Photo from: https://phobia.wikia.org/wiki/Claustrophobia
Though I do not experience it myself, claustrophobia is a fear that I have seen present in many peers as well as in the media. Claustrophobia, or the fear of tight and crowded spaces, is one of the most common phobias, and it can be triggered by a wide variety of scenarios. Some examples of these triggering situations can include riding on a crowded elevator, driving through heavy traffic, being in a windowless room, or even riding on an airplane. Any situation where the possibility of being permanently trapped or forced to remain inside arises, there is a chance that a person with claustrophobia could face the negative symptoms associated with the fear. For most patients, this is attributed to the fear of not being able to obtain the needed amount of oxygen to breathe, rather than simply being afraid of a small space. The confined space is normally just a trigger to induce a fear of what could possibly occur within that small area. Of course, it depends on the person to determine what a “small space” is, depending on the severity of the phobia.
The symptoms of claustrophobia are quite similar to what a panic attack would feel like. These can include sweating, shaking, chest tightness, nausea, intense anxiety, hyperventilation, or even feeling disoriented. As a result of these quite debilitating feelings, many people who experience claustrophobia take preventative measures to avoid fear-inducing situations, like opting to take the stairs rather than an elevator, or standing near the exits in crowded rooms. Granted, claustrophobia is a fear that is very dependent on the defined “personal space” of the person. Say that a man’s “personal space” bubble is eight feet around him. If another person happened to be standing six feet away, he could begin to panic. Therefore, it is hard to discern a general rule of thumb for how claustrophobia can affect different patients.
Now, where does claustrophobia originate from, and how does a person acquire such a fear? The general consensus is a fear of not having enough oxygen, as mentioned before, but if this is an innate human concern, why does it not affect everyone? Many subjects of claustrophobia trace the fear back to traumatic events in their past. Some examples of such can include being trapped in a closet for an extended period, being abused/bullied, or even being stuck on a crowded subway. However, another common theory as to why some people become claustrophobic is because they see their loved ones experience it. If, as a child, someone sees their mom experience symptoms of claustrophobia in a small space, they might associate fear with those types of situations. It is almost like a type of classical conditioning in this way. Perhaps then, this creates a theory that fears like claustrophobia are simply passed on between generations because we see adults act in fear, so we associate those negative emotions and carry on the phobia!
Claustrophobia is very common, yet it varies significantly from patient to patient. The phobia is treatable with psychotherapy, though many people outgrow it as they grow older.
It is important to recognize the fear in your family and friends and take action to avoid putting them in situations where symptoms of the phobia can arise!
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Claustrophobia is definitely common as I have quite a few friends that have it. I agree that it probably came from personal experiences. Personally, small spaces don’t make me panic, but they are annoying to deal with in most cases.
I think it’s interesting that the definition of “personal space” can very from person to person, so that even if two people both have claustrophobia, they might be impacted entirely differently by the same situation based on how they consider their personal space. I never knew how claustrophobia could originate, but it makes total sense that it would tend to have more personal origins, since some people are significantly more impacted by the fear than others.
I am very interested in how claustrophobia develops. I know some people that have claustrophobia, but do not know how it developed. They don’t have affected family members, and they do not remember an event that caused it. Perhaps some event did occur, and they subconsciously became claustrophobic? Interesting post!
It is crazy to think that this phobia occurs to most. I don’t think I have this phobia myself but I do know people that do. They always explain to me how they feel and you were pretty spot on. The whole idea behind it is very interesting, I definitely can understand why someone would feel that way. I am glad that I don’t know the feeling .