Cleithrophobia - Fear of Being Locked in an Enclosed Space

Johnny Bitte

Cleithrophobia

Hi All,
After a year of therapy with a physiologist we have finally found the cause of my panic attacks over the past 10 years. For that length, every doctor or medical practitioner simply said "You get panic attacks" but I never knew why.

I had thought I suffered from a fear of travelling as relatives of mine were killed in a car accident a couple of months before my first attack.

But now I have come to realize that it stems from much farther back to when I was 7 and needed a medical procedure done. It required a nurse to hold me down and a doctor to stick a needle in my back. he messed it up twice which caused great pain.

Its a unbelievable feeling when all the pieces fall into place after so long.

So now that I have the source and a name for this, its down to fixing it.

While the therapy was great at discovering all this I don't think it will be able to help me deal with the 10 years of conditioning myself to be afraid.

I have had hypnotherapy before which work amazingly well but because I hadn't dealt with the underlying problems it stopped working.

I attended a few CBT sessions but to get to and from the sessions caused me great distress, so I think that nullified the treatment.

Has anyone heard of others who have this phobia or treatments I could try?

Really feel like this is the end of this torture.:)

rustopher

I think thats what i have... wont travel in buses planes etc. Have you found any help with that?

lukesmom

rustopher wrote: »

I think thats what i have... wont travel in buses planes etc. Have you found any help with that?

I have this but I was told its claustrophobia. Won't go in lifts ever. I take sedatives when flying. I'm told cbt can help.

maguic24

lukesmom wrote: »

I have this but I was told its claustrophobia. Won't go in lifts ever. I take sedatives when flying. I'm told cbt can help.

I can fly no problem, car, bus all fine but I am absolutely terrified of lifts. I get really panicky and terrified I'll get stuck in them. I also terrified of toilets with no windows. I'm terrified I will get locked in and won't be able to escape.......

It's really awful as the toilets in work have no windows and I have a mini heart attack every time I go to the toilet. I keep thinking, what if the lock breaks and no one finds me???

lukesmom

I've stopped locking doors in toilets as I panic too much.

beautyqueen

I had an awful experience where I was locked into an area in a building. I'm claustrophobic anyway and I completely panicked and caused myself a terrible and traumatic injury because I had to get out immediately. My advice is to keep your phone with you at all times, people will laugh at you when you say you have to bring your phone with you in case anything happens to you but it will give you reassurance.

maguic24

beautyqueen wrote: »

I had an awful experience where I was locked into an area in a building. I'm claustrophobic anyway and I completely panicked and caused myself a terrible and traumatic injury because I had to get out immediately. My advice is to keep your phone with you at all times, people will laugh at you when you say you have to bring your phone with you in case anything happens to you but it will give you reassurance.

I always bring my phone to the toilet with me, always. I don't know what I'd do if I got locked in. It's my biggest fear and sometimes I won't go if the toilet has a dodgy lock and no windows.