Claustrophobia: definition, causes, symptoms and treatment

Phobias are anxiety disorders that can develop with some frequency, and one of the most common is claustrophobia. Scientific studies affirm that between 2% and 5% of the population suffers from this type of phobia, which is the intense and irrational fear of being trapped indoors and from which the person thinks they will not be able to get out.

Phobic disorders can cause great discomfort in the person who suffers from them, and they can affect their daily life in different ways. For example, not being able to get on the elevator, not taking the subway to go to work or not being willing to undergo a CAT scan. People who suffer from this condition avoid the situations that trigger the phobia and that cause them intense anxiety.

In this article we will analyze claustrophobia hand in hand with Ignasi Llorach, general health psychologist at the Mensalus Institute of Barcelona, one of the most prestigious clinics in Spain, and experts in treating phobic disorders.

• Related article: "Types of Phobias: Exploring Fear Disorders"

What is claustrophobia?

Claustrophobia belongs to the group of specific phobias, which also include other irrational fears such as aerophobia (or fear of flying) or arachnophobia (or fear of spiders).

“It is an anxiety disorder that affects the person when exposed to closed spaces: small rooms without ventilation, elevators, basements, tunnels, etc. In general, people who suffer from claustrophobia experience irrational fear in any situation that involves closure, restriction or confinement, because they think that they will not be able to leave or they will run out of air, that is, they will not be able to to breathe. People with claustrophobia can also feel great discomfort in places where there is a large crowd of people ”, explains Llorach.

While some specific phobias are not necessarily disabling because people who suffer from them tend to avoid what causes them fear, or it is difficult for them to encounter the feared stimulus in their usual environment (for example, the coulrophobia or fear of clowns), other phobias can lead to more frequent discomfort situations, as in the case of claustrophobia.

Some individuals may turn down a job because of the inability to travel by train or car for relatively long periods, or they may avoid go to the movies with their partner because of the discomfort they feel when they are in a dark room, in which they automatically and compulsively look for the Departures.

Causes of this phobia

"Most phobias occur as a consequence of a traumatic event that occurred in childhood," he says. Llorach-, although the beginning can come at any moment in life, in which the person learns by association (classical conditioning) that closed spaces cause negative consequences ”.

A famous investigation carried out by Lars-Gran found that claustrophobia usually begins in the childhood, and the common experiences that can trigger this pathology are: being locked in a dark room and not finding the door or the light switch, putting your head in between two bars and then not being able to get it out, locking yourself in a closet, falling into a pool full of water without knowing how to swim or getting lost among a lot of people and not finding the fathers.

However, "learning does not always occur through direct experience, but it is also possible that it occurs through observation," says Llorach.

On the other hand, according to the theory of the preparation of SeligmanWe are biologically predisposed to suffer from phobias, since we more easily associate certain stimuli with negative responses because they favored our survival.

Phobic disorders are constituted by primitive and non-cognitive associations, which are not easily modifiable by logical arguments. This theory does not assume that phobias are innate, but rather that the individual has a innate ability to learn phobic reactions.

Symptoms and signs

Claustrophobia can manifest itself in different situations, and the person suffering from this phobia may have different reactions. For example, entering a room and checking the place where the exits are to be near them. You can also avoid driving your car in “rush hour” so you don't get stuck in traffic.

When a person suffers from a phobic disorder, avoidance behaviors are present to reduce the discomfort and anxiety that characterize this disorder.

In summary, people with claustrophobia have the following symptoms:

• Extreme anxiety and fear of the presence or imagination of the phobic stimulus.
• Avoidance behaviors.
• Thoughts that the person is going to run out of air.
• Thoughts of impending death.
• Hyperventilation.
• Hyper sweating.
• Fast heartbeat
• Tremors
• Pain or tightness in the chest
• Lightheadedness, nausea, dizziness, and headaches.

Treatments and therapy

If you suffer from claustrophobia or any type of phobia, Ignasi Llorach reminds you that “it is possible to overcome the phobia with the correct treatment psychological, and it is important to know that you are not alone, but that many people experience this type of phobia sometime in their life and achieve it get over. Also, you don't have to suffer it alone. Communicate your fears, because talking about it is very important to accept that you are suffering from this fear. "

Psychological therapy is the best option To leave this irrational fear behind There are many types of psychotherapy, but research has concluded that one of the most effective is cognitive behavioral therapy, whose purpose is intervention focused on changes in mental processes (thoughts, beliefs, emotions ...) and in the behaviors that the person performs and that can be maladaptive and cause suffering.

Relaxation techniques or exposure techniques are two widely used methodologies in the treatment of phobic disorders. Specifically, the most widely used exposure technique is systematic desensitization, which consists of gradually exposing the patient to the phobic stimulus and fosters more coping skills tools. The Mindfulness It has also been shown to be highly effective in treating all types of anxiety disorders.

In extreme cases, drug treatment (mainly anxiolytics) can be applied; however, never as the only therapeutic option but in combination with psychological therapy.

If you want to receive psychological assistance for the treatment of a phobia or any other problem related to mental health and well-being, you can find the contact information of the Mensalus clinic doing click here.

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