Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia

Perhaps one of the most well known phobias, claustrophobia is a fear of being closed in or unable to escape. Like many any other fears, it shows up at varying levels - from just a general dislike and anxiety in smaller spaces to a full blown panic at even the thought of being confined to something as simple as a specific chair. The exact symptoms of claustrophobia vary from person to person, but if they appear getting a proper diagnosis is important so that treatment can be sought. Here at GoMentor.com, you can find therapists who offer online therapy that can help you deal with claustrophobia.

Symptoms of Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia is most often linked with two separate, but interrelated fears: the fear of restriction and the fear of suffocation. Usually, claustrophobics will go out of their way to avoid small rooms, elevators, cars, cellars, trains, or a variety of other locales where their movements could be inhibited or where they could feel trapped. While they are not afraid of these spaces themselves, the limited ability to move around and the fear of what might happen if they can’t get out often becomes oppressive and overwhelming. This fear can subsequently result in panic attacks, characterized by an elevated heart rate, trouble breathing, and the removal of clothing.

Dangers of Claustrophobia

Long term, claustrophobia can be a serious condition that affects your mental and even your physical health. With the increased stress a constant problem for more severe sufferers of this condition, it is possible to eventually evolve into an extreme agoraphobic, with a person confining themselves to the only place they feel comfortable – their own home. Physiologically, without treatment the panic attacks associated with claustrophobia can become increasingly worse over time, and may even lead to heart problems down the line due to the constant stress on the body.

Treatment for Claustrophobia

Luckily, the treatments for claustrophobia are improving by leaps and bounds as researchers discover more about the fear. Therapy and guidance is one key to success with treatment for claustrophobia. Here at GoMentor.com, you can book online therapy sessions with trained counselors know what to expect when talking about claustrophobia and can help you sort through the panic to reach a calmer, more manageable state of mind and body. First, helping to educate you in why you react the way you do and then finding ways to circumvent those fears, GoMentor.com offers online therapy that can help. Such a serious fear shouldn’t be faced alone, so let a therapist help.

Definition of Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia is defined as an extreme and even pathological fear of enclosed spaces and being confined, often related to the fear of being trapped or suffocated. Therapy and counseling are two good ways to get help with claustrophobia.

Symptoms of / Reasons for Claustrophobia

• An intense dislike of being closed in
• A need to be free to move around
• Panic attacks that involve