Fear of Enclosed Spaces – Claustrophobia
Santa's Stuck in the Chimney
Have you ever been locked in an enclosed or confined space? Or tried to find the light switch in a completely darkened room and felt that catch of anxiety grab you? If you have, then you will have an understanding or even an appreciation for sufferers of claustrophobia.
Claustrophobia – check this out
When someone has claustrophobia, there may be two fears present. One is a fear of restriction and the other is a fear of suffocation. Where there is a fear of restriction it means that the person fears or feels restricted in some way. For example, not being able to get out of a locked or moving vehicle such as a car, plane, train, bus or ferry may cause the person to begin to feel anxious or panicky. As panic increases, the fear of suffocation may occur as the person feels as though they will run out of air.
Some people have even been known to start tearing their clothes off in the desperate bid for more air, thinking that this will help when it makes no difference at all to the level of oxygen.
Or conversely, the person may fear suffocation and then the fear of restriction kicks in too. Sometimes it happens so quickly that the two fears are combined and present as one. The order of occurrence or co-occurrence of symptoms makes no difference to the person who is having the claustrophobic experience as it all simply feels terrible.
Take a look here: Overcoming Claustrophobia
Why do some people suffer Claustrophobia?
An estimated 13% of people suffer a Panic Attack while having an MRI
There are several reasons that have been suggested by researchers.
- One is that we all learn by example, so if a family member has had claustrophobia we may be more likely to suffer from this too.
- A childhood event could also be traumatic enough to generalise into claustrophobia, such as falling into a well, being locked in a trunk of a car, or a toy box, or even being shut into a closet or bedroom cupboard.
- Claustrophobia may develop if someone has been stuck in a lift, had a caving incident or been trapped in a mining cave-in. Some people suffer claustrophobia when in tunnels, cellars, subway stations or trains or buses, and an estimated 13% of people suffer a panic attack while having a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
- Those who have experienced a Panic Disorder have a smaller Amygdala on the right hand side. The Amygdala sends out nuclei electrical impulses to other nuclei which then influence the rate of respiration, physical arousal, adrenalin release, blood pressure, heart rate, and the “fight, flight or freeze” responses. The amygdala is part of the emotional processing system within the Limbic system.
Therapy for Claustrophobia
1. Hypnosis
Have you ever been influenced by the ideas of another? Perhaps gone to the movies when you were going to stay home, or cooked something different than you had planned, maybe taken a vacation in a different part of the world than you had imagined? In a broad sense, you were hypnotized through the power of suggestion and when your friends or family suggest something that appeals to you and is emotionally appealing as well, you are more likely to respond and implement those ideas.
Hypnosis is a structured or unstructured process that proposes positive suggestions to be received by the subconscious mind. Generally, a deep state of relaxation is fostered which allows the individual to be open to alternative perspectives and ideas. As these constructive concepts are gently suggested to the client, the client will also hear and receive motivational boosters, and confidence-building affirmations. Homework may also be provided to help reinforce these new and emotionally gratifying concepts.
The new ideas that are introduced into the subconscious mind help the individual to generate healthier beliefs, values and positive habitual thinking patterns.
An individual who has been hypnotized may also experience other additional health benefits stress is reduced through the mind and body being calmer, more relaxed and at ease. Because hypnosis releases stress it also may alleviate anxiety.
When you are asleep and awakened by an unfamiliar sound, it is said that it is your subconscious that has been alerted to the sound. In the same way, when your mind has wandered off and someone is trying to get your attention, it may take a moment or three before you realise that you have not been ‘consciously aware’. In fact, your conscious mind was off somewhere else while your subconscious mind remained on standby and is then alerted to bring you back to conscious awareness.
Hypnotherapy is a safe, gentle and positive process that can be used by children, teenagers and adults and it is a process where you are still able to communicate with the therapist.
2. Cognitive Therapy
Research shows that about 30% of people respond to cognitive restructuring of their thoughts. To give you an example of this, if you had claustrophobia related to being in a lift, then the thought of walking 14 flights of stairs may be very unappealing from a couple of perspectives. I am writing this blog post from the 14th floor and the thought of walking up and down 14 flights of stairs in an enclosed stairwell by the way, does nothing for me.
I think of the waste of time, and those aching leg muscles at the end of every traverse of 14 flights of stairs and think, “give me the lift any time”!
Learning how to find more positives to something when you weigh it against the negatives is a really useful skill.
3. In Vivo Exposure
Exposure therapy (which comes from Behavioural Therapy) begins with lesser exposures and graduates progressively towards achieving the desired outcome in the desired situation. For example, stepping into an elevator may be a step towards eventually being able to have an MRI. Exposure therapy is also acknowledged by researchers as achieving good results for some clients.
If Claustrophobia is an issue, you might like to leave your suggestions that could help others, in the Comment section. Your thoughts on this issue are appreciated.
