Do you feel bored and cramped when passing through a long tunnel or being in a closed and cramped space? The reason of this; It may be claustrophobia, which is an anxiety disorder.
So what is this claustrophobia; In its simplest form, it can be defined as irrational fear and anxiety experienced in closed spaces. The person with claustrophobia feels fear and anxiety that exceeds the actual threat of the area he is worried about.
Source; It can be biological and psychological (defense mechanisms, visual learning, various conditionings and traumatic experiences). The person generalizes the negative experience he has experienced by assuming that he will always experience it, causing him to develop a fear of that situation.
When a claustrophobic person is in closed spaces where he thinks it is not possible to get help, he may show the following symptoms;
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Increased heart rate
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Feeling of not being able to breathe
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Feeling like you're going to faint
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Feeling like you're running out of air
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Feeling of suffocation
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Sweating
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Numbness
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Want to cry
Especially, elevator, cinema, airplane, underwater, MRI, a small and windowless room, a tunnel with a long exit, a narrow place in the middle of a crowded group such as a bus and a rally. and it manifests itself in congested areas. In this sense, the person who is worried about being in the elevator; Even if his work is urgent, he will prefer to use the stairs without using the elevator, risking getting tired and being late.
TREATMENT
As with other specific phobias, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is very effective in claustrophobia. is effective. By working on the person's thoughts, the intensity of the disturbing emotion is tried to be reduced. Ways to cope with this anxiety, breathing exercises and relaxation exercises are taught. In therapy, it is ensured that the person's anxiety will be minimized and he will not feel distressed in the environment when he is exposed to a closed area where he will feel uncomfortable.
In addition to CBT, hypnosis, solution Focused therapy and schema therapy are effective types of supportive therapy in this sense. In cases where the person is not even ready to talk about this fear, therapy and pharmacological support are applied in combination.
''When a phobia disappears, another phobia usually takes its place. The belief "" is not true. However, it may be possible for a phobia whose symptoms improve with some triggers to re-emerge.
Finally; A Chinese Proverb says; Go to the heart of fear and you will find trust there.' When you learn to face your fears and deal with them, you will be free.
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