DR. WALLACE: I am 19 years old and am embarrassed to tell you that I have a pretty tough case of claustrophobia. I am deathly afraid and hyperventilate whenever I’m in a small room. The first thing I do is look to find a door, window or exit out of the room. Then, the whole time I’m in any small room, I absolutely cannot focus on the conversation other people are making because my mind is laser focused on getting out of there.
I was previously told I would outgrow this but so far, I have not. I also have huge problems getting into elevators in buildings I am unfamiliar with. Am I going to suffer like this for the rest of my life? Or is there anything I can do to try to overcome this situation? — Unsettled When Boxed In, via email
UNSETTLED WHEN BOXED IN: Your phobia of small, confined spaces is sadly somewhat more common than most people realize, so please do not be embarrassed as your present situation has developed outside of your control. For starters, you can likely benefit at least to some degree from some simple coping strategies, which include breathing very slowly and deeply, focusing on something safe and doing your best to keep your demeanor calm and your thoughts as rational as possible.
However, some people who suffer from this affliction may benefit best by consulting a professional specifically trained in dealing with the anxiety that causes claustrophobia.
Therefore, I feel you’d best be served by consulting such a professional as this phobia is not within my area of expertise. However, I am very happy to provide you with some valuable information I’ve gathered from my friends at WedMD.com who provide excellent resources on this topic. Here are some of the most relevant excerpts from their data.
The good news is that “claustrophobia can be treated and cured. There are different ways to treat your fear and symptoms so you can have an active and healthy life.
If you’re so afraid of enclosed spaces that it affects your daily routine, get help from a mental health professional. You can see a psychologist, a therapist or an anxiety specialist. With the right treatment, you can learn how to control your responses to situations you once feared.
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history, and they’ll give you a physical exam. They’ll take into account any fear that may:
— Be triggered by waiting for something to happen
— Cause panic attacks linked to the situation that triggers fear
— Make it hard for you to get through your day
— Not be explained by other disorders
Without claustrophobia treatment, you might find that you deal with claustrophobia by avoiding the object of your fear. You might stay away from tight places, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking instead of riding the subway. You might scan every crowded room for the exits or stand close to the door. Some people, if their anxiety is severe enough, may be afraid to leave their homes.
Avoiding tight spaces won’t make your phobia go away. The first step in getting treatment is to see a psychologist or other mental health specialist. Several types of therapies can help, such as:
— Exposure therapy. It gradually puts you into the situations that frighten you to help you get over your fear. At first, you might just look at a photo of a tight space. Then, with your therapist’s help, you work up to being inside a tight space.
— Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is a type of talk therapy where you meet one-on-one with a trained therapist. You talk about the negative thoughts that drive your fear and learn ways to overcome them. You may get CBT alone or combined with exposure therapy.
— Virtual reality (VR). This uses computer simulations of tight spaces like elevators or MRI machines. Getting the experience of a tight space in the virtual world can help you get over your fear in a setting that feels safe.
— Relaxation and visualization. You can learn ways to calm your fear when you’re in a situation that usually scares you.
— Medical treatment. If therapy isn’t enough, your doctor can prescribe anxiety drugs or antidepressants to help you deal with the situations that cause your fear.
Support is key when you’re trying to overcome a phobia. Talk to your partner, other family members, and friends. You can even ask them to come with you to therapy sessions.”
Good luck and thank you for reaching out for help. You’ve taken a good first step and I encourage you to similarly follow through again by doing further research on this topic and then consulting a suitable professional to help you begin your road to overcoming this phobia.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected] To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
