One of the best known psychological disorders is fear of enclosed places For this reason, in this post we will take a deeper look into this subject, as well as talk about the symptoms and treatments involved in this condition. Check it out!

Phobia of enclosed places: understand claustrophobia

Understand that because it is a phobia, there is an exaggerated fear of being in enclosed places. The person who has this condition will hardly feel comfortable in elevators, airplanes, trains, or any other environment that does not have air circulation.

In addition, the individual may feel trapped, even if their stay in closed places is for a short period of time. Here, we are referring to moving around in closed places like the ones mentioned above.

Usually, the time in elevators is short, but for the person who has claustrophobia, it will seem like an eternity. Imagine if there is a breakdown? The desperation may be even more intensified, causing anxiety and panic attacks. Note that these are other recurring factors in this condition.

Anxiety disorder

Did you know that the phobia of enclosed places is part of the group of anxiety disorders? Well, this phobia is characterized in this way. A person, who has an anxiety disorder, lives with excessive worry or anxious expectation.

Anxiety disorders can be related to different factors. Thus, in the case of people with claustrophobia, the disorder is the fear of being in enclosed places. In these situations, the individual cannot have control over his feelings and what is going on around him.

Loss of self-control is a common feature of anxiety disorders, whereby people feel completely frightened when faced with a situation that causes them revulsion. Such behavior must be observed in order to avoid deeper damage.

Which audience is most affected?

We need to say that fear of being in enclosed spaces is not something related to a certain age. This means that this disorder can appear from childhood, adolescence, or even adulthood. In other words, the elderly can also present this condition.

Also understand that issues related to gender, race, and/or social class are not determinants. By this we mean that there is no cause and consequence relationship. Each person is unique and may react differently than others in the same situation.

Therefore, it is worth remembering the importance of talking about the subject in order to demystify prejudices. Most of the time, people who suffer from some psychological disorder are considered "cool", "soft", or "weak". It is necessary to have more empathy and seek proper help for those who need it.

Possible causes of fear of enclosed places

As mentioned before, there are no pre-determining factors for the exaggerated fear of being in enclosed places. In some cases, it may be something innate, that is, something that is born with the individual. Thus, the causes are more internal than external.

However, there is also the possibility that the causes come from external factors, such as traumatic experiences like fear during turbulence on an airplane, train or subway breakdowns, or an elevator breakdown, leaving the person trapped for a few minutes or hours until the problem is solved.

We must also consider the impact of movies and other programs on television and the Internet. The raw scenes and situations shown on the screen can serve as a trigger and trigger a condition of anxiety and panic. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the type of content watched.

Symptoms

To understand how indoor phobia works, see the main symptoms below:

• anguish;
• fear;
• anxiety;
• dread;
• exacerbated sweating;
• tachycardia;
• dry mouth;
• palpitation;
• shortness of breath;
• dizziness;
• stomach pain; e,
• panic.

Notice that the symptoms are both psychological and physical. For the claustrophobic person, the sensations begin in the mind causing emotional discomforts. In a second moment, the sensations cause physical discomforts.

The psychological state causes the person to have the feeling that the environment is getting tighter, the walls getting tighter, and the ceiling getting closer and closer. To this mind, there is no way out, and so the body also begins to react negatively.

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Read Also: Trypophobia: 7 Signs and Treatments in Psychoanalysis

As well as people suffering from panic attack, other symptoms may appear, so it is common for some individuals to experience cravings for vomiting, headache, and even fainting.

Treatments

Now that you know what it is and what the symptoms of claustrophobia are, let's talk about the treatments. First of all, it is necessary to seek a reliable professional, specialized in Psychology.

It is not uncommon for individuals with a fear of enclosed spaces to also have depression, and as we mentioned earlier, anxiety and panic syndrome.

The use of antidepressants and anxiolytics can help to reduce the discomfort during crises. The drugs are essential to control the psychic levels of the patients, even if in some cases they take a while to have an effect.

Psychotherapy Sessions

Know that to intensify the treatment, psychotherapy sessions are also essential steps. From the moment a person starts dealing with a specialist, he or she understands himself or herself better and how to deal with the situations that cause him or her fear.

There are several lines of therapy available to help, such as cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. In this sense, it is important to get informed and start treatment as soon as possible, so you can understand which method has the best results for your condition.

In this way, once medication and psychotherapy are combined, the greater the positive impact will be. However, we must emphasize that patience is needed throughout the treatment. Know that it is a process that demands time and willingness, and that the results are not instantaneous.

Final thoughts on fear of enclosed spaces

In this post we have tried to introduce the basic concepts about fear of enclosed spaces, mainly the symptoms and treatments. We have also brought some information about anxiety disorders and panic syndrome, as well as the possible causes of this phobia. This is because it is paramount to treat the subject seriously and without prejudice.

We believe that the treatment process depends first of all on access to quality information about the subject. In this way, it is possible to understand better about yourself, your relationship with other people, the different environments and situations that are part of your daily life.

In this perspective, you can deepen your knowledge even more. For this, we recommend our online course on Clinical Psychoanalysis, so that you can find out about phobia and other issues related to development and living in society without leaving home.