Claustrophobia

 
Claustrophobia is the fear of enclosed places.

Claustrophobia is fear of not having an easy escape route.

It is a type of anxiety which often leads to panic attack.

Causes 

Traumatic childhood experience (such as being trapped in a  small space during a childhood game)
Unpleasant experiences(such as being stuck in an elevator)

Symptoms

Fear of restriction
Fear of suffocation
Removes clothing during attacks
Sweating
Increased heartbeat
Nausea
Fainting
Light-headedness
Shaking
Hyperventilation
A fear of actual imminent physical harm


Claustrophobics dislikes small rooms,locked rooms,cars, tunnels, cellars, elevators,subway trains,aeroplanes,caves ,crowded area,sitting in a barberís chair or waiting in line at a grocery store,undergoing mri or cat scan,simply out of a fear of confinement to a single space.

They are not afraid of these areas but,they fear what could happen to them should they become confined to an area.When confined to an area,they begin to feel suffocated,thinking that there may be a lack of air in the area to which they are confined.

Tips to identify claustrophobics   

When inside a room - the individual will look for an exit   (ex.from movie theatre)
When inside a car - the individual will avoid driving on  the highway or major roads where there is heavy traffic
When inside a building - the individual will avoid taking elevators
When at a party - the individual will stand near a door


In extreme cases, the very sight of a closed door can lead to feelings of anxiety in the individual.

Claustrophobia can have crippling social and psychological effects since the patient will often avoid situations in which she thinks she will have an anxiety attack,leading to isolation and depression.

How is Claustrophobia Diagnosed?

Claustrophobia would be diagnosed as a result of seeing a psychologist. The patient may be seeing the psychologist because they suffer the symptoms of claustrophobia, or they could be originally seeing them about another anxiety problem or phobia.

The psychologist would ask for a description of the symptoms and what triggers them. Using their knowledge and resources, the psychologist would then determine the type and severity of the patient's phobia.

There are methods put in place to help decide if the patient is suffering claustrophobia and to what extent. These methods are:

• Claustrophobia questionnaire - Originally developed in 1993 and modified in 2001 this has been a helpful way of identifying the symptoms of claustrophobia.
• Claustrophobia Scale - Developed in 1979, this method is made up of 20 questions that when answered can help establish the levels of anxiety when diagnosing the claustrophobia.

How is Claustrophobia Treated?

After diagnosis has been made, the psychologist would try one or a few of the following methods to help the claustrophobic deal with their fear:

• CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) - This is a well recognized treatment method for many other types of anxiety disorder. The goal of CBT is to retrain the claustrophobic's brain to no longer feel threatened by the places they fear. An approach taken may be slowly exposing the patient to small spaces and helping them deal with their fear and anxiety (in vivo exposure). This is the most common way claustrophobia is treated.
• Drug Therapy - This type of therapy can help manage the anxiety symptoms, however it does not deal with the problem itself. This along with the undesired side effects makes this method far from first choice for treating claustrophobia.
• Relaxation Exercises - Taking deep breaths, meditating and doing muscle relaxing exercises are effective at dealing with negative thoughts and anxiety.
• Alternative/Natural medicine - There are some natural products and homeopathic medicines that some patients say help them manage panic and anxiety 

Reference: http://www.drmanoj.com/article.php?id=39
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37062.php