Claustrophobia is a fear of confined or enclosed spaces. According to the National Institutes of Health, roughly 12.5% of the population has claustrophobia. Research also shows that women are more likely to develop claustrophobia than men. Anyone who struggles with claustrophobia knows that the experience can be deeply unsettling as it is rooted in psychological and neurological processes that are very complex. Whether you are someone who suffers from claustrophobia or you are a loved one looking to support someone with it, understanding the brain’s response to claustrophobia is important.
At the heart of a panic-like reaction to a tight space (e.g., elevator, small rooms, crowded areas, etc.), the amygdala, a region of the brain responsible for processing fear, is involved. When you are in a tight space, the amygdala sends a signal out to prepare your body to prepare for the perceived threat or, in this case, the enclosed space. This triggers your fight-or-flight response where your body becomes prepared to either confront the threat (fight) or escape from it (flight). By knowing how the brain interprets and reacts to these claustrophobia triggers, you can understand the origins of claustrophobia and how you can treat it with a phobia therapist at Anchor Therapy.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, couples, and families with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
How do you know if you are claustrophobic?
Claustrophobia is a specific phobia characterized by a strong fear of confined or enclosed spaces. Depending on the person, the phobia can manifest in different ways. A common sign of claustrophobia is an overwhelming sense of fear or anxiety when you are in tight spaces.
Some examples of claustrophobia triggers are:
Elevators
Crowded public transport (Check out our blog “Navigating Train and Subway Anxiety: A Commuter’s Guide from Hoboken and Jersey City to New York City”)
Small rooms or spaces
Airplanes (Read our blog “8 Tips to Overcome Flight Anxiety”)
Crowded events or venues
MRI machines or other medical equipment
Tight clothing or accessories
Basements or attics
Cars in traffic
Escalators
Narrow hallways
Caves or tunnels
Tight sleeping conditions
And much more!
Claustrophobia is not just a fear of mild discomfort. Instead, it sprouts a deep-rooted sense of panic that things are and/or will become difficult to control. For instance, the mere thought of entering a crowded elevator and getting stuck can cause significant emotional distress, even if the setting of an elevator is not particularly dangerous in and of itself.
Since claustrophobia triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, many people with claustrophobia experience physical symptoms. Physical symptoms of claustrophobia can vary from mild to severe depending on one’s fear and the situation at hand.
When triggered, here are some common physical symptoms a person with claustrophobia may face:
Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
Sweating
Shortness of breath
Nausea or upset stomach
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Shaking or trembling
Chest tightness or pain
Feeling of choking or being smothered
Muscle tension
Dry mouth
Feeling faint or passing out
Hot flashes or chills
Tingling or numbness
If you are experiencing physical symptoms, our blog “3 Ways to Manage Your Physical Anxiety Symptoms” is a must-read.
These physical reactions are triggered by your brain’s perception of danger. This leads the body to prepare itself against a perceived threat. Also, claustrophobic people can experience panic attacks which are sudden, overwhelming periods of intense fear that can cause a range of physical symptoms (e.g., chest tightness, shortness of breath, etc.) and a sense of impending doom.
Panic attacks can be just as physical as they are psychological. Oftentimes, a panic attack will occur with no obvious trigger present.
Here are some key characteristics of a panic attack:
Chest pain or tightness
Rapid heart rate
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting
Sweating
Chills or hot flashes
Tingling or numbness
Shaking or trembling
Nausea or upset stomach
Feeling of choking or smothering
Fear of losing control or “going crazy”
Sense of impending doom or even death
Hot flashes or sweating
Difficulty thinking clearly or focused
A panic attack usually lasts a few minutes, but the symptoms of a panic attack may linger after the peak of the attack. Contrary to popular belief, panic attacks are not life-threatening but they can be frightening or disruptive to your life and daily routine. For support, read our blog “How To Manage A Panic Attack.”
The sensation of being trapped is a common fear for people with claustrophobia. Even when you are in a space that is physically space, such as driving through a tunnel, you still may have an intense fear of being unable to escape or having an exaggerated sense of helplessness.
For some people, claustrophobia can be triggered in crowded spaces since a lack of personal space can create feelings of confinement and anxiety. If you frequently experience claustrophobic symptoms that interfere with your daily life or well-being, you might be dealing with claustrophobia.
Does claustrophobia go away?
Like many other phobias, claustrophobia is unlikely to go away on its own. With the right form of therapy and coping strategies, claustrophobia can be managed and you can experience significant relief from your symptoms over time.
A common aspect of claustrophobia is often avoidance behaviors. If you are someone with claustrophobia, you may go out of your way to avoid situations that might trigger your fear. For example, you may take road trips to avoid airplane flights or take the stairs to avoid an elevator. When you avoid a situation, you may feel temporary relief. This may falsely cause you to believe that your claustrophobia is simply going away; however, when you are in a position where there is no opportunity for avoidance, your symptoms may flare up again. Remember that avoidance only reinforces your anxiety in the long-run, making it get more powerful.
Being avoidant can significantly limit your daily interactions, making your triggers feel overwhelming or even impossible to handle in the moment. Additionally, you likely have accompanying negative thoughts about potentially triggering situations. In other words, your thoughts may cause you to anticipate distress before it even happens. While these thoughts are irrational, they are rooted in your fear of being trapped or unable to escape.
Specific life events or life transitions can also influence the severity of your claustrophobia. For example, during a stressful period of your life or after a traumatic event involving confinement, your fear or symptoms may worsen. On the other hand, positive experiences or gradual exposure to your fear in a safe environment can help you release your claustrophobic symptoms over time.
Is agoraphobia the same as claustrophobia?
Agoraphobia and claustrophobia are not the same although they are both anxiety-related disorders that involve fear and potential avoidance behaviors. However, the triggers, nature of the fears, and impact it has on daily life are different.
Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is a specific phobia that is characterized by an intense fear of being in enclosed or small spaces where escape might feel difficult or impossible. The central fear of claustrophobia is feeling trapped or unable to get out of a confined space which leads to a sense of panic or suffocation.
This disorder specifically involves situations where you feel physically confined, such as small rooms or tunnels. The physical closeness and restricted ability to move causes anxiety.
Claustrophobia may also breed avoidance of enclosed spaces. If you are someone with claustrophobia, the biggest challenge is dealing with confined spaces in daily settings, such as avoiding elevators or crowded spaces. However, in other ways, your life may be relatively normal if your anxiety does not extend to open spaces.
The emotional response of claustrophobia is tied to the fear of physical confinement. When you are in a small, enclosed space, you likely feel trapped or helpless if you are claustrophobic. This can cause you to experience anxiety, panic, or even a sense of suffocation.
In the long run, claustrophobia may be seen as less severe since the fear is typically limited to specific situations or settings. With effective therapeutic treatment, you will find that your symptoms decrease significantly or disappear altogether.
Agoraphobia
On the other hand, agoraphobia is a broader anxiety disorder which involves a fear of situations or places where escape may be difficult and help may not be available if needed in case something goes wrong. These feared places can be large open spaces, crowded public areas, or situations where a person feels far from safety (e.g., public transportation, busy street, vacation destination, etc.). One of the underlying fears here is that a panic attack may occur or other symptoms of anxiety may arise, and the person with agoraphobia cannot escape or find help.
Agoraphobia is not necessarily about physical confinement but it is more so about being in a place where escape may be difficult or even feel impossible. This is often rooted in a fear of losing control or a fear of panic attacks. A person with agoraphobia may avoid leaving the house or feel unsafe in situations where they are far from home.
Some triggers for agoraphobia are as follows:
Social gatherings or parties
Elevated heights (e.g., tall buildings, bridges, etc.)
Driving or riding in a car
Busy streets or pedestrian areas
Elevators or small spaces
Being fear away from home
Wide open spaces (e.g., parks, fields, empty parking lots, etc.)
Crowded public spaces
Public transportation
Waiting in line
Small group interactions
Medical or health situations
Traveling or vacations
Public bathrooms
And more
When compared to claustrophobia, agoraphobia tends to have a wider, more debilitating impact on one’s daily life. A person with agoraphobia may start avoiding public spaces entirely or leaving their homes for an extended period of time due to a fear of having a panic attack in public. This can easily lead to social isolation and can severely limit one’s ability to work, engage in social interactions, or perform basic tasks, such as visiting their doctor for a check-up.
Agoraphobia is more generalized since the fear often revolves around having a panic attack in public or being in a place where help is not readily available in case something goes wrong. People with agoraphobia typically fear being far away from home or a place where they feel “safe.” Their anxiety is triggered by the possibility of losing control and being unable to escape a situation if they feel overwhelmed. To learn more information, check out our blog “Why Do I Have Control Issues?”.
Agoraphobia is more pervasive and has a greater long-term impact than claustrophobia. If agoraphobia is left untreated, chronic avoidance behavior and severe limitations in daily life can occur. With the right form of mental health treatment, you can learn to regain control of your life and diminish your agoraphobia-related symptoms.
What is the first line of treatment for claustrophobia?
While living with claustrophobia can be a struggle, the good news is that it can be treated by extremely effective types of therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is widely regarded as one of the most effective treatments of claustrophobia. CBT will help you identify, challenge, and change unhelpful thoughts, emotions, and behaviors related to your fear of enclosed spaces. Specifically, you will learn to balance your irrational thoughts about small and/or enclosed spaces with more balanced, realistic ones.
For example, let us say that someone fears getting stuck in an elevator. This person may say “If I get stuck in an elevator, I will panic, run out of air, and die.” To challenge this thought, your CBT therapist for claustrophobia will ask you questions and/or make comments to examine the likelihood of your fear happening. So, in this case scenario, a CBT therapist may walk you through different cases. How often do elevators get stuck? Not very often. If it does get stuck, am I really in danger? Elevators are made to be safe even when they are not moving. What happens when an elevator does get stuck? An emergency system will be active and help is on the way. With CBT for claustrophobia, you can create a more balanced thought, such as “If the elevator gets stuck, it is not dangerous. The elevator has ventilation systems in place and I will have plenty of air. I can rest assured that help is on the way.”
A subtype of CBT is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy. This involves systematically confronting your feared situation in a safe and controlled way. While this may sound scary or overwhelming at first, it is done in a specific order. Your exposure therapist will walk you through structured steps to help desensitize you to your fear(s).
Here are some steps of exposure therapy for claustrophobia:
Imaginal exposure: Simply thinking about being in a confined space.
Photo/video exposure: You may view photos and videos of confined spaces (e.g., elevators, MRI machines, etc.).
In vivo exposure: In this final step, you will directly experience the feared situation. You will start with less intense scenarios (e.g., stepping into an elevator and getting off without taking a ride) and progressing to more challenging ones (e.g., taking a full elevator ride).
For more information, read our blog “Is There A Way To Overcome Claustrophobia?”.
All in all, claustrophobia can feel overwhelming but you are not alone. Understanding how your brain responds to fear is the first step in taking control of your fears. By recognizing the patterns of thought and behavior and working with a claustrophobia therapist, you can break free from the grip of claustrophobia!
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager, Intake Coordinator, and Community Engagement Director at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark and is currently studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the graduate level. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media/community presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
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