Claustrophobia is an anxiety disorder with symptoms including sweating, increased heart rate, shaking, fainting, nausea and hyperventilation prompted by the individual's intense fear of enclosed spaces. Anxiety disorders such as claustrophobia are thought to be the result of a combination of genetic factors and external triggers. Those with claustrophobia are not doomed to a life of irrational fear. Treatments exist that can effectively eliminate claustrophobia.
Exposure Therapy
Prolonged exposure to the setting that induces anxiety is sometimes effective in eliminating a phobia. Persons suffering from claustrophobia may be able to overcome their fears through repeated exposure to confined spaces. Those who endure such episodes of confronting their fears without experiencing any damaging results often come to realize the unfounded nature of their anxiety, according to Dr. Michael Telch of the Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders at the University of Texas at Austin.
Counter-Conditioning
A person's claustrophobia may be too intense to endure sudden exposure. In such cases, an alternate therapy called counter-conditioning may be appropriate. Relaxation and visualization techniques combine to ease the individual's apprehension when experiencing a particular phobia trigger. While concentrating on being physically and mentally relaxed, the patient is gradually introduced to smaller confined spaces. Better Health Channel explains that eventually, through a process called systemic desensitization, the patient can experience such environments without suffering from anxiety.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
The Langone Medical Center at New York University espouses cognitive-behavioral therapy as a method for treating claustrophobia. This form of therapy involves coaching by a therapist, who trains patients in methods of controlling thoughts that arise when phobias overwhelm them. By maintaining control over their thoughts, patients are better able to deal with their reactions to a phobia-inducing situation.
Medication
Medications may help a patient deal with the effects of claustrophobia, but this type of treatment will not help to eliminate the problem. Still, in situations where mere symptomatic relief is desirable, the mental panic and visceral discomfort of claustrophobia may be relieved through the use of prescribed antidepressants or antianxiety medications. Beta-blockers are prescription medications that may be used to address cardiac symptoms related to phobias.
