Why do i feel claustrophobic

However, any coping technique that relies on avoidance can only make the phobia worse. It seems that anticipating the possibility of confinement within a small space intensifies the feelings of anxiety and fear.

For someone with a disabling phobia, the realisation that this fear is irrational and that treatment is needed can cause further anxiety.

Since most treatment options depend on confronting the feared situation or object, the person may feel reluctant. Support and encouragement from family and friends is crucial. A person trying to overcome a phobia may find some treatment methods particularly challenging and will need the love and understanding of their support people. The therapist may even ask the family members or friends to attend certain sessions, in order to support the person seeking treatment.

Treating phobias, including claustrophobia, relies on psychological methods. Depending on the person, some of these methods may include:. The person may be treated as an outpatient or, sometimes, as an inpatient if their phobia is particularly severe.

Generally, treatment consists of around eight to 10 weeks of bi-weekly sessions. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. A person with agoraphobia is afraid to leave familiar environments, because they are afraid of having a panic attack. You can help your child overcome anxiety by taking their fears seriously and encouraging them to talk about their feelings. Anxiety disorders are common mental health problems that affect many people. Anxiety disorders are common, affecting about one in ten with persistent, excessive worrying that can hinder their ability to function.

The symptoms vary, but can include excessive fear, sweating, flushing or chills, nausea, trembling, heart palpitations , difficulty breathing, feeling faint or dizzy , headaches , or a tightness in the chest. It can also result in a fear of fainting, a fear of losing control or even a fear of dying," Ng says. There's no one clear cause, and it can come about seemingly randomly.

However, past trauma can play a part in developing claustrophobia. As an example, adults having had an experience of being stuck in a lift or on a train in a tunnel may develop a fear of them, depending on the associations that they give to that event, which can be traumatic. For years, I thought I was losing my mind. I didn't tell anyone about being claustrophobic or having panic attacks, knowing how silly and illogical it seemed.

I knew it was unlikely that I would get stuck in a lift and die, but it didn't stop me from being terrified. It was also exhausting to feel anxious every day and have to plan out ways to avoid small spaces. Depending on its severity, it can affect many different aspects of daily living. Some people may avoid socialising if they're afraid others will notice their anxiety and not understand. Although many people with claustrophobia avoid small spaces, this can actually make things worse.

When prescribed, medications are usually used in addition to therapy. Many people with claustrophobia will avoid the spaces that trigger the condition. But that may not be a good long-term solution because you may eventually find yourself in a scary but unavoidable situation. Here are some ways to cope during an attack:. Claustrophobia is treatable and people can recover from the condition. For some people, claustrophobia disappears when they get older.

Read this article in Spanish. A phobia is an excessive and irrational fear reaction. If you have a phobia, you will experience a deep sense of dread, and sometimes panic. Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that makes people very fearful of certain places and situations. Learn about agoraphobia causes, symptoms, and….

A specific phobia is an intense fear of an animal, object, or situation. Insect-related phobias, such fear of bees melissophobia , are common. If you have a phobia, working with a trained therapist can help you learn how to manage your symptoms.

Someone with ranidaphobia experiences intense feelings of fear or anxiety in response to frogs. Emetophobia or fear of vomit can make daily tasks, including eating and cooking, distressing. We'll go over symptoms and potential causes before….

Some people are able to force themselves to face the trigger in spite of the anxiety it creates. In extreme cases, the possibility of experiencing these symptoms is enough to prevent claustrophobics from living their lives fully.

They know the fear is either unreasonable or excessive, yet it is intense enough to interfere with their daily routine and prevents them from functioning normally. Fortunately, treatment options are available.

With the exception of the self-help techniques, these methods all require the guidance of a licensed practitioner. Systematic Desensitzation One of the most effective treatments for phobias is systematic desensitization, a method of teaching the individual how to control her response to what she fears. First, the therapist will train you to relax physically. Next, you will develop a hierarchy of anxiety that ranks your fears.

For example, perhaps you are comfortable in automobiles, less so on trains, and not at all on airplanes. Starting with the least-feared trigger on your list, the therapist will expose you to the trigger and teach you to replace your anxiety with the relaxation response. Exposure is very gradual and the process retrains your physiology so that over time, there is no fear when a trigger is encountered.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Emotion is a reaction to specific thoughts. Cognitive therapy focuses on helping you identify the thoughts that accompany your fear response, to sort out the realistic ones, and to change those that are unreasonable. Cognitive-behavioral treatment couples your healthy, realistic thoughts with appropriate actions. Taking physical action — such as getting on the elevator while thinking about how safe it is — reinforces the new, realistic thoughts you are adopting.

Originally used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder , EMDR has shown some success in treating phobias that originated with a traumatic event. This therapy allows you to reprocess negative thoughts and emotions associated with an event. Under the direction of the therapist, you focus on your internal experience of the event while visually tracking an external stimulus. The lateral eye movement has been associated with thought processing, learning, and relief from physiological and emotional distress.

As a newer therapy first introduced in , EMDR is still being researched. However, it appears to be an effective treatment for trauma-related disorders. It is a very short-term therapy that achieves lasting results. Medical Treatment With any psychological symptoms, it is important to consult your physician as well as a mental health practitioner.