Phobia of locking doors

[Fridgeraiders23]

This is becoming a real problem for me. I have a phobia of locking doors, specifically public toilet ones. I’ve got this huge fear that I’m going to get locked in.
I can’t bring myself to lock it. I’ve had many situations where someone has walked in on me, I always pretend I’ve forgotten to lock it.
Train toilets are the absolute worst because of the electric locking system.
I also can’t travel in a lift.
There’s an issue with closed spaces and being locked in/not being able to get out.

I’m ok with locks I can see going over, but when you can’t see the lock, I’m just point blank unable to lock it.

I don’t really know what to do as this is making things so difficult for me and travelling around especially.

Would you consider trying talking therapy? Whereabouts do you live? If you’re in England you can often self refer for therapy without going through your GP.

Can you buy some kind of temporary gadget that you really trust which fits whilst you use a door?

Or (crazy idea) take a paper sign with you with masking tape on it saying "Out of Order".
Place on loo door. Wee. Remove from loo door. Only a couple of minutes and it is not available while you are in there anyway! So you are not really doing anyone any harm. Then you can shut the door but leave it unlocked.

I'm not a therapist, but I think your phobia is quite understandable and most of us ignore the fear of getting locked in, for the benefit of the security it brings.

It may take a bit of work to overcome it, but I would seek out therapy.

I had great success with hypnotherapy, which may be worth considering (I was a huge sceptic, but weirdly it worked)

It wouldn’t work on all doors, but could you carry a wedge to put under the inside of the door?

Therapy will sort you out. It’s not uncommon. If there’s a long wait for therapy, you might need to develop some kind of self help strategy to get you on your way to overcoming this. Or pay private.

You sound exactly the same as a cousin of mine.

She never done anything to sort her phobia out and her life has been ruined.

She's nearly 70 now and it started 30 years ago.

Some interesting practical suggestions here but it’s really the anxiety you need help with. Those practical suggestions are not going to fix the phobia.

I just wanted to say that I have the same issue, it’s something that has crept up on me but I have managed to fight it to some extent. What I do is try the lock a few times first with the door open to make sure it’s not stiff, and when I use a lock I memorise how I have locked it (ie whether I need to turn it clockwise or anti clockwise). If I really don’t want to lock the door I try to wedge my bag so it’s not easy to push open.
i would recommend some form of therapy though, it would be good to get it resolved. I have found exposure therapy useful for other issues I have had in the past. Good luck with it!

What's the worst that will happen if you get locked in? As long as you aren't in a isolated place you can knock on he door and ask for help from the inside or use your phone to find contact details to ring for help.

Carry a screwdriver?

Hi op, I'm a cbt therapist and treated many people similar. Treatment is highly effective, maybe look into this? Panic with agoraphobia is what we would look at, maybe take a read up on it good luck

I share this phobia, especially if the door locks with a key. I can never remember which way I need to turn it to unlock. However, I am usually ok in public toilets as they tend to have a slide bolt but I do check it will slide backwards and forwards before I lock it.
I have no good advice, only sympathy

CBT? Sounds like exactly what you need. If you can afford it, go private.

good to hear the OP is not alone on this one. You've made more progress than you may realise by posting...

Me too. I struggle with this and panic in case I can't get out.
Whats causes this.

Hi OP, I think this is quite a common phobia really, being in a confined space and not being able to get out is something that makes most of us feel a bit anxious. But it sounds like this is having a significant impact on your life so it would be a good idea to seek out therapy, it really can be very effective.

I suffer with this and as a child was really bad , I think up until my mid teens I couldn't lock a loo door. Some how I managed to do it. I feel hypervigilant when I'm on a loo or in a lift (have no choice about lifts as became disabled). For me this fear didn't turn into anything crippling, but my point is that this isn't weird and you're not alone at all. Don't feel afraid to seek help as it sounds as if this is seriously impacting your life. ❤

CBT exposure therapy is the best treatment for this - your local talking therapies services should be able to help or you may have to pay privately, but it is actually quite quick to treat these issues.

I find train toilets scary, though I do use them but I have no problem with locks in general.
I believe that the train locks are operated by electromagnets which would simply cut out if there is a power failure, unlocking the door and enabling the door to be pulled open manually. Of course there is also an emergency cord and a locked override panel outside with a button which can unlock the door - but I wonder, how does this help if their is no guard on the train to respond?

What if someone nicks your bag from under the door???

I have quite horrific claustrophobia. I got stuck in a freaking lift with somebody else similarly afflicted. We got through it by having an effing and blinding argument. The third person in the lift had to act like the referee. Not my finest moment but phobe 2 was trying to blame me for it getting stuck because I pressed the button and was closest to the door. When the fire brigade finally opened the door, the firemen were all pissing themselves laughing. It did stop me panicking as I was well pissed off but I don't really recommend it as a coping strategy but you could give it a go. If you're sitting on the toilet swearing like a loon nobody will walk in unless they're very odd.