphobia.com

I have agoraphobia and my website chronicles my journey with agoraphobia. It offers help on subject such as social security, getting a doctor to come to your home and agoraphobia support groups. I provide documents from social security and lawyers to help agoraphobics like myself who are stuck at home like myself to see that it is possible to get a doctor and a lawyer and get the help you need. Because not everyone can just get up and just "face it" or see a doctor right away, this site is for you. Im not selling anything or promoting anything. This is a site from a real agoraphobic offering insight to my experiences. --jamesc25313 7:18, April 19, 2008.

Edits by 138.87.226.222
The edits by 138.87.226.222 on October 17th (which I reverted) drastically changed the content and layout of the article. Judging by layout alone, it appeared to violate conventional wiki article structure. If you do have improved content, refer to WP:MOS for tips on editing and laying out an article. In this case, the article already is well structured: you should use it. — EncMstr 16:26, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

Agroraphobia case study
I recently had a severe panick attack, after some recreational drug use. It was triggered by an injury (bump to my chest) that evening around my chest area which I became aware of in the early morning as I was trying to sleep (at the time I didn't know the chest injury had occurred early that day by a bump to the chest). Because of the drugs I was unable to relax and fall asleep. I started to become irrationally worried about my heart and this increased my fear. As the fear increased so did my panick symptoms. Heart rate, stress levels, confusion, worry. Within 10-20 minutes of the onset of irrational worrying about my condition... I became to have a severe panick attack and was struggling so much I felt I was having a heart attack and about to die. I struggled for some half-hour moving position lying on the floor trying to relax and compose myself but found it extremely difficult. Eventually I took some asprin to try and calm me. It worked because it somehow released my worries and I eventually fell asleep totally exhausted. The next day I awoke feeling regretful of what I did to myself (drug use). however I still had a sore chest area and felt a more heighted awareness of it from then on. A day or so later a bruise appeared to the side of my chest. A very light bruise, which I believe occurred when I bumped my chest area (the day before the panick attack).

The next few weeks I was much more aware of my chest area and started worrying I may have stressed my heart. Every time I coughed I felt sore and the worry never went away. I eventually went to see a doctor about my chest and he took my blood pressure and diagnosed the problem as muscular damage. He felt my heart was fine. However, the following week I was still always aware of my chest and the worry continued mainly because every time I coughed I felt sore in the same area of the chest.

I then went back to work after my holiday's had finished. On the first day back at work another worker told me a women that I had known, had suddenly died of a heart condition. After being told this I immediately started to worry about my own condition and decided to go and see the doctor and get a proper check up that day. After seeing the doctor he took a chest Xray and ECG and everything was found to be normal. I went back to work feeling a little better but I was still a little anxious because the symptoms were still there, i.e I was highly sensitive to my heart region. When back at work that same day, a close friend turned up unannouced and I became very anxious as I told him about my heart condition again and the check up. After he left I found it hard to relax and started having another slight panick attack. I left work telling people I didn't feel well. Too much anxiety, stress and awareness of a heart condition. After going home I became very worried and for the next few days stayed house bound trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I found it hard to sleep at nights because that was the place the first panick attack occurred. I also didn't want to go to work because that was the second place the panick attack occurred. I then went and saw the doctor again, after telling him everything including drug use the night of the first panick attack, he referred me to a clinical psychologist. At this stage I didn't realise it but I was starting to get the onset of agroraphobia. I believe agroraphobia was caused by my early two panick attacks. The Physical fatigue caused by the 2nd panick attack lead to confusion. As the mind raced to try and workout what was wrong with me. Unfortunately, this only makes the situation worse. I felt like I was not in control of my ability to control my stress anymore. It was a difficult confusing time. This is why I believe agroraphobia develops. You start to worry about losing composure and having a panick attack in places where you would usually be expected to be calm. Like sitting in the clinic waiting to see a doctor. Or in a quite place like a library. Because a person who develop panick disorder, losing confidence in their own ability to keep composure in situations they are expected to be calm. You get locked in a cycle of  irrational worry -> panick disorder -> irrational worry -> panick disorder -> lose self-confidence in ability to self-control -> agroraphobia

I did develop agroraphobia after a short history of panick disorder brought on by irrational worrying I might suddenly have a heart attack.

Incidentally. This irrational worrying of a heart attack came about by own life experience. My father died of a heart attack four years ago. I also had a two young friends of the same age die of unexplained sudden heart attacks recently (both friends in their late 20's)

Manifestation of OCD
As a person with obsessive compulsive disorder, I occasionally experience agoraphobia, and so I think it is a manifestation or at least a symptom of OCD. Is this true? Le Anh-Huy 09:26, 1 April 2007 (UTC)

Introduction
Is this introductory section a joke? If it is, then I don't get it. If it isn't, then it has be one of the most bizarre, off-the-wall, unsubstantiated overviews of agoraphobia, ever. 4.246.153.62 06:15, 5 July 2007 (UTC)

 * I have to agree - it doesn't look like this article is actively edited, but some of the statements made here are just odd... This needs reviewing and editing urgently.Mr Twain 14:04, 7 July 2007 (UTC)

 * I tried to do some clean-up, but I admit this topic is still in poor shape. Seems to have deteriorated slowly since last year. MegaHasher 03:36, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

 * I don't know anything about agoraphobia so I'm not going to edit it, but someone needs to write an intro with better grammar. Half the sentences start with conjunctions.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 167.206.85.68 (talk) 16:18, 5 March 2010 (UTC)

Neuro-Linguistic Programming
Neuro-Linguistic Programming as a treatment is "widely accepted by the general public"?! Uhm, I always thought NLP was a widely discredited pseudoscience that few people in the general public had heard of or taken seriously. I won't change it since I can't claim to know that much about it, but I'd sure appreciate a reference if there is one. If there isn't one, maybe this statement should be investigated more carefully. Xezlec 02:31, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

Fictional
This 'fictional' section is becoming yet another trivia piece. I will probably archive it in this talk page. MegaHasher 03:31, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Howie from The Benchwarmers
 * Matthew Malone from Game On
 * Arthur "Boo" Radley from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird
 * Ambrose Monk, the brother of Adrian Monk, from the television series Monk.
 * Dr. Helen Hudson from the film Copycat, played by Sigourney Weaver
 * Auric Goldfinger, the villain of Ian Fleming's novel Goldfinger. (He only pretended to have agorophobia in order to make his opponent at cards sit in a particular seat, whereby Goldfinger could cheat)
 * Pearl Burton from the Family Guy episode "Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows"
 * Father Jack Hackett from Father Ted was claimed agoraphobic by Ted in the episode 'Are you Right There, Father Ted?'
 * Wanda from Corner Gas
 * In an episode of The Simpsons titled "Stark Raving Dad", Homer Simpson meets an agoraphobe in a mental institution. Also, in one episode, Marge becomes an agoraphobic.
 * Harold Smith in the television series Twin Peaks
 * Ken Rosenberg in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
 * Sheila Jackson from the Channel 4 drama Shameless
 * Harper Pitt from Tony Kushner's play Angels in America
 * Elijah Baley from Isaac Asimov's Robot Series
 * Annie from the film I am Sam, played by Dianne Wiest
 * Susan Jagger from False Memory, written by Dean Koontz
 * Laura Wingfield from the play The Glass Menagerie, written by Tennessee Williams
 * Van der Woude from Ocean's Twelve
 * In an episode of The Office titled "The Negotiation," Karen Filippelli accuses Jim Halpert of being agoraphobic because he wants to stay home and watch a baseball game instead of going to the movies. MegaHasher 06:27, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

Agoraphobics
Please see the policy on trivia lists: Avoid trivia sections. Avoid potentially libelous materials. MegaHasher 00:31, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

Fear of open spaces
I've been told that fear of open spaces is known as "classical agoraphobia". (I'm a sufferer too, btw).

- Meltingpot

Meltingpot 10:25, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

I was unable to find any medical or psychological references which described a "classical" variety, or agoraphobia as a fear of wide open spaces per se, though for an individual sufferer I do not doubt that ANY particular set of characteristics of "unsafe place" might not happen in rare cases to center around some sort of "open space". However an overall definition as a morbid fear of open spaces is a common non professional cultural definition which I suspect owes much to Hitchhock's "Vertigo" film. UC232 (talk) 10:16, 11 May 2011 (UTC)

 * Agoraphobia originally referred only to a fear of open spaces (true to its meaning in Greek), as the German article explains. However, the meaning was later (possibly even only after the film, although it might simply not have been up to date with the state of the art of psychology at the time, either) extended as it was discovered that sufferers typically have related issues beyond the traditional definition, such as an aversion to crowds or difficulties with travelling alone or long distances. Until today, I was only aware of the "classical" definition myself. --Florian Blaschke (talk) 01:19, 6 September 2015 (UTC)

The Scream by Munch
Why not have the picture of The Scream here? See this:. In Munch´s biography by Rolf Stenersen there is a chapter where he talks about Munch suffering from agoraphobia - and that The Scream was painted as a result of his fear of unfamiliar places. And Stenersen uses the word agoraphobia. --85.220.93.48 (talk) 23:58, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Websters Newworld college dictionary fourth edition
In it, is says that agoraphobia is an irration fear or open or public places. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.167.223.170 (talk) 21:20, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Physical disability?
This article seems to need expert attention, because if it's not sourced then it should at least be looked over for obvious misinformation. One of the [recent edits] by an IP user states that having a physical (mobility effecting[sic]) disorder increases the chance of getting agoraphobia. Like much of the article, it is unsourced. Since the IP address doesn't seem to have a history of bad-faith edits, I'll just fix the spelling and leave it there. Also, just a reminder that the talk page is for discussion about the article, not for general discussion about agoraphobia. [Phlygh t ]  13:15, 30 October 2008 (UTC)

Expert
The article needs to be looked over for misinformation/hoaxes/information that is unsourced and controversial in Psychology circles. The article also lacks citations, so if you're familiar with suitable sources, that would be fantastic. [Phlygh t ]  13:27, 30 October 2008 (UTC)

I strongly agree this article needs expert attention as the definition offered in the current Wiki article IS SIMPLY INCORRECT. It appears to be based on a cultural misconception or a non-medical dictionary definition of an illness, which is hardly the best authority (and not only for agoraphobia but for many other things; look up "headache" sometime), or perhaps memories of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film "Vertigo" - again, a sad authority for defining a medical condition! The DSM-IV defines agoraphobia as "Anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult(or embarrassing) or in which help may not be available in the event of having an unexpected or situationally predisposed Panic Attack or panic-like symptoms. Agoraphobic fears typically involve characteristic clusters of situations that include being outside the home alone; being in a crowd or standing in a line; being on a bridge; and traveling in a bus, train, or automobile." The World Health Organization definition is "Agoraphobia -- A fairly well-defined cluster of phobias embracing fears of leaving home, entering shops, crowds and public places, or travelling alone in trains, buses or planes. Panic disorder is a frequent feature of both present and past episodes. Depressive and obsessional symptoms and social phobias are also commonly present as subsidiary features. Avoidance of the phobic situation is often prominent, and some agoraphobics experience little anxiety because they are able to avoid their phobic situations." UC232 (talk) 09:59, 11 May 2011 (UTC)

I can't be sure, but...
Hey. I don't know for sure, but I think that this statement is more of an opinion than a fact. Should this be changed? Please respond. Rob657 (talk) 04:25, 24 February 2009 (UTC)Rob657
 * "...and that traditional female sex roles prescribe women to react to anxiety by engaging in dependent and helpless behaviors.[6]"

Copyright violation?
"There is also preliminary evidence that aerobic exercise may have a calming effect. Since caffeine, certain illicit drugs, and even some over-the-counter cold medications can aggravate the symptoms of anxiety disorders, they should be avoided." These two sentences are lifted directly from the source cited after them. 74.226.132.106 (talk) 02:40, 16 January 2010 (UTC)

Prevalence
how common is agoraphobia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.111.149.53 (talk) 20:56, 28 July 2010 (UTC)

Fear of having a panic attack?
The article currently says, "Agoraphobia may arise by the fear of having a panic attack in a setting from which there is no easy means of escape." Should it not be "Agoraphobia is the fear of being in a setting from which one feels there is no easy means of escape, often resulting in a panic attack." I don't think it's the fear of the panic attack itself, but the fear of the setting. - GAMEchief (talk) 00:17, 22 August 2010 (UTC)
 * You are correct. The way this article is worded makes no sense. Agoraphobia is not a morbid fear of a panic attack, it's the cause of the morbid fear OR panic attack. 50.80.139.102 (talk) 06:21, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

The (British) National Health Service Choices website states that the opinion that agoraphobia is associated with panic attacks has been refuted by recent studies. This site is for the advice of patients and does not cite scientific sources but it refutes the strong assciation between agoraphobia and panic attacks mentioned in the article. Possibly a doctor or psychotherapist with access to the literature could correct the statements made on this apparently false correlation. Barney Bruchstein (talk) 10:17, 25 November 2011 (UTC)

Isaac Asimov as agoraphobe
I believe that the listing of Isaac Asimov as a notable agoraphobe is incorrect. In his autobiography, I, Asimov: A Memoir he says 'My claustrophilia is not extreme. While I prefer enclosed places, I can get along very well in sunlit rooms and in the open. I don’t have any touch of agoraphobia (the morbid fear of open places), though I would rather walk the canyons of Manhattan with tall buildings hemming me in than in Central Park, which is open.'

I have also tracked down the currently listed reference cited as evidence of his agoraphobia (Before the Golden Age: A Science Fiction Anthology of the 1930s) and the relevant passage does not support the claim:

'Most of all, though, there was (and is) something fascinating to me in the thought of endless corridors burrowing underground. I’m a claustrophile. I enjoy the feeling of being closed in. I like tunnels and corridors and never mind the absence of windows. The office I work in I chose because it faces a court. I keep the shades pulled down and I work under perpetual artificial light. [...] But don’t get me wrong. I am not psychotic about it. The apartment I live in is on the twenty-third floor with wide windows overlooking Central Park, and the sunlight comes in steadily.'

So as he put it, he was claustrophilic (someone who loves enclosed spaces) but not necessarily thereby agoraphobic.

However, I will hold off deleting him from the list for a day or so, both for any further discussion and because I'm new to Wiki and so I'm a bit uncertain about the effect of deleting a footnote on the numbering of the notes that follow it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 114.30.107.120 (talk) 15:37, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

 * I think you've done more than enough to show that Asimov shouldn't be listed, so I'm removing him. In the future, if you're confident about your edit you should go ahead and do it. Then, if others disagree, they'll revert it and bring the issue here to the talk page. This process is called the BOLD, revert, discuss cycle. -- Fyrefly (talk) 16:48, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

Emily Dickenson
I realize this is just from High School English classes, but I've always been told that Emily Dickenson was agoraphobic, and she did refuse to lave her home for several years. Should she be in the article's list of people? --71.232.241.114 (talk) 21:18, 12 March 2013 (UTC)
 * I don't know the answer, but for convenience, it's Emily Dickinson. Looie496 (talk) 22:15, 12 March 2013 (UTC)
 * Hi 71.232.241.114! If you have good, secondary sources,please be bold and add her to the list! With friendly regards,  Lova Falk     talk   18:30, 14 March 2013 (UTC)

Causes
Causes section seems to be a bit of a mess. Should this be separated into causes (i.e. development in individual) and aetiology (i.e. why agoraphobia happens). The two seem to get a bit mixed up in the discussion of attachment theory, and from there it gets very theoretical. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.167.141.70 (talk) 19:21, 12 October 2014 (UTC)

Diagnosis of Agoraphobia
Just a suggestion to maybe add a little more on the diagnosis?

Early treatment of panic disorder can often prevent agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is typically determined when symptoms are worse than panic disorder but also do not mer the criteria for other anxiety disorders such as depression. Ralisag8r229 (talk) 02:17, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 1 one external link on Agoraphobia. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
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Brian Wilson
I noticed in the "Notable Cases" section, Brian Wilson is described as schizophrenic. I believe this is false, as the Wikipedia article on Brian Wilson describes him as "mildly manic-depressive with schizoaffective disorder" and he was previously incorrectly diagnosed as "paranoid schizophrenic" by Dr. Eugene Landy. I'm not really an expert on editing Wikipedia articles - so if somebody would like the modify the information that wrongly states that he is schizophrenic, please go ahead. To some, the difference between "schizophrenic" and "schizoaffective" might be like splitting hairs, but as someone that studied psychology, I argue there's a big difference.

As for Brian Wilson being agoraphobic... I don't think he's been formally "diagnosed" with agoraphobia, but he has demonstrated evidence that he could be. This also might be something to look into. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Guynoir93 (talk • contribs) 06:36, 3 August 2016 (UTC)

Genetic factors?
The unsourced claim that agoraphobia is due to "genetic factors" has been restored. There are several problems with this. Firstly it's unsourced (a commented out "citation" to one vast document is not an adequate reference). Secondly it's in the lead, but appears nowhere else in the article. Thirdly I don't believe that a coding manual for the US insurance industry is a RS for the causes of a condition, no matter how we regard it as a diagnostic vocabulary. Andy Dingley (talk) 18:31, 13 January 2017 (UTC)
 * It is not unsource. Every single sentence in the lead of every lead I write is followed by a reference.
 * I used to show every single reference but User:Tony1 had suggested that some could be hidden if multiple sentence in a row were supported by the same ref.
 * If people want a ref visible behind every single sentence I am happy to write like that. Would like to see clear consensus before I begin doing this though. Doc James  (talk · contribs · email) 15:45, 14 January 2017 (UTC)
 * You did notice the page numbers yes? Page 217 to 221. That would be four pages. Smaller than most journal articles.
 * I have never head the DSM call a "coding manual for the US insurance industry". Makes me smile I must say.
 * Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 15:47, 14 January 2017 (UTC)

 * I understand that medical-article writers/editors have been criticised for not referencing every sentence—presupposing that that formula will insert just the right amount of referencing. First, there's nothing magical about the sentence; in fact, the clause is a much more functional constituent than the sentence, even in written mode. I can imagine places where ref-tags might need to come after a phrase in the middle of a sentence—especially where the sentence is conveying a list of items. Similarly, it is not atypical for ref-tags, which are by default retrospective in their textual reach, to directly support propositions made further back than the sentence they follow. But the formulaic slapping of ref-tags at the end of EVERY sentence is plain tedious for readers. You might get used to hopping over fences as though it's a fox-hunting expedition, but normal people would rather ref-tags be used more functionally—that is, more judiciously, where the retrospective reach is obvious to anyone who'd be interested in research verification. This is why journals don't normally allow redundant ref-tags such as a successive [24] ... [24], or [23,26] ... [23,26]. I believe the advice should be to do this only where there is special justification (highly contentious propositions; or the back-reach is otherwise unclear, for example one ref-tag at the end of a long paragraph, where case-by-case care is needed). This means that editors need to think a little about it, I'm afraid, as they write/edit, just as we're careful to avoid overlinking—it's the same goal: to create text that is more sensitive to the needs of readers than a simple formula can achieve, balancing both the parade of obstacles with the need for clarity and utility in referencing. So the default should be: displaying successive repeated refs or ref clusters needs special justification. One more thing: if you are worried about the back-reach of a particular ref-tag, and the previous two sentences aren't long, a semicolon between them will sometimes do the trick. Your readers will thank you. Tony   (talk)  04:42, 15 January 2017 (UTC)
 * That's not the point. Or of one point, it's the most minor of three. The lead is supposed to summarise, not be the only place where a (very large!) claim is made. Also I don't believe that the DSM is a RS for the causes of a condition. Andy Dingley (talk) 14:37, 15 January 2017 (UTC)
 * Ping me if you decide to bring the reliability of the DSM5 anywhere. Doc James  (talk · contribs · email) 22:29, 16 January 2017 (UTC)
 * Is that even a sentence?  The point is that you're using the DSM far beyond the bounds of its scope. Andy Dingley (talk) 22:34, 16 January 2017 (UTC)
 * Yes because it is just a "coding manual for the US insurance industry" Doc James  (talk · contribs · email) 23:54, 16 January 2017 (UTC)

Too affirmative about the causes
I think this article is not really scientific, as it doesn't use the conditional, but too often the affirmative tone. There are several opinion about the causes, and they are not respected here. The plurality of views among professional is not respected. Not everyone think the causes are genetics for instance, it could be debated, and it has to be said in this article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A01:E35:8A8D:FE80:24A1:2C94:7C95:2742 (talk) 16:50, 2 May 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
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Does anyone understand what this means?
In the article under Treatments/Therapy second paragraph is this:

"This treatment was largely effective with an effect size from d = 0.78 to d = 1.34, and these effects were shown to increase over time, proving that the treatment had long term efficacy (up to 12 months after treatment)."

I'm sure this means something to somebody. But not for most Wikipedia readers.

Perhaps it should be removed. Or rephrased by someone who understands what it means. Something like "One study [or whatever] found this treatment had long-term benefits."

Rblack2001 (talk) 14:14, 8 May 2018 (UTC)

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
Hello All, this is my first time contributing to a talk page so I apologize in advance for errors. I thought it might be relevant to discuss the distancing rules of the pandemic as a potential cause of agoraphobia. Mental illnesses have definitely increased during the pandemic. Here are a few sources I found relating to this: https://www.cleveland.com/coronavirus/2021/03/agoraphobia-symptoms-on-the-rise-because-of-coronavirus-pandemic.html; https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-agoraphobia-and-coronavirus-anxiety/. -- S

98.212.185.91 (talk) 18:27, 22 April 2021 (UTC)

Possible merge
Agoraphobia without history of panic disorder was listed for proposed deletion - I've tagged it instead for a potential merge into this article, where it's mentioned; it looks like that article could potentially be a section here. Andrew Gray (talk) 18:36, 19 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Support I could get behind that merge. It doesn't look like you've met with any opposition to it. Joyous! | Talk 00:26, 22 November 2022 (UTC)
 * Ambivalent - From very vague memory, I believe that agoraphobia without panic disorder does have more information specifically about it, but I don't think the articles as they currently stand are doing anyone any good by being separate. I'd be happy for it to be merged with the possibility of it being split in the future left open. Regardless, agoraphobia without panic disorder really should be mentioned more clearly in the agoraphobia article. --Xurizuri (talk) 03:41, 4 December 2022 (UTC)
 * ✅ Klbrain (talk) 20:18, 2 January 2023 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Introduction to Public Musicology
— Assignment last updated by Camsimjohnson (talk) 17:09, 31 October 2022 (UTC)

Not to be confused with..
The "Not to be confused with Acrophobia." at the top seems odd to me. They are barely similar, would they really be confused that often? Prinsgezinde (talk) 09:39, 9 December 2022 (UTC)

"Le stay inside man" listed at Redirects for discussion
The redirect [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Le_stay_inside_man&redirect=no Le stay inside man] has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at  until a consensus is reached. 🔥HOTm̵̟͆e̷̜̓s̵̼̊s̸̜̃🔥 (talk・edits) 22:42, 13 March 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Agoraphobia


text:
Bank of Scotland

The Bank of Scotland plc (Scottish Gaelic: Banca na h-Alba) is a commercial and clearing bank based in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is part of the Lloyds Banking Group. The bank was established by the Parliament of Scotland in 1695 to develop Scotland's trade with other countries, and aimed to create a stable banking system in the Kingdom of Scotland. The bank is the ninth oldest bank in continuous operation.

With a history dating to the end of the 17th century, the Bank of Scotland was the first bank to have been established in Scotland, and, it is the fifth-oldest extant bank in the United Kingdom (the Bank of England having been established one year earlier). It is the only commercial institution created by the Parliament of Scotland, when Scotland was an independent, sovereign state, to remain in existence. It was the first bank in Europe to successfully print its own banknotes, and it continues to print its own sterling banknotes under legal arrangements that allow Scottish banks to issue currency.

In June 2006, the HBOS Group Reorganisation Act 2006 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, allowing the bank's structure to be simplified. As a result, The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland became Bank of Scotland plc on 17 September 2007. Bank of Scotland has been a subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group since 19 January 2009, when HBOS was acquired by Lloyds TSB.

Establishment

The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland was established by an act of the Parliament of Scotland on 17 July 1695, the Act for erecting a Bank in Scotland, opening for business in February 1696. Although established soon after the Bank of England (1694), the Bank of Scotland was a very different institution. Whereas the Bank of England was established specifically to finance defence spending by the English government, the Bank of Scotland was established by the Scottish government to support Scottish business, and was prohibited from lending to the government without parliamentary approval.

The founding Act granted the bank a monopoly on public banking in Scotland for 21 years, permitted the bank's directors to raise a nominal capital of £1,200,000 pound Scots (£100,000 pound sterling), gave the proprietors (shareholders) limited liability, and in the final clause (repealed only in 1920) made all foreign-born proprietors naturalised Scotsmen "to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever". John Holland, an Englishman, was one of the bank's founders. Its first chief accountant was George Watson.

18th and 19th centuries

The Bank of Scotland was suspected of Jacobite sympathies. Its first rival, the Royal Bank of Scotland, was formed by royal charter in 1727. This led to a period of great competition between the two banks as they tried to drive each other out of business. Although the "Bank Wars" ended in around 1751, competition soon arose from other sources, as other Scottish banks were founded throughout the country. In response, the Bank of Scotland itself began to open branches throughout Scotland.

Following the Acts of Union in 1707, the bank supervised the reminting of the old Scottish coinage into Sterling. It was one of the first banks in Europe to print its own banknotes, and it continues to print its own sterling banknotes under legal arrangements that allow Scottish banks to issue currency.

The bank also took the lead in establishing the security and stability of the entire Scottish banking system, which became more important after the insolvency of Alexander Fordyce and collapse of the Ayr Bank in 1772, in the crisis following the collapse of the London house of Neal, James, Fordyce and Down.

Henry Dundas was Governor of the Bank of Scotland from 1790 to 1811. As well as governor, he was also Home Secretary in William Pitt the Younger's government. In 1792, Dundas was successful in passing the Slave Trade Bill in the House of Commons.

The bank was housed in the southern (1588) section of the Gourlay house on Melbourne Place before being moved to the customised bank building on the Mound in 1805.

The Western Bank collapsed in 1857, and the Bank of Scotland stepped in with the other Scottish banks to ensure that all the Western Bank's notes were paid. The first branch in London opened in 1865.

20th century
In the 1950s, the Bank of Scotland was involved in several mergers and acquisitions with different banks. In 1955, the Bank merged with the Union Bank of Scotland. The Bank also expanded into consumer credit with the purchase of Chester-based, North West Securities (Later Capital Bank). In 1971, the Bank agreed to merge with the British Linen Bank, owned by Barclays Bank. The merger saw Barclays Bank acquire a 35% stake in the Bank of Scotland, a stake it retained until the 1990s.

In 1959, the Bank of Scotland became the first bank in the UK to install a computer to process accounts centrally. At 11:00 on 25 January 1985, the Bank of Scotland introduced HOBS (Home and Office Banking Services), an early example of remote access technology being made available to banking customers. This followed a small-scale service operated jointly with the Nottingham Building Society for two years but developed by the Bank of Scotland. The new HOBS service enabled customers to access their accounts directly on a television screen, using the Prestel telephone network.

International expansion

The arrival of North Sea oil to Scotland in the 1970s allowed the Bank of Scotland to expand into the energy sector. The Bank later used this expertise in energy finance to expand internationally. The first international office opened in Houston, Texas, followed by more in the United States, Moscow and Singapore. In 1987, the Bank acquired Countrywide Bank of New Zealand (later sold to Lloyds TSB in 1998). In 1995 the bank expanded into the Australian market by acquiring Perth based Bankwest.

A controversial period in the bank's history was the attempt in 1999 to enter the United States retail banking market via a joint venture with evangelist Pat Robertson. The move was met with criticism from civil rights groups in the UK, owing to Robertson's controversial views on homosexuality. The bank was forced to cancel the deal when Robertson described Scotland as a "dark land overrun by homosexuals".

Formation of HBOS

In the late 1990s, the UK financial sector market underwent a period of consolidation on a large scale. Many of the large building societies were demutualising and becoming banks in their own right or merging with existing banks. For instance Lloyds Bank and TSB Bank merged in 1995 to create Lloyds TSB. In 1999, the Bank of Scotland made a takeover bid for National Westminster Bank. Since the Bank of Scotland was significantly smaller than the English-based NatWest, the move was seen as an audacious and risky move. However, The Royal Bank of Scotland tabled a rival offer, and a bitter takeover battle ensued, with the Royal Bank the victor.

The Bank of Scotland was now the centre of other merger opportunities. A proposal to merge with the Abbey National was explored, but later rejected. In 2001, the Bank of Scotland and the Halifax agreed a merger to form HBOS ("Halifax Bank of Scotland").

HBOS Reorganisation Act
In 2006, HBOS secured the passing of the HBOS Group Reorganisation Act 2006, a private Act of Parliament that would allow the group to operate within a simplified structure. The Act allowed HBOS to make the Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland a public limited company, Bank of Scotland plc, which became the principal banking subsidiary of HBOS. Halifax plc and Capital Bank plc transferred their undertakings to Bank of Scotland plc, and although the Halifax brand name was retained, Halifax then began to operate under the latter company's UK banking licence. Capital Bank branding was phased out.

The provisions in the Act were implemented on 17 September 2007.

Lloyds Banking Group
In 2008, HBOS Group agreed to be taken over by Lloyds TSB Group during the Great Recession.

Sponsorships
Bank of Scotland sponsored the Scottish Premier League from its inception in 1998 to season 2006/2007 when it declined to renew the deal in favour of investing in grassroots sport instead. They also sponsored Scottish Athletics for a number of years.

Links to the Atlantic Slave Trade
Henry Dundas was Governor of the Bank of Scotland from 1790 to 1811. As well as governor, he was also Home Secretary in William Pitt the Younger's government. In 1792 Dundas was successful in passing the Slave Trade Bill in the House of Commons.

Banknotes
Although the Bank of Scotland today is not a central bank, it retains the right (along with two other Scottish commercial banks) to issue pound sterling banknotes to this day. These notes are equal in value to notes issued by the Bank of England, the central bank of the United Kingdom.

Banknote history
Along with the Bank of England, the Bank of Scotland was one of the first European banks to issue paper currency redeemable for cash on demand (which was an extremely useful facility given the poor state of the Scottish coinage at the end of the 17th century) on a sustainable basis after the earlier failed attempt of the Swedish Stockholms Banco in 1661–64. Following the Acts of Union in 1707, the bank supervised the reminting of the old Scottish coinage into Sterling. Up until the middle of the 19th century, privately owned banks in Great Britain and Ireland were permitted to issue their own banknotes, and money issued by provincial Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish banking companies circulated freely as a means of payment.

In 1826, there was outrage in Scotland at the attempt of the United Kingdom Parliament to prevent the production of banknotes of less than five pounds face value. Sir Walter Scott wrote a series of letters to the Edinburgh Weekly Journal under the pseudonym "Malachi Malagrowther", which provoked such a response that the government was forced to relent and allow the Scottish banks to continue printing £1 notes.

1995 series
Bank of Scotland's previous note issue was in 1995, known as the Tercentenary Series as they were issued in the year of the three hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the bank. Each denomination features Sir Walter Scott on the front, and on the back are representations of industries that Scotland excels in:

 * £5 note featuring a vignette of oil and energy
 * £10 note featuring a vignette of distilling and brewing
 * £20 note featuring a vignette of education and research
 * £50 note featuring a vignette of arts and culture
 * £100 note featuring a vignette of leisure and tourism.

These notes are no longer in circulation.

2007 "Bridges" series

Bank of Scotland began issuing a new series of banknotes in the Autumn of 2007, which feature the common theme of Scottish bridges. It will take at least three years for the current issue of Bank of Scotland notes to be phased out of circulation. In keeping with the bank's tradition, the front of the notes depict an image of Sir Walter Scott; the image on the 2007 series is based on the portrait of Scott painted by Henry Raeburn.

Some new security features have also been added to the new design. These include a metallic security thread embedded in every banknote, which contains the numerical value of the note and the note's bridge image. A new hologram and foil patch has been introduced on the front of the £20, £50 and £100 notes, which features the Bank of Scotland logo and the numerical value of the note.

 * £5 note features the Brig o' Doon
 * £10 note features the Glenfinnan Viaduct
 * £20 note features the Forth Bridge
 * £50 note features the Falkirk Wheel
 * £100 note features the Kessock Bridge

On 1 March 2018 the Bank of Scotland decided to withdraw all of its paper £5 and £10 notes, and fully replace them with its polymer equivalents (see below).

2016 Polymer series
Bank of Scotland began issuing new banknotes on polymer in 2016, beginning with the £5 note. The main theme of the bridges of Scotland are kept for this series, but have been redesigned to incorporate additional design features. The portrait of Sir Walter Scott by Henry Raeburn is the same as the 2007 issues, but have been shifted from the centre to the right side of the notes. The bank's headquarters, "The Mound" is featured at the centre of the note. The size of the notes for this series is also reduced.

 * £5 note features Brig o' Doon
 * £10 note features Glenfinnan Viaduct
 * £20 note features the Forth Bridge and a commemorative £20 note features the Queensferry Crossing
 * £50 note features Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies
 * £100 note features Flora Murray

Corporate structure
Associated brands include:

 * Halifax
 * Intelligent Finance
 * Birmingham Midshires
 * Bank of Scotland Corporate
 * Capital Bank
 * Bank of Scotland Investment Services
 * Bank of Scotland Private Banking

List of governors of the Bank of Scotland

 * 1) John Holland 1696–1697
 * 2) David Melville, 3rd Earl of Leven 1697–1728
 * 3) Alexander Hume, 2nd Earl of Marchmont 1728–1740
 * 4) Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun 1740–1742
 * 5) Colonel John Stratton 1742
 * 6) John Hay, 4th Marquess of Tweeddale 1742–1762
 * 7) Hugh Hume, 3rd Earl of Marchmont 1763–1790
 * 8) Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville 1790–1811
 * 9) Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville 1812–1851
 * 10) James Broun Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie 1851–1860
 * 11) John Campbell, 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane 1861–1862
 * 12) George Hamilton-Baillie, 11th Earl of Haddington 1863–1870
 * 13) John Dalrymple, 10th Earl of Stair 1870–1903
 * 14) Alexander Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh 1904–1921
 * 15) William Mure 1921–1924
 * 16) Sidney Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone 1924–1955
 * 17) Sir John Craig 1955–1957
 * 18) Steven Bilsland, 1st Baron Bilsland 1957–1966
 * 19) Henry Hepburne-Scott, 10th Lord Polwarth 1966–1972
 * 20) Ronald Colville, 2nd Baron Clydesmuir 1972–1981
 * 21) Sir Thomas Risk 1981–1991
 * 22) Sir Bruce Pattullo 1991–1998
 * 23) Sir Alistair Grant 1998–1999
 * 24) Sir John Shaw 1999–2001
 * 25) Sir Peter Burt 2001–2003
 * 26) George Mitchell 2003–2006
 * 27) Dennis Stevenson, Baron Stevenson of Coddenham 2006– 2007

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Bank of Scotland


text:
Anne Geneviève de Bourbon

Anne-Geneviève de Bourbon (28 August 1619 – 5 April 1679) was a French princess who is remembered for her beauty and amours, her influence during the civil wars of the Fronde, and her final conversion to Jansenism.

Early life
Anne Geneviève was the only daughter of Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, and his wife Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency, and the sister of Louis, Grand Condé. She was born in the prison of the Château of Vincennes into which her father and mother had been thrown for opposition to Marshal d'Ancre, the favourite of Marie de' Medici, who was then regent during the minority of Louis XIII.

She was educated with great strictness in the convent of the Carmelites in the Rue Saint-Jacques in Paris. Her early years were clouded by the execution of Henri of Montmorency, her mother's only brother, for intriguing against Richelieu in 1632, and that of her mother's cousin the Count François de Montmorency-Bouteville for duelling in 1635; but her parents made their peace with Richelieu, and being introduced into society in 1635 she soon became one of the stars of the Hôtel de Rambouillet, at that time the center of all that was learned, witty, and gay in France.

"The Goddess of Peace and Concord"
In 1642, she was married to Henri II d'Orléans, Duke of Longueville, governor of Normandy, a widower twice her age (his first wife Louise de Bourbon had died in 1637). The marriage was not happy. After Richelieu's death, her father became chief of the council of regency during the minority of Louis XIV, her brother Louis won the great victory of Rocroi in 1643, and the duchess became of political importance. In 1646, she accompanied her husband to Münster, where he was sent by Mazarin as chief envoy, and where she charmed the German diplomats who were negotiating the treaty of Westphalia and was addressed as the "goddess of peace and concord".

La Fronde
On her return, she fell in love with the Duke of La Rochefoucauld, the author of the Maxims, who made use of her love to obtain influence over her brother, and thus win honors for himself. She was the guiding spirit of the first Fronde, when she brought over Armand de Bourbon, Prince de Conti, her second brother, and her husband to the malcontents, but she failed to attract Condé himself, whose loyalty to the court overthrew the first Fronde. It was during the first Fronde that she lived at the Hôtel de Ville and took the city of Paris as godmother for the child born to her there. The peace did not satisfy her, although La Rochefoucauld won the titles he desired. The second Fronde was largely her work, and in it she played the most prominent part in attracting to the rebels first Condé and later Turenne. In the last year of the war, she was accompanied into Aquitaine by the Duke of Nemours, an intimacy which gave La Rochefoucauld an excuse for abandoning her, and to immediately return to his former mistress the duchesse de Chevreuse.

Jansenism: a Refuge from Disgrace
Thus abandoned, and in disgrace at court, the Duchess betook herself to religion. She accompanied her husband to his government at Rouen, and devoted herself to good works. She took for her spiritual director the Abbé Antoine Singlin (1607–1664), famous in the history of Port-Royal. She chiefly lived in Normandy until 1663, when her husband died, and she came to Paris.

There she became more and more Jansenist in opinion, and her piety and the remembrance of her influence during the disastrous days of the Fronde, and above all the love her brother, the great Condé, bore her, made her conspicuous. The king pardoned her and in every way showed respect for her. She became the great protectress of the Jansenists; it was in her house that Antoine Arnauld, Pierre Nicole and Noël Lalane, author of De la Grâce victorieuse, were protected; and to her influence must be in great part attributed the release of Louis-Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy, from the Bastille, the introduction of Simon Arnauld, marquis de Pomponne into the ministry and of Arnauld to the king.

Her famous letters to the pope are part of the history of Port-Royal, and as long as she lived the nuns of Port-Royal des Champs were left in safety. Her elder son resigned his title and estates, and became a Jesuit under the name of the Abbé d'Orléans, while the younger, after leading a debauched life, was killed leading the attack in the passage of the Rhine on 12 June 1672.

As her health failed, she hardly ever left the convent of the Carmelites in which she had been educated. On her death in 1679, she was buried with great splendor by her brother Condé, and her heart, as she had directed, was sent to the nuns of the Port-Royal des Champs.

Authorities on the Duchess
The chief authority for Madame de Longueville's life is a little book in two volumes by Villefore the Jansenist, published in 1738. Victor Cousin has devoted four volumes to her, which, though immensely diffuse, give a vivid picture of her time. See also Sainte-Beuve, Portraits des femmes (1840). Her connection with Port-Royal should be studied in Arnauld's Memoirs, and in the different histories of that institution.

Children

 * Charlotte Louise, Mademoiselle de Dunois (1645–1664).
 * Jean Louis Charles d'Orléans, Duke of Longueville (1646–1694).
 * Marie Gabrielle (1646–1650).
 * Charles Paris d'Orléans, Duke of Longueville (1649–1672).

title: Anne Geneviève de Bourbon


text:
Alex Garland

Alexander Medawar Garland (born 26 May 1970) is an English author, screenwriter, and director. He rose to prominence with his novel The Beach (1996). He subsequently received praise for writing the Danny Boyle films 28 Days Later (2002) and Sunshine (2007), as well as Never Let Me Go (2010) and Dredd (2012). In video games, he co-wrote Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (2010) and served as a story supervisor on DmC: Devil May Cry (2013).

Garland made his directorial debut when he wrote and directed the sci-fi thriller Ex Machina (2014). The film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and won him three British Independent Film Awards, including Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best British Independent Film. His second film, Annihilation (2018), an adaptation of the 2014 novel of the same name, was also a critical success. Garland went on to write, direct and executive produce the FX miniseries Devs (2020). This was followed by the horror thriller Men (2022) and dystopian Civil War (2024), both produced by A24.

Early life and education
Alexander Medawar Garland was born in London on 26 May 1970, the son of psychologist Caroline (née Medawar) and political cartoonist Nicholas Garland. He has a younger brother and two older paternal half-siblings. He is the maternal grandson of writer Jean Medawar and biologist Peter Medawar, the latter of whom was born in Brazil to an English mother and Lebanese father.

Garland was educated at University College School in Hampstead, and later graduated from the University of Manchester with an art history degree.

Novels
Garland's first novel, The Beach, was published in 1996. Based upon his travels across Europe and Thailand, it tells the story of a young English backpacker who discovers an unspoiled seashore occupied by a community of like-minded backpackers. The novel is noted for its references to drug culture, sequences of hallucinations, and unique depictions of excess and utopia. The Beach was initially met with positive reviews, and with a spreading word of mouth response, the novel grew in popularity; it led some critics to regard Garland a key voice of Generation X. He would later speak of his discomfort with the fame The Beach brought him. The Beach has been translated into 25 different languages and sold close to 700,000 copies by the start of 1999. It was developed into a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2003, the novel was Ranked 103 in BBC's The Big Read poll.

Garland's The Tesseract (1998) is a non-linear narrative with several interwoven characters, set in Manila, Philippines. The novel is characterized by a post-modernist narrative style and structure. It explores several themes such as love and violence through each character's circumstance and context of surroundings as well as seemingly inconsequential actions and the repercussions of those actions on other characters. The Tesseract was not a critical or commercial success, but it too was adapted into a film.

Throughout his work, Garland has expressed his love of travel (particularly backpacking) and his love of Manila, much of which influenced his work.

Film
In 2002, Garland wrote the screenplay for Danny Boyle's film 28 Days Later, starring Cillian Murphy. He has said that the script was influenced by 1970s zombie films and English science fiction like The Day of the Triffids. Video games such as the Resident Evil series also served as an influence for 28 Days Later, with Garland crediting the first game for revitalizing the zombie genre. Inspiration for the "Rage" virus came from real-world infections such as Ebola and filoviruses. He won a Best Screenplay honor at the 2004 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards for his script of the film.

In 2005, Garland wrote a screenplay for a film adaptation of Halo. D. B. Weiss and Josh Olson rewrote this during 2006 for a 2008 release, although the film was later canceled. In 2007, he wrote the screenplay for the film Sunshine, which was his second screenplay to be directed by Danny Boyle and to star Cillian Murphy. Garland served as an executive producer on 28 Weeks Later, the sequel of 28 Days Later. He wrote the screenplay for the 2010 film Never Let Me Go, based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. He also wrote the script for Dredd, an adaptation of the Judge Dredd comic book series from 2000 AD. In 2018, Karl Urban, who played the eponymous role in the film, stated that it was Garland who deserved credit for also directing Dredd.

Garland made his directorial debut with Ex Machina, a 2014 feature film based on his own story and screenplay, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander and Oscar Isaac. The film won a Jury Prize at the 2015 Gerardmer Film Festival, and earned Garland a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Garland's second film, Annihilation (2018), was based on Jeff VanderMeer's 2014 science fiction novel of the same name. Garland has described it as "an adaptation [that] was a memory of the book," rather than book-referenced screenwriting, to capture the "dream like nature" and tone of his reading experience. Production began in 2016, and the film was released in February 2018.

In January 2021, Garland was hired to direct his third film, Men, starring Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear. The film follows a young woman who goes on a solo vacation to the English countryside after the death of her ex-husband. Released in May 2022, it received generally positive reviews, though its narrative approach received some criticism. Film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum placed Men on his Best Films of 2022 list.

In April 2022, it was announced that Garland worked with A24 again for his fourth feature, Civil War, an action epic starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and previous collaborators Stephen McKinley Henderson and Cailee Spaeny. The film was released on 12 April 2024.

Garland will reunite with Boyle to write 28 Years Later, the long-gestating sequel to 28 Days Later, which is intended to launch a new trilogy of zombie films. Murphy will serve as an executive producer. The film is set to be released by Sony.

In February 2024, it was revealed that Charles Melton was in talks to star in Garland's upcoming untitled war film with A24. This project marks the second collaboration between Garland and Ray Mendoza, who served as the military supervisor for Civil War. The pair wrote and will co-direct the film. The following month, Joseph Quinn, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Kit Connor, Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter and Finn Bennett joined the ensemble cast, and the film was revealed to be titled Warfare. The same month, Garland stated that he would not direct any films in the "foreseeable future" after the release of Civil War and that his co-directorial work on Warfare was "more of a supporting character" to Mendoza's.

Television
Garland wrote, served as executive producer, and directed the eight-episode miniseries Devs, about the "mysterious ongoings at a tech company", for FX; the series was greenlit in August 2018, and premiered 5 March 2020 on FX on Hulu. It stars Ex Machina and Annihilation actress Sonoya Mizuno, alongside Nick Offerman, Jin Ha, Zach Grenier, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Cailee Spaeny, and Alison Pill. Spaeny, who did not audition for the role as Garland had wanted her specifically for it, stated that Devs was short for Development, and that the series would explore the idea of the multiverse.

Video games
Garland and Tameem Antoniades co-wrote the video game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. They won a 2011 award from the Writer's Guild of Great Britain. Garland also served as a story supervisor on the game DmC: Devil May Cry in 2013.

Personal life
Garland is married to English-Mexican actress Paloma Baeza, with whom he has a son and a daughter.

Garland has described himself as an atheist.

Collaborators
Since he made his directorial debut, Garland has worked with several actors and crew members multiple times.

Feature films
Executive producer
 * Big Game (2014)

title: Alex Garland


text:
List of antidepressants

This is a complete list of clinically approved prescription antidepressants throughout the world, as well as clinically approved prescription drugs used to augment antidepressants or mood stabilizers, by pharmacological and/or structural classification. ''Chemical/generic names are listed first, with brand names in parentheses. All drugs listed are approved specifically for major depressive disorder unless noted otherwise.''

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors include:
 * Citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil)
 * Escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex)
 * Fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem)
 * Fluvoxamine (Luvox, Faverin)
 * Paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat)
 * Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral)

Discontinued/withdrawn

 * Indalpine (Upstene)
 * Zimelidine (Normud, Zelmid)

Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors include:
 * Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)
 * Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
 * Levomilnacipran (Fetzima)
 * Milnacipran (Ixel, Savella, Milnaneurax)
 * Venlafaxine (Effexor, Trevilor)

Serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitors (SNDRIs)
Serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitors include:
 * Toludesvenlafaxine (Ruoxinlin)
 * Nefazodone (Serzone)

Serotonin modulators and stimulators (SMSs)
Serotonin modulators and stimulators include:
 * Vilazodone (Viibryd)
 * Vortioxetine (Trintellix, Brintellix)

Serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs)
Serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitors include:
 * Nefazodone (Dutonin, Nefadar, Serzone) – withdrawn/discontinued in most countries
 * Trazodone (Desyrel)

Discontinued/withdrawn

 * Etoperidone (Axiomin, Etonin)

Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (NRIs)
Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors include:
 * Reboxetine (Edronax)
 * Teniloxazine (Lucelan, Metatone) – also a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist
 * Viloxazine (Qelbree, formerly Vivalan) – also a 5-HT2B receptor antagonist and 5-HT2C receptor agonist

Off-label only

 * Atomoxetine (Strattera)

Norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs)
Norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitors include:
 * Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Elontril) – also a non-competitive antagonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Off-label only

 * Amphetamines (e.g., Adderall, Dexedrine, Vyvanse) – actually norepinephrine–dopamine releasing agents (NDRAs)
 * Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta)
 * Modafinil (Provigil) – actually a selective dopamine reuptake inhibitor plus other actions

Discontinued/withdrawn

 * Amineptine (Survector, Maneon)
 * Nomifensine (Merital, Alival)

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
Tricyclic antidepressants include:
 * Amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep)
 * Amitriptylinoxide (Amioxid, Ambivalon, Equilibrin)
 * Clomipramine (Anafranil)
 * Desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane)
 * Dibenzepin (Noveril, Victoril)
 * Dimetacrine (Istonil)
 * Dosulepin (Prothiaden)
 * Doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan)
 * Imipramine (Tofranil)
 * Lofepramine (Lomont, Gamanil)
 * Melitracen (Dixeran, Melixeran, Trausabun)
 * Nitroxazepine (Sintamil)
 * Nortriptyline (Pamelor, Aventyl)
 * Noxiptiline (Agedal, Elronon, Nogedal)
 * Pipofezine (Azafen/Azaphen)
 * Protriptyline (Vivactil)
 * Trimipramine (Surmontil)

Opipramol (Insidon), tianeptine (Stablon, Coaxil) and amineptine (discontinued; formerly Survector, Maneon) are chemically TCAs but are pharmacodynamically atypical, and are therefore grouped elsewhere.

Discontinued/withdrawn

 * Butriptyline (Evadyne)
 * Demexiptiline (Deparon, Tinoran)
 * Fluacizine (Phtorazisin)
 * Imipraminoxide (Imiprex, Elepsin)
 * Iprindole (Prondol, Galatur, Tetran)
 * Metapramine (Timaxel)
 * Propizepine (Depressin, Vagran)
 * Quinupramine (Kinupril, Kevopril)
 * Tiazesim (Altinil) – actually not a TCA but a tricyclic-like antidepressant
 * Tofenacin (Elamol, Tofacine) – actually not a TCA but a tricyclic-like antidepressant

Tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCAs)
Tetracyclic antidepressants include:
 * Amoxapine (Asendin)
 * Maprotiline (Ludiomil)
 * Mianserin (Tolvon)
 * Mirtazapine (Remeron)
 * Setiptiline (Tecipul)

Mianserin, mirtazapine, and setiptiline are also sometimes described as noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NaSSAs).

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors include

Non-selective

 * Isocarboxazid (Marplan)
 * Phenelzine (Nardil)
 * Tranylcypromine (Parnate)

Discontinued/withdrawn

 * Benmoxin (Neuralex)
 * Iproclozide (Sursum)
 * Iproniazid (Marsilid)
 * Mebanazine (Actomol)
 * Nialamide (Niamid)
 * Octamoxin (Ximaol)
 * Pheniprazine (Catron)
 * Phenoxypropazine (Drazine)
 * Pivhydrazine (Tersavid)
 * Safrazine (Safra)

Selective for MAO-B

 * Selegiline (Eldepryl, Zelapar, Emsam)

Non-selective
Discontinued/withdrawn

 * Caroxazone (Surodil, Timostenil)

Selective for MAO-A

 * Metralindole (Inkazan)
 * Moclobemide (Aurorix, Manerix)
 * Pirlindole (Pirazidol)

These drugs are sometimes described as reversible inhibitors of MAO-A (RIMAs).

Discontinued/withdrawn

 * Eprobemide (Befol)
 * Minaprine (Brantur, Cantor)
 * Toloxatone (Humoryl)

Non-selective

 * Bifemelane (Alnert, Celeport) – RIMA, irreversible inhibitor of MAO-B, and weak NRI

Atypical antipsychotics
Atypical antipsychotics include:
 * Amisulpride (Solian) – approved in low doses as a monotherapy for persistent depression
 * Lumateperone (Caplyta) – approved as a monotherapy for bipolar depression
 * Lurasidone (Latuda) – approved as a monotherapy for bipolar depression
 * Quetiapine (Seroquel) – approved as a monotherapy for bipolar depression

Marketed

 * Agomelatine (Valdoxan) – 5-HT2C receptor antagonist and MT1 and MT2 receptor agonist
 * Brexanolone (allopregnanolone; Zulresso) – GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulator – approved for postpartum depression
 * Esketamine (Spravato) – non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, other actions
 * Gepirone (Exxua) – 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist and α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist
 * Opipramol (Insidon) — σ1 receptor agonist, other actions
 * Tianeptine (Stablon, Coaxil, Tianeurax) – weak and atypical μ-opioid receptor agonist, other actions

Off-label only

 * Ketamine (Ketalar) – non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist
 * Pramipexole (Mirapex) - Dopamine D2, D3, and D4 receptor agonist
 * Dopamine agonists are not recommended due to its tendency to facilitate addiction development even in individuals with no history of such behaviors.

Discontinued/withdrawn

 * α-Methyltryptamine [ αMT ] (Indopan) – non-selective serotonin receptor agonist, serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine releasing agent (SNDRA), and weak RIMA
 * Etryptamine [ α-Ethyltryptamine (αET)] (Monase) – non-selective serotonin receptor agonist, SNDRA, and weak RIMA
 * Indeloxazine (Elen, Noin) – serotonin releasing agent (SRA), NRI, and NMDA receptor antagonist
 * Medifoxamine (Clédial, Gerdaxyl) – weak serotonin–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (SDRI) and 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptor antagonist
 * Oxaflozane (Conflictan) – 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT2C receptor agonist
 * Pivagabine (Tonerg) – unknown/unclear mechanism of action

Over-the-counter
The following antidepressants are available both with a prescription and over-the-counter:

 * Ademetionine [ S-Adenosyl- L -methionine (SAMe) ] (Heptral, Transmetil, Samyl) – cofactor in monoamine neurotransmitter biosynthesis
 * Hypericum perforatum [ St. John's Wort (SJW) ] (Jarsin, Kira, Movina) – TRPC6 activator, and various other actions
 * Oxitriptan [ 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) ] (Cincofarm, Levothym, Triptum) – precursor in serotonin biosynthesis
 * Tryptophan (Tryptan, Optimax, Aminomine) – precursor in serotonin biosynthesis

Atypical antipsychotics
Atypical antipsychotics include:
 * Aripiprazole (Abilify) – approved as an adjunct to antidepressant for major depression
 * Brexpiprazole (Rexulti) – approved as an adjunct to antidepressant for major depression
 * Lumateperone (Caplyta) – approved as an adjunct to mood stabilizer for bipolar depression
 * Lurasidone (Latuda) – approved as an adjunct to mood stabilizer for bipolar depression
 * Olanzapine (Zyprexa) – approved as an adjunct to antidepressant for major depression
 * Quetiapine (Seroquel) – approved as an adjunct to antidepressant or mood stabilizer for major depression and bipolar depression

Off-label only

 * Risperidone (Risperdal)

Typical antipsychotics
Typical antipsychotics include:

Off-label only
name="pmid27514300">
 * Trifluoperazine (Stelazine)<ref

Off-label only

 * Buspirone (Buspar) – 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist
 * Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid) – mood stabilizer (mechanism of action unknown/unclear)
 * Thyroxine (T4) – thyroid hormone (thyroid hormone receptor agonist)
 * Triiodothyronine (T3) – thyroid hormone (thyroid hormone receptor agonist)

Combination products

 * Amitriptyline/chlordiazepoxide (Limbitrol) – TCA and benzodiazepine combination
 * Amitriptyline/perphenazine (Etafron) – TCA and typical antipsychotic combination
 * Flupentixol/melitracen (Deanxit) – TCA and typical antipsychotic combination
 * Olanzapine/fluoxetine (Symbyax) – SSRI and atypical antipsychotic combination – approved as a monotherapy for bipolar depression and treatment-resistant depression
 * Tranylcypromine/trifluoperazine (Parstelin, Parmodalin, Jatrosom N, Stelapar) – MAOI and typical antipsychotic combination
 * Bupropion/dextromethorphan (Auvelity) – non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, σ1 receptor agonist, SNRI, NDRI, other actions

title: List of antidepressants


text:
Halifax (bank)

Halifax (previously known as Halifax Building Society and colloquially known as The Halifax) is a British banking brand operating as a trading division of Bank of Scotland, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group.

It is named after the town of Halifax, West Yorkshire, where it was founded as a building society in 1853. By 1913 it had developed into the UK's largest building society and continued to grow and prosper and maintained this position within the UK until 1997 when it demutualised.

In 1996, it became Halifax plc, a public limited company which was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. In 2001, Halifax plc merged with The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland, forming HBOS. In 2006, the HBOS Group Reorganisation Act 2006 legally transferred the assets and liabilities of the Halifax chain to Bank of Scotland which became a standard plc, with Halifax becoming a division of Bank of Scotland. A takeover of HBOS by Lloyds TSB was approved by the Court of Session on 12 January 2009, and on 19 January 2009, Bank of Scotland, including Halifax, formally became part of Lloyds Banking Group.

The Jonas Tylor era
The Halifax was formed out of the Loyal Georgian Society, a friendly society which carried out lending. Its decision to withdraw from lending led directly to the formation of the building society. The Halifax Permanent Building and Investment Society was proposed by the town's leaders at a meeting in December 1852. Its rules were ratified in February 1853 and it was registered under the Benefit Building Societies Act 1836, with the “Investment” omitted from its title. Jonas Tylor, a 24-year-old lawyer's clerk, was appointed Secretary and he was supported as president by John Fisher, manager of the Halifax Joint Stock Banking Company. Jonas Taylor was to serve as Secretary of the Halifax for almost fifty years and he was responsible for the society's strategy of branch expansion from its beginning. Three branches were opened in its first year and by 1862 there was a total of 12 branches, all within Halifax. The first move out of Halifax came in 1862 with the formation of a branch in Huddersfield, which had its own chairman and directors.

One of the features of the Halifax was its willingness to finance the philanthropic housing development by prominent local businessmen. Edward Akroyd, a local mill owner, financed the building of working-class houses “built cheaply, perhaps without taste” through his Goahead Building Club. His subsequent plan to build a “superior class of dwellings” involved the formation of a Building Association and it was this development of the Akroydon model housing scheme in the 1860s that was financed by the Halifax. There followed a more substantial scheme with John Crossley, a carpet manufacturer, creating The West Hill Park Model Dwellings.

The 1903 history dutifully recorded the branch expansion in the late decades of the nineteenth century. By 1871 another ten local offices had been opened, supported by the construction of a new head office in 1873. Another 22 were opened in the next decade including the important cities of Bradford and Leeds; the Halifax had developed a significant regional presence. By 1902 there were 11 principal branches, all in Yorkshire cities, with a further 49 smaller branches.

The Enoch Hill era
After the death of Jonas Taylor, the appointment of his successor brought in [Sir] Enoch Hill, destined to be one of the great names in building society history. Hill was a mill worker's son becoming a “half timer” in a Leek silk mill aged 8, with little of the required afternoon education forthcoming. He was full time at the age of 13, later moving from mill work to farming, printer's apprentice and then becoming a local jobbing printer. His work with the church was recognized by the elders and he benefitted from their personal tuition. Amongst other activities he helped the blind secretary of Leek United Permanent Benefit Building Society by reading to him. Hill became increasingly involved with the administration of the Leek and that became his main work from 1896. It was from the position of Secretary to the Leek that he was recruited by the Halifax in 1903, at the age of 37.

One of Hill's early decisions was to concentrate on owner occupiers, particularly the cheaper properties. In 1904/5 the Halifax claimed to have opened more new accounts than any incorporated building society in the UK; in 1908 it had the largest advances and by 1913 it was the largest building society by size of assets. Despite its size, by the end of WWI the Halifax was still largely based in Yorkshire and Lancashire and the next stage was to take the Society national. The first branch in the south was opened at Shaftesbury in 1919; the all-important London office followed in 1924. Between 1918 and 1928 around 100 new branches and agencies were opened, doubling the Halifax's coverage; that decade finished with new offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

By 1928 Halifax was in the unique position of having the two largest building societies in the country and they decided to merge. The Halifax Equitable Building Society had been formed in 1871 and it too grew rapidly. By 1911 it claimed to be the 11th largest; third by 1921 and second by 1924. At the time of the merger the Halifax Permanent had assets of £33m and the Equitable £14m. One of the features of the Equitable was that it had formed its own bank in 1900 – the Halifax Equitable Bank. Although independent from the building society, only society members could buy shares. The Equitable Bank was sold to the Bank of Liverpool and Martins on the grounds that banking was best left to specialists. The Halifax Permanent Building Society paralleled the Equitable by forming its own bank in 1910 – the Halifax and District Permanent Banking Company – but that was sold in 1917. Following the merger, branches were quickly opened in a number of leading cities: Aberdeen, Birmingham and Cardiff in 1929; and Belfast, Derby and Newcastle in 1930. On the back of the expansion in branches and agencies, and helped by the boom in private housing, assets increased from £47m after the 1928 merger to £123m in 1938. That was the year in which Sir Enoch Hill retired, at the age of 72, having been in charge of the Halifax for 35 years. He had been Chairman of the National Association of Building Societies from 1921 to 1933; the first secretary of the International Congress of Building Societies in 1914 and was knighted in 1928.

New head office

A new head office was built at Trinity Road, Halifax, in 1973. The distinctive diamond-shaped building was used on marketing material during the 1980s and 1990s. Underneath the building is a specially constructed deedstore which is used to store property deeds for a one-off charge of £10. It is computerised and could originally be filled with Halon gas in the event of fire. Its importance has diminished in recent years because property data is now kept on a central database kept by HM Land Registry.

Demutualisation
The deregulation of the financial services industry in the 1980s saw the passing of the Building Societies Act 1986 which allowed societies greater financial freedoms, and diversification into other markets. Accordingly, the Halifax acquired an estate agent to complement its mortgage business. It also expanded by offering current accounts and credit cards, traditionally services offered by commercial banks. In 1993, it established a Spanish subsidiary, Banco Halifax Hispania, mainly serving British expatriate mortgage customers.

The 1986 act also allowed building societies to demutualise and become public limited companies instead of mutually owned organisations, owned by the customers who borrowed and saved with the society. Although the Abbey National demutualised in 1989, the process was not repeated until the late 1990s, when most of the large societies announced demutualisation plans. In 1995, the Halifax announced it was to merge with the Leeds Permanent Building Society and convert to a plc. The Halifax floated on the London Stock Exchange on 2 June 1997. Over 7.5 million customers of the Society became shareholders of the new bank, the largest extension of shareholders in UK history.

As Halifax plc, the new bank was the fifth largest in the UK in terms of market capitalisation. Further expansion took place with the 1996 acquisition of Clerical Medical Fund Managers, a UK life insurance company. In 1999, the Halifax acquired the Birmingham Midshires Building Society and ComparetheLoan. In 2000, Halifax established Intelligent Finance, a telephone and internet based bank.

Formation of HBOS
In 2001, a wave of consolidation in the UK banking market led Halifax to agree a £10.8 billion merger with the Bank of Scotland. The new group was named Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) with headquarters in Edinburgh, and retained both Halifax and the Bank of Scotland as brand names. Halifax branches in the rest of the UK use the Bank of Scotland brand for business banking. In 2006 the Bank of Scotland (Ireland), HBOS's main retail bank in Ireland, announced that it would be rebranding its retail business as Halifax, citing the Irish public's exposure to Halifax advertising on ITV as among the reasons. The Bank of Scotland name was to be retained for business banking.

In 2006, the HBOS Group Reorganisation Act 2006 was passed. The aim of the Act was to simplify the corporate structure of HBOS. The Act was fully implemented on 17 September 2007 and the assets and liabilities of Halifax plc transferred to Bank of Scotland plc. The Halifax brand name was to be retained as a trading name, but it no longer exists as a legal entity.

Lloyds Banking Group
HBOS was acquired by the Lloyds Banking Group in January 2009 amid falling share price and speculation as to its future. Bank of Scotland plc (including its brands such as Halifax) became a wholly owned subsidiary of the group.

In February 2009, Halifax made significant changes to its current accounts. From then, all new standard current accounts had zero credit and debit interest, along with no paid and unpaid item charges (which were previously up to £35). Halifax has replaced their basic 'Easycash' account with the 'Basic Account'. They have no unpaid charges and replaced all Visa Electron cards with Visa Debit cards. They also align themselves with all other Halifax current accounts with an increased ATM daily withdrawal limit of £500. Instead, all overdraft-eligible Halifax 'Standard current account' customers pay £1 per day for being overdrawn by up to £1999.99 within an arranged overdraft, and £2 per day for up to £2999.99 and £3 per day for over £3000.00. For unarranged overdrafts the fee is £5 per day. Credit interest has been replaced by a £5 net payment every month if customers abide by the terms of the 'Reward current account'. These changes were implemented to all current account customers (except student accounts) from December 2009. These changes caused a great deal of media attention at the time of the change, with Martin Lewis and consumer magazine Which? urging Halifax customers to keep their accounts in credit wherever possible, or consider moving their accounts to an alternative bank, in response to the new charges.

On 16 October 2009, Halifax Estate Agency was sold to LSL Properties for a fee of £1. The branches were renamed as one of LSL's existing brands, Reeds Rains.

On 14 November 2009, HBOS was hit by a power failure which affected all branches, cash machines and online banking. The bank said that the power failure occurred at an IT centre in Copley, West Yorkshire which caused several problems for Halifax's banking system. Halifax's online banking system did not recover from the power failure for several hours.

Advertising
On Boxing Day 2000, Halifax started a successful marketing campaign, which was continued after the creations of HBOS.

Halifax have also created adverts that have featured pop culture from franchises such as The Flintstones, Top Cat, Scooby-Doo, the 1939 musical fantasy, The Wizard of Oz, and Thunderbirds.

In February 2021, Halifax released a TV advertisement featuring the Oasis song "Stand By Me".

title: Halifax (bank)