OK don’t worry op. I hear you.
Take a breath. This is more common than you think.
I should not arm chair diagnose as I am not a HCP but these are classic symptoms of anxiety (which can lead to agoraphobia) and sometimes depression is implicated too.
You either have generalised anxiety causing panic attacks which leads you to avoid the situation and avoidance makes you even more fearful of the situation and it can become an escalating vicious cycle.
Often the first episode happens when you are feeling run down in some way. So do get a medical check and see if you are deficient in bit d, the b vitamins etc, iron etc.
Or this could be a symptom of pre-menopause which can exacerbate anxiety.
These are very old-fashioned in a way now but if you can get hold of any books or recordings by Dr Claire Weekes - I will try and link later - they explain and help with this sort of situation enormously.
Dont worry. It is curable. But the more you avoid the worse it will get. And the longer you leave it without asking for help, the more intractable the problem.
You may need the help of a licensed psychologist specialising in anxiety disorders and agoraphobia. And possibly some ADs or beta blockers to numb the physical sensations of anxiety when you are first going through treatment.
The psychologist will slowly take you through a few exercises gradually building up to doing the things you fear most, but very gradually, at your pace, and they will give you techniques and strategies to help you accept and breathe and allow the fear to wash over you and stay with it until it diminishes. You have to stay with the uncomfortable feeling to allow the treatment to work.
The other thing you need to do is be totally open with your husband and colleagues that you are experiencing this difficulty atm as it’s nothing to be ashamed of - please ask for help - as trying to pretend everything is fine will make your stress levels much worse.
Only tell your dh though if you can trust him to be gentle and understanding with you. How is your relationship with your dh? The reason I ask is that if he is a man who is slightly controlling, this can occasionally, in certain situations, exacerbate these sorts of symptoms.
Finally, one other possibility, this feeling of only feeling safe at home - has this only come on recently since these issues began? The reason I ask is that if it has always been an issue since childhood abd you have always found the outside world too bright, smelly, loud and distracting, then there could be some neurodiversity at play and it’s not classic agoraphobia, in which case you will need a licensed psychologist who specialises in asd or adhd or both
Good luck op. Please don’t feel embarrassed. Reach out for help 💐