[TOPIC] Claustrophobia

My claustrophobia is quite mild, and causes anxiety rather than panic, but I'll answer your questions from my perspective. As for the level of enclosure - underground trains are fine when they're empty. Any form of transport is somewhat distressing when its packed.

I definitely have a problem with crowds if they restrict my movement. I can't move. I feel trapped. I want to push people away or yell at them to move out of the way, but you can't do that (just for social reasons. You don't push people out of the way in public). I can still function but I have an overwhelming urge to escape.

No rational reason. No trauma or anything.

Since it's mild it doesn't really cause problems. I'll turn down any invitation to go potholing if it's ever offered. I do wait people have started leaving a plane or a train before getting out of my seat if possible. I'll always go to the end carriages on the London Underground because they're less packed, and will often wait for the next one if the current one is too full. If I have to I can cope with it. I just try to avoid situations where I'm in an enclosed space.

It begins with the realisation. Your first thought is that you should move, but everything suddenly goes out of focus and you start to feel dizzy; you won't be able to move now. Breathing starts getting harder and you have to sit down because you'd collapse otherwise.

Yes, it can. Any small space would set it off, but I personally feel better in a smaller, empty room than a larger, busy room. It's probably because of moving room - a smaller but empty room has more room to move than a larger but crowded room.

I never learnt to drive because I can't stand being in cars; in circumstances where I have to be in a car, I close my eyes. I also have to be careful with places I choose to holiday in - hotel rooms need higher ceilings. I never went to leavers' balls because I couldn't stand to be a room that busy. Emotionally, I feel like an idiot when it starts to come on and friends have to lead me out. I feel an idiot because I know there's nothing to harm me ... and yet I can't stop it.

There's always reason - you just might not know it. It's theorised that my claustrophobia started because my childhood house had large rooms with open plans. By the time I first encountered constricted places, I was too old to realistically get used to them.

I don't trust psychiatrists and therapists, so I've never had 'professional' treatment. When I'm in a situation in a small space, I either leave immediately (obviously, this is infinitely preferable) or, in the event it comes on too strongly before I can leave or I can't leave at the moment, I close my eyes. Imagine myself in the middle of a wide, open space. If I can potentially leave, I open them when I feel calmer and leave quickly, before it comes on again. If I can't leave right then, I keep them closed.

I hope you found some of that helpful - I'm just sorry it's all so difficult to really work into a character.
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I have mild claustrophobia.

When it starts setting in, I just feel the need to move around, but it feels like I just CAN'T, or I have to take a deep breath but my lungs won't fill all the way. It normally starts in my toes. My feet start to feel really trapped first and sometimes if I can just take off my shoes, I'll be fine. But sometimes when it's worse, my clothes feel like they're binding me and I just need to go take a cold shower to get me to cool down and to get my clothes far away from me.

Only sometimes does being around crowds bother me, but I'm not very fond of being in social situations, so I always just chocked it up to that. Sometimes it just starts off if I feel like I can't move my toes, and then I'll have to take off my shoes, like I mentioned up there. Other times it's just if there's something over my face like a blanket or my sweatshirt while I'm pulling it on. What really gets me though, is when people do the whole I'll-cover-your-mouth-to-shut-you-up thing. My friend did that to me all the time and I would panic. I'd punch, kick, claw until they'd let me go. Argh.
So basically it's the close contact stuff that gets to me, more than crowds.

As far as I know, there's nothing that started it. It just...was.

Other than stripping (that sounds kind of bad...ha), I just try to breathe to deal with it, reminding myself that I CAN breathe. I just need to keep telling myself to breathe slowly and deeply, and I'll be fine.

It was a lot worse when I was little. If anything heavier than a blanket was on top of me, I'd panic. But it's not nearly as bad anymore.

Sorry if that was really disorganized. o_o I hope it helps. Good luck. :D

These are all very helpful--thanks! And I welcome more input as well.

I'm kind of curious if anyone knows, or can guess, what might happen if they couldn't escape the situation? Breakdown, passing out, or just a continued panicked feeling?

(Of note, my apologies if this is uncomfortable to talk about--I certainly don't mean to bring that on or make anyone feel they're being judged!)

I am happy to see that you are doing your research before writing about this : )

I have some anxiety which I am able to deal with but does cause a hinderance in my life.

I suggest you go to my website where I do talk about it: www.glamoroushousewife.com

I also suggest this book: Hope and Help for your Nerves by Claire Weekes (http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Help-Your-Nerves-Signet/dp/0451167228) or just go check it out at your local library. Its a very helpful book for those who want help with this or who just want to know more about it.

This can be different for everyone.

For me my anxiety can come up for all kinds of reasons. But since you are talking about claustrophobia I will tell you about that.

I only deal with this is I am in a place that there is no escape or difficult to escape. Like at church, in an elevator, in just a crowd, a party, the movies or even sometime a car.

If I go somewhere with stadium seating I have (HAVE) to sit on the very outside or aisle seat near a door or place to exit. If I can't do this I probably won't stick around for the event. Not even a couple seats down from the aisle will do.

In a crowd or at a party I just feel like everyone is in my space.

And in a car I always need an escape route. Like I usually drive on the right hand side so I can easily pull off the road into a parking lot if I need to. And I won't go on the freeway because usually there are too many cars and it makes it hard to escape and get off of it. I am not afraid of driving or being in a car. I just need to know that I can get out if needed. And, traffic jams are the worst!

It will make me feel like I can't breath. I have had a time where I couldn't catch my breath and almost hypervinilated. I will get really hot, dizzy, and even like I may faint or pass out.

It can happen because you are focused on it or when you are not even thinking about it.

It also causes problem when having to wait in a line or at the doctor office. I hate waiting because I sit there and think about my anxiety. If I feel my anxiety rise I will usually get up and pace back and forth.

Most of anxiety comes from the fear of the event happening again.

Getting over this isn't an easy thing to do. It takes ALOT of practice.

It takes deep breathing because I will usually hold my breath when I get nervous which causes the symtoms to be worse. I have to tell myself that it is just a feeling but I am really okay. I always realize that I have gotten through it before and will get through it this time.

Some people use medicine to help them or go to therapy.

I think that working this into a character would be a great thing for your story. The only thing is that people who deal with this often feel like the are crazy or that others think they are crazy so you have to do it in a way that is different from that. People who deal with this are just regular people who have to go through life dealing with this.

I would suggest showing this instead so much of talking about it.

Something like this:

Abby just wanted to get this job interview done with quickly. She paced back and forth in the living room because she felt too nervous to sit down. They called her back in the room and she suddenly felt like she was having a heat stroke. She shook her future bosses hand hoping he wouldn't notice the sweat that covered it. When she sat down in the little office she suddenly wished the door was open so more air could flow through the room. Her heart pounded like a race horse and she thought that she might be having a heart attack. She answered all the questions as fast as she could and hoped the boss was happy with the response. When they were done with the interview she was very happy and felt relieved to leave the little room.

-- You can also always email me and ask me any more questions that you may have : )

I myself don't suffer from it but, my friend has a fear of crowds.. well, kind of. See, she doesn't mind concerts, moshes, or any actively busy crowd. Once though she, I, and maybe 10 other people were standing in a narrow hallway waiting for a door to open and she had to get out cause she freaked out by people being around her. It was the uncomfortableness of other people just standing around her that got to her more than the people, who she all knew very well, themselves. Even sitting to close to her makes her antsy, but she is the last person to object to sitting/lying on top of you.. odd girl really. I guess for her its more proximity and setting more than anything else.

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Another year, another 30 days to attempt to put 50,000 words together..
what are we thinking?

Oh, right. We're writers; we're insane!

I get really panicky. I start feeling overwhelmed. My heart starts racing and my brain starts screaming that I have to get out. My hands and legs start shaking. I'm not sure if they're connected, but I really dislike crowds. There are just too many people and too much noise. I don't think it has really interfered too much with my daily life. I just don't get into an elevator with more than four people.

For me, it's always been cause by a fear that I won't be able to escape or fight if something happens. I don't like it when people get really close to me, but that doesn't bother me as much as elevators or having my arms and/or legs restrained. That last one is the worst. The panic takes over and I can't even calm myself down until I can move my arms and legs again. Even if it's only like a three-legged race or something. Once the tie is on, I start trying to jerk my leg away. I just can't take it! With small sapces, its once I comprehend that I have to go through a small space or get into an enclosed area that I start panicking. Part of me knows that it's just for a minute or that it'll be over quickly, but that doesn't stop the panic. I think that's the worst part of claustrophobia. The panic makes it hard to breathe and the adrenaline starts pumping, so you have to do something (which is usually pacing). Sometimes, just thinking about being in a small space will set it off. Just now, I had to get up and walk around the room for a few minutes before I could keep writing!

I have to keep telling myself to breathe. Sometimes I pace, sometimes I start moving my legs back and forth (kind of like walking in place) just to remind myself that I can still move. Usually, it takes me 10-15 minutes of slow breathing and pacing to calm down.

If I can't get out, I usually break down! Sometimes though, it helps to try and focus on something else. It's extremely hard to push past the panic and fear. I hope some of this helps!

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http://uhurufreedom.wordpress.com

Thanks for the further replies!

I wanted the MC to have something that would be a definite hindrance on her, but not something that would come up necessarily every single day or hour or whatever--or something that's easily corrected by, say, medicine and she's just choosing to ignore that.

These responses are wicked helpful, the details are great!

Is it possible to aquire claustrophobia? Like, if a character were seventeen years old and had never had an issue with small spaces before is it possible to suddenly panic in a confined space?
And is it possible to have just an isolated fear, in the story, the character's sister will take her into a space between the walls of her house. It is very dark and the only way to move is sliding left or right or bracing yourself between the walls and climbing. Is it reasonable that she would start to freak out have to get out, then only have it happen again if she went back in that particular spot?

I wasn't claustrophobic as a child, it developed when I was 10 years old and I ended up shut in a car boot. Since that time I've been afraid of closed rooms, tiny places and crowded places.

It can cause you quite a few problems in your everyday life. Sometimes I'm late for school, because when the tram or bus is crowded, something in my mind suddenly tells me to panick and I have to get off it immediately, and of course it takes a while to walk to school. Or for example I can't use the lifts. I never lock the doors when I'm home, I never lock myself in the bathroom. I'm afraid even when I pull the blanket over my head.

Once I got stuck in our school's toilets (there's this stupid door which sometimes blocks). I was panicking for quite a while, because there was nobody who could hear me as it was quite late. Finally I started to think again and got out through the window. So you can fight it over when you need, but usually the panic is really big.

I think for a story its good to have a reason -- but not necessarily to reveal that to the reader

for example, my mum never had claustrophobia - until a wartime incident

she was a naval officer on a base durign the war and it was bombed.

many people buried under rubble

she and hte person working next to her that night were together -- my mum had a concrete beam acorss her neck so couldn't speak

her workmate was rescued, and my mum heard her tell rescuers there was no one else down there!

she heard ther ecuers going away

she was alone int he dark unable to speak for 12 hours

that night, one of the guard dogs refused ot leave the rubble and she was found

turns out the workmate was courtmartialled and dishonourably discharged -- she knew my mum was down there but didn't like her so told people no one was left KNOWING my mum was there

anyhow-- good story -- and left my mum with a fear of closed spaces -- esepcailly ones that oculd go wrong -- eg elevators...

AND panic whenever anything pressed across her neck (tight sweaters, scarves pulled tight etc)

CJ

I think for a story its good to have a reason -- but not necessarily to reveal that to the reader

for example, my mum never had claustrophobia - until a wartime incident

she was a naval officer on a base durign the war and it was bombed.

many people buried under rubble

she and hte person working next to her that night were together -- my mum had a concrete beam acorss her neck so couldn't speak

her workmate was rescued, and my mum heard her tell rescuers there was no one else down there!

she heard ther ecuers going away

she was alone int he dark unable to speak for 12 hours

that night, one of the guard dogs refused ot leave the rubble and she was found

turns out the workmate was courtmartialled and dishonourably discharged -- she knew my mum was down there but didn't like her so told people no one was left KNOWING my mum was there

anyhow-- good story -- and left my mum with a fear of closed spaces -- esepcailly ones that oculd go wrong -- eg elevators...

AND panic whenever anything pressed across her neck (tight sweaters, scarves pulled tight etc)

CJ

For me (I am claustrophobic) if I know that I am going to have to be in a small place I can worry about it for days and talk myself out of it., For example when I was younger and in year 6, about 11 years old, my school began to go on lots of trips at the end of the year that involved going on the tube. This sprung hundreds of different sinarios in my mind and I talked myself out of it. As a consequence I missed an apparently amazing trip, which my friends still talk about four years on. I also stopped doing cross country because it involved either going by train or being on a coach with lots of other people. Although coaches are quite big, the fact that i only have a tiny seat, one exit and lots of buzzing people around me makes me panic and go almost silent panicking on entire journeys.

This is how I experience claustrophobia:
I start to panic and can no longer breath correctly. It ia quite a similar to azthma, I try to breath and this panics me more. I get a tight knot feeling my throat and struggle for air. My breathing is either incredibly fast or too slow, which panics me more. I usually am worse thinking about it, for example right now Im actually struggling to breath normally even thinking about a tight space.

Its a pain really. When Im out with my mum and grandmother its quite hard because she is disabled and I cant get in a lift. This means that my mum will shout at me and drag me in (if Ive moaned about it for days before, which I tend to do), or she and I will take ten flights of stairs, which is an extra hassle for her. Shopping trips are spoiled because my mum will not go up the stairs once she has bags so I will have to take the lift back to the car park, meaning that Im anxious all the time. Another problem for me is that i have a school trip soon that involves going through tunnels on your hands and knees. This is not possible for me and I am told that the teachers way (which they have tried before) to get you to do things is to say, "Go on try it, dont be a baby". I had the same experience with my fear of heights when I had to do rock climbing up a considerable distance, although the feeling is not as bad and I am still able to breath, depending on the situation.

People dont tend to understand and think of it as irrational however its incredibly hard and scary when you are unable to breath and people around you dont understand why.

Yes it is, I only really developed claustrophobia when I was about 9. This was because I was smarter and began to realise dangers in things, unlike when I was younger and would do almost anything without a second thought. Im not sure though if she would be able to somehow switch it off until shes in that space again, unless everywhere else in her life is incredibly spacious and open all the time :)

I am very mildly claustrophobic. Msot of the time I don't let it get to me and just force myself through situations that make me feel uncomfortable. I noticed it most distinctly this past summer. I was working at a battery manufacturing plant as a painter and for about a week we had an inside job in the smelter, where they break down the old batteries to be recycled. We were power-washing a wall and because of the possibility of disturbing lead dust and having acid mixed with the water wore respirators, rain coats, hard hats, ear plugs, and safety glasses (always a requirement). I was mostly there to keep the water from going in the wrong direction and make sure my co-worker was safe so didn't have a lot else to think about apart from the fact I felt really trapped in all the gear. Felt like I couldn't breathe right, had to remind myself to calm down and just breathe normally.

I had asthma as a kid so any situation where I can't take full, deep breaths bothers me. Even when it's something like soemone tickling me hard.

This may or may not help your topic, but anyway:

I have Claustrophobia. However, it's only a mild case. I'm completely fine with being on buses, in small rooms, with a large crowd of people, etc. What I'm really bothered by is a bit comical, and it might help with your want for 'day-to-day' Claustrophobia.

I cannot stand being trapped under blankets. They're nice and warm, cuddly, etc... but when I feel my feet being caught up too tight, I flip out from Claustrophobia. When that happens, I will start breathing heavily, and when I was younger, I'd start crying because I couldn't move my feet. Usually it was just one of my siblings sitting on my legs or holding down the covers, so if I pushed them off, I'd be better and could immediately calm down, but other times, when my feet were actually caught and I couldn't find a way to fix the problem, I'd just sit there struggling and eventually get to the point where I wanted to die or at least hold my breath until the problem subsided.

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to get loose. Imagine waking up to find yourself caught in a cocoon; that's the easiest way to think about it. Because of that, I have a fear of being in sleeping bags.

Very rarely, because I am a bit Claustrophobic, I will get nervous in large crowds of people, but only in extreme situations in which there are people all around me. When that happens, usually it calms me to be against a wall. I guess being against the wall lets me know that there at least aren't people behind me, so...

I'm not too sure how my fear developed. I guess it's just something you feel uncomfortable with, and, for, me, that happened to be being smothered by cloth. Haha...

My claustrophobia is not extreme at all. I only get claustrophobic if something is restricting my movement. If I'm in a space that's too small for me to stretch out/stand up in, I start getting nervous. I feel this extreme urge to stretch out/stand up, and I try every possible way. I may start breathing in and out slowly with biiig breaths in an effort to calm myself down, or cry, but more likely I'll just push out of whatever is causing the restriction.

For example, while I was getting my lifeguard certification, I had to pretend to have a spine injury and be strapped to a backboard. Once they started strapping the straps and putting the head immobilizer and cervical collar on, I wanted OUT. I mean, I really wanted out. I gritted my teeth and bore it, but I was unclipping those straps as fast as possible and the next time I had to be the victim, I made them leave off the cervical collar. I also felt nervous when I had to be a passive victim on the bottom and my friend John had to bring me up with my upper arms pressed to my ears in a sort of natural splint. I was fine until he had me against his neck and shoulder in that head splint and I couldn't move for myself, I had to let him bring me up. *shiver*

Now, if it's really dark and I'm in a small space, even if I can move and stretch, that's scary. Fear of the dark and mild claustrophobia combine and I just want to get out as fast as possible. I might start shaking or feeling cold/hot, but it's not that bad.

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NaNo 2007: Discovering Destiny- WINNER! (50,200k)
NaNo 2008: Raven Band (current title)- WINNER! (50,123k)
Screnzy 2009: Water of Gold

Hello. I'm new here and I found this topic while searching on google for what claustrophobia feels like. While all this info is very useful to me My personal character's situation is nothing short of stress causing for even non claustrophic people. Here are some details:

The heroine and three others, two boys and one other girl are in a laboratory. They need to escape. The laboratory is fourlevels underground and all the scientists have been killed (boy #1)before you all were woken up. In about ten minutes an army of elete magic (xell) using soldiers and high tech "knights" are to come down and either kill or recapture you. The non main female is an assassin who knows a way to get out. This way includes going throuh a two foot tall by three foot wide air vent build into the rock. As a commanding biotch she is threatening to kill off anyone who interferes with her while rescuing the group and herself.

What im wondering is what, in the life or death plus added pressure situation, would a *normal* teenage girl do if suddenly thrown into this confusing no nonsense world? How would she get through the narrow tunnels and into the promised cavern "big enough to sit comfortably in" as said by the assassin.

*sweatdrop* if you need more info just ask. I'm just stuck on this upcoming part.

Oh! and tunnels and air duct are dark. That never helps. The heroine is an etreme case claustrophobic, or something close.

I apologize if this is out of place...As said previously I am new here.

Hmm, I'm pretty sure that I, with my extremely mild claustrophobia, would die in that situation. Tunnels freak me out. Air vents would kill me. Just thinking about it frightens me.

I imagine a blindfold would be needed. XD

I think that if I was in that situation, I would feel slightly better if I didn't know where I was going.
Perhaps the assassin says that they're going somewhere and to avoid being spotted, they need to crawl. As long as it's dark and the claustrophobic girl doesn't feel how close the walls are, she'd be okay.
And maybe she brushes against the walls and realizes how confined she is. Then she flips out just before they reach the promised cavern?

Hah, sorry, I completely just imagined that scene in my mind.

Ah, thank you. But the "knights" are her other fear. They are like suits of armor controlled by magic, but cooler They are sent out to control the city of Xellion by the corrupt king. And there is no way she's not going to know its an air vent. It sort of a simbolic thing. Either direction she heads (to fight the knights and soldiers or to crawl through the tunnels) is her fighting her fears. You see, she is also afraid of the knights. Before the year long "blackout" where they ended up in the laboratory, her brother was killed by a knight right in front of her. Her father and then eventually her father were taken away as well. She knows almost for certain they were killed too. So of course she has conflict. Its all symbolic for later in the story and i can't have her get over the knights too quickly so that option is not available. plus she wouldn't be strong enough at this point in the story. She HAS to go through the tunnel. its either that or she refused so adamantly that the assassin chick knocks her out and draggs her through unconcious....but thats never any fun.

*covers face* i feel like im revealing so much of my story. I really want the right info for my novel though....

I'm not really claustrophobic, but my mother and a close friend are, and I can say that it's terrible to be with them when they have an 'attack'. I've noticed that they two of them get very aggressive, and aren't exactly afraid to bowl people over trying to get out of wherever they are.

My mother for example, can't even have the car windows all the way up, because she feels that she's being 'closed' in. She usually tries to avoid cramped spaces whenever possible (like, she always takes the escalators or stairs as opposed to a lift).

My friend has been on a crowded bus, had someone sit next to him, and sort of nearly knocked this poor girl out trying to get off the bus, because he felt trapped. I myself have panic attacks on occasion, and the way they explain it to me, it sounds similar. They sort of get this tight feeling in their chest, and its nearly impossible for them to think straight/logically.

Ugh, that kinda didn't make sense, but I hope it helps :)

Yes actuiaaly it did a little. The aggressive little snap gave me a little bit of an idea. Hopefully I'll dream about it tonight and figure out how to use it. Thatkies. Anymore inpute? And overdose of information is much better then a lacking of it. Don't hold back!

I'm only mildly claustophobic, and it doesn't induce total panic or anything. The worst place for me is... *shudder*... lifts. Or elevators. Use any name you want, they SUCK. Not only am I trapped in a small place, often packed with other people, but it's moving. I can't stop thinking about how I'm in a little smashable box suspended by, in my often-freaked-out state, fragile-looking cables in a long vertical corridor, and how often the doors - my only exit - are actually against a wall while the lift travels... UGH. UGH.

It's not exactly panic. It's more like I'm leading up to it and if I don't calm myself down and regulate my breathing I might end up panicking. I was staying in a hotel on the 9th floor once; my family used the lift, but I hauled myself up and down the stairs each way instead. They were the worst lifts ever because they rattled and would pause unpleasantly before opening the doors. Mainly, my problem is that I feel trapped and like I couldn't get out if I needed to.

If it's crowded it's actually not so bad... like if the lift broke down and froze, I'd feel better being with other people than being by myself. But leaving the topic of lifts, I don't like crowds elsewhere, especially because it gets hard to breathe with everyone packed in.

Lack of good air quality or escape routes is what makes me panic. Which is why I also hate flying. ;_; It might be a big space, but I couldn't get out if I wanted to, and the air is just sealed in with us. Again, "ugh".

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I use the word "lame" a lot whenever I refer to my creative works
Finally, I'm a true fantasy writer! I have a name with an apostrophe in it!

I have a very mild form of claustrophobia, but it still affects me. I really first noticed it when I was about 11 or 12 and I was playing Sardines (much like a reverse version of hide-and-seek) with a large group of kids from my friend's church. The original person hid under the stairwell, so we all crowded under there. I was towards the center, and about two or three minutes later, I panicked and clawed my way out. I hate crowds, so school can be difficult. Whenever there are large crowds that are moving slow, I try to push (or weave, considering I'm small) my way through and get to where I'm going as fast as I can.

One time I can remember specifically is probably what set it off in the first place. When I was little, maybe 3 or 4, I was playing hide-and-seek with my cousin and my sister. My sister took my usual hiding spot, so I hid in the toybox, which is basically just a wooden box. My cousin found Erin first and she knew where I was. She told him and he came over and sat on the toybox, trapping me inside for a good ten minutes. I freaked out and haven't really been able tolerate small spaces since.

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