The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

Overcoming claustrophobia - help needed please!

Please share your stories of claustrophobia and what has helped you deal with it the most. I am 16 and have been claustrophobic since an incident when I was 9. I really need to do something about it now because it is making me miss out on opportunities. Although I think I will find it hard I am now considering seeing some sort of psychiatrist because trying to face my fear hasn't been working brilliantly.

Thanks for any advice

P.S Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, I started off posting it in Mental Health but got no responses !!
Original post by Kelly95
Please share your stories of claustrophobia and what has helped you deal with it the most. I am 16 and have been claustrophobic since an incident when I was 9. I really need to do something about it now because it is making me miss out on opportunities. Although I think I will find it hard I am now considering seeing some sort of psychiatrist because trying to face my fear hasn't been working brilliantly.

Thanks for any advice

P.S Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, I started off posting it in Mental Health but got no responses !!

In my opinion your fear is very rational if you've developed it from trauma.

I was in my garden a few minutes ago and it was almost pitch black. The wind was shaking the bushes and I felt a tingle in my spine. I came back inside because of the fear that "something was out there".

My point is that without fear you are extremely vulnerable. So you need to use it to your advantage. Perhaps you should spend your time avoiding claustrophobic situations rather than overcoming your fear? Build your life around it and look on the bright side of things you now consider tedious (eg: taking the stairs instead of a lift'll give you a great ass, not going clubbing saves you a load of money etc)

EDIT: I saw 95 in your name after writing this and was sickened with myself for the ass comment...but you're 16 :lolwut:...holy **** i'm aging fast
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 2
Avatar for Mephestic
Mephestic
9
CBT may help I guess - perhaps replacing the thoughts that encourage your claustrophobia with more positive ones that may help you change your way of thinking.

Think rationally, logically, empirically and pragmatically - how is such a fear helping you? is it? What evidence is there to suggest this fear is going to come true ? does your fear "make sense" ?

Slowly building confidence by exposing yourself to your fear could help also I imagine in stages.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you