Claustrophobia

[ribbitTheFrog]

Hello. I'm claustrophobic but this has been a gradual process over the past decade or so (I'm late 30s). I'm now at the point that on a recent plane trip I was having to fight to stay calm when we landed but weren't allowed off, so I don't want to fly again.

I'm also scared of lifts, though I can manage them if empty and I have the pushchair but I panic when people get in.

Yesterday I felt very panicked and breathless when I went to the local swimming pool which is in a fairly confined space deep inside the building. I'm terrified of tube trains, never used to be.

I've read nhs website but I'm not sure CBT would work to reverse this phobia. Does anyone else have any thoughts? Does anyone else have it?

Thanks

I think things like this can change. did something happen to you to change how you felt about confined spaces?

I've never been claustrophic and am also mid - late 30s. I had to sleep on a racing boat in a bunk that was basically like a wide coffin under the prow of the boat. Everything was fine and I fell asleep. I woke up in total panic in the middle of the night and had a massive urge about having to get off the boat. I ended up going up on deck and spent the rest of the night on the deck. After that it was suddenly in my mind that maybe I had a problem. Before the next time I flew, I went to the doctors and was prescribed some valium/tranquillizers just in case. In fact it was all OK and I ended up throwing them away. But the experience shook me up. I was very nervous flying for a long time afterwards and used to make myself think on the plane of "what if I want to get out" to test myself. It was like pressing on a bruise or some other weird sadist activity.

The shocking thing was that if you have never had an issue you think this is other people's problem and you are set for life. It's a shock to realise that actually you can develop phobias etc.

I think with stuff like this the earlier you catch it the better - so I'd go to your GP and look at having some referals to deal with this. There are lots of options I think - specific phobis treatments, hypnotherapy, desentitization etc etc. Just try different stuff.