Claustrophobia is a psychological disorder characterized by the person's inability to stay for a long time in closed environments or with little air circulation, such as in elevators, crowded trains or closed rooms, which can lead to the emergence of other psychological disorders, such as agoraphobia, for example. Learn more about agoraphobia.
This phobia can lead to symptoms such as shortness of breath, dry mouth, increased heart rate and feeling of fear, which can happen in children, youth, adults or the elderly, regardless of social class and should be treated with mediation and psychotherapy sessions.
Symptoms of claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is mainly characterized by the feeling of fear, anguish and anxiety when the person is in closed or uncomfortable environments or even when they imagine themselves in such a situation. The main claustrophobia are:
- Sweating; Tachycardia; Dry mouth; Fear and anguish.
The person believes that the walls are moving, the ceiling is lowering and the space is decreasing, for example, which stimulates the appearance of symptoms. Symptoms of claustrophobia can also lead to excessive and constant worry related to fear, and this phobia may progress to generalized anxiety disorder. See everything about Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Treatment for claustrophobia
Treatment for claustrophobia can be done through psychotherapy sessions that can sometimes be associated with the use of anxiolytic and antidepressant medications that can help decrease the symptoms of phobia and the risk of developing depression, since it is the habit of these individuals to isolate get out of the world in places they think are safe like the room itself.
The treatment takes time, but it achieves good results, and therefore claustrophobia has control, which will only be achieved when the treatment is followed correctly. Psychotherapy sessions are essential, as they aim to directly or indirectly expose the person to situations in which they feel afraid, anxious and distressed, making them face fear and start to feel better in these situations.
