What is the Difference Between Fear and Anxiety?

There’s a distinct, key difference between fear and anxiety. Fear results from a clear and present danger, while anxiety results from the anticipation of an unspecified threat. Each of these emotions is marked by unique expressions of mental and bodily effects.

“Fear and anxiety can feel like the same thing as the symptoms are quite similar. While it’s difficult to tease it out at the moment, gaining insight if one is experiencing fear over anxiety is important. Anxiety often stems from an unclear threat, while fear is based around a real and clear threat. It’s not to say that fear and anxiety don’t work together, but that they tap into different triggers.”

Talkspace therapist Minkyung Chung, MS, LMHC

Signs and Symptoms of Fear

As emotions go, fear causes some of the most noticeable changes in the brain and body. That’s because we’re forced to pay attention to our fear. Anxiety, on the other hand, is not imperative for survival. That’s why we sometimes don’t feel symptoms of anxiety quite as strongly or instantly as we might experience fear.

There are some common physiological, psychological, and physical symptoms of fear.

Physiological symptoms of fear:

• Quick, shallow breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Hot flashes or chills
• Rapid heartbeat
• Upset stomach
• Goosebumps
• Tight chest
• Dry mouth
• Trembling
• Sweating
• Nausea

Psychological symptoms of fear:

• Feeling detached from your body
• Inability to focus and concentrate
• Feeling a sense of stress
• Lacking emotional control
• A pending sense of doom

Physical symptoms of fear:

• Flight response (running for safety)
• Freezing up (inability to move)
• Displaying violence
• Clenching fists

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a sense of vague apprehension. It can be difficult to know how to diagnose anxiety disorders. It makes you feel unpleasant, negative thoughts and you often can’t understand why. What causes anxiety is imprecise threats that may or may not have any foundation. It’s a general sense of dis-ease, like how you might feel when walking down a dark, quiet city street in the middle of the night.

Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety is believed to have evolved in humans as a mechanism for protecting us against threats that may not even exist. Overwhelming anxiety gives us warnings that something dangerous might be about to happen.

For instance, you might get anxious because you believe that you could be attacked by a bear while walking in the woods. However, there may be no bears for miles around you. Anxiety isn’t completely useless though, because there actually could be a bear nearby. Ultimately, anxiety can serve to help keep you alert but causes harm when it goes too far.

Physiological symptoms of anxiety:

• Trembling or shaking
• Sweating
• Tightness in the chest area
• Upset stomach and nausea
• Quick, shallow breathing
• Chills or hot flashes
• Rapid heart rate
• Muscle pain
• Headaches
• Dizziness

Psychological symptoms of anxiety:

• Inability to focus on conversations, tasks, or thoughts
• Racing, negative thoughts
• Sense of impending doom
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Constant worrying
• Catastrophizing
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Fatigue

Physical symptoms of anxiety:

• Inability to complete mundane tasks
• Difficulty sitting still and staying calm
• Drug and alcohol use
• Being startled easily
• Social withdrawal

How to Know if You Are Experiencing Fear vs Anxiety

Fear and anxiety both cause similar co-occurring physiological, psychological, and physical symptoms. Though the symptoms can overlap, it’s not uncommon if you experience an independent, unique experience, either.

Sometimes, it can be challenging to tell the difference between fear and anxiety, especially when you’re actively having symptoms. Still, if you’re experiencing fear or anxiety (or both), it’s not likely that you’ll even be questioning the differences at that time.

The differences in symptom expression between fear and anxiety are centered on several factors, including:

• Your emotional & mental capacity
• Your available resources to help you cope
• What event triggered your response 

In short, the difference between fear and anxiety are: 

Fear starts very suddenly as a fight-or-flight response to a well-defined threat. 

Anxiety onsets in response to an unspecified, possibly non-existent threat.

“Working through and lowering levels of fear and anxiety are very similar. It’s about teasing out the stimuli that manifested those emotions. Understanding the stimuli reaction helps to define the next steps of working through those emotions.”

Talkspace therapist Minkyung Chung, MS, LMHC

When to Seek Help

Chronic anxiety and fear have both been linked to mental health conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), panic disorder, and specific phobias like agoraphobia or arachnophobia.

The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) reports that an estimated 20% of adults in the United States experience symptoms of anxiety conditions each year. Women are more likely to be affected than men.  

If you’re experiencing repetitive, worsening symptoms like the ones we’ve discussed here, and they’re beginning to interfere with your functioning and daily life, it might be time to learn about how to treat anxiety or fear, as well as go in for a screening. You can reach out to a therapist or contact a doctor to start the process. Your doctor will review your medical history and try to discern a possible cause for your symptoms.

“The two are so similar it’s hard to figure out what a person is struggling with at that moment. A mental health professional can help with learning the differences and the coping skills necessary to be successful in managing both fear and anxiety.”

Talkspace therapist Minkyung Chung, MS, LMHC

If a diagnosis is made, you’ll likely be referred to different types of therapy for anxiety and fear such as online therapy. Then, you can begin treatment and learn new coping skills to better control the chronic fear or anxiety you’ve been experiencing. You don’t have to let fear or anxiety take over your life. Get the skills and coping tools you need to overcome your fear and anxiety, and you’ll begin on the path to a healthy, rewarding life. 

Sources:

1. Tovote P, Fadok J, Lüthi A. Neuronal circuits for fear and anxiety. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 2015;16(6):317-331. doi:10.1038/nrn3945. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn3945. Accessed February 5, 2022.

2. Jacobs Hendel, LCSW H. Anxiety And Fear: What’s The Difference? | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. Nami.org. https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/May-2021/Anxiety-And-Fear-What-s-The-Difference. Published 2021. Accessed February 5, 2022.

Symptoms of Autophobia

An estimated 12.5% of adults in the United States deal with some type of specific phobia in their life. Autophobia is just that, a type of phobia, not an official diagnosis. 

People with autophobia believe they need others near them to be safe. Having a true phobia (as opposed to just having a few symptoms periodically) is serious. It can cause you to function poorly in life and have difficulties maintaining healthy relationships. It’s more than just being concerned about something. 

People with autophobia can experience unique psychological and physical symptoms, which may include:

• Chest tightness, rapid heartbeat, and difficulty breathing when alone
• Feeling like they’re alone or ignored, even in a large, friendly crowd
• Taking reasonable measures to ensure they’re not ever left alone
• Feeling intense anxiety that’s excessive for the situation
• Feeling anxious when thinking about spending time alone
• Nausea, dizziness, and/or fainting when alone
• Believing catastrophe will strike if left alone
• Have panic attacks when thinking about or being alone

Autophobia causes irrational fear even when you know you’re in a safe environment. You may feel that you’re in danger from any number of things. You might have a fear of robbers, muggers, strangers, or even friends. 

Some people with autophobia feel that they’re doomed to develop a sudden, serious medical condition. Others constantly feel unwanted and unloved. Still, others hear unexplained noises at random times.

Those living with autophobia may not function properly until their extreme fear subsides. Though they’re completely safe with no threats present, they cannot control their psychological and physical symptoms.

Causes of Autophobia

Researchers aren’t sure what causes a phobia of being alone. So, what is autophobia? Like other phobias, monophobia is marked by an irrational fear that might result from childhood trauma or adversity. It can also be a learned behavior from someone with the condition like a parent or close friend.

Children can develop autophobia after experiencing:

• General neglect
• Parental divorce
• Parental mental condition
• Parental drug addiction
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Long-term familial poverty
• Death of a parent, sibling, or other loved one
• Long-term separation from one or both parents

Unfortunately, even though we don’t know what causes autophobia yet, little research has been completed on it.

How is Autophobia Diagnosed?

Doctors and therapists look for various discrete fears in people who may have autophobia. These fears may or may not be related to the fear of being alone, but they’re indicative of possible causation. They may include:

• Fear of being at home alone
• Fear of being in public alone
• Sensing danger when none is present
• Fear of separation from a particular person
• Persistent feelings of isolation and of being ignored by others

Other factors will be considered, too, like if someone lives alone, suffers from chronic loneliness, or has endured long-term solitude. All of these could contribute to the development of autophobia.

To confirm autophobia, a doctor will conduct a physical and explore the patient’s medical history. This helps to ensure that another condition is not causing the fear. Like other phobias, autophobic symptoms must be present for at least 6 months. Additionally, the fear of being alone must be so intense and regular that it interrupts normal life and daily functioning. Loneliness, even excessive amounts of it, is not sufficient to warrant a label of autophobia.

Treatment for Autophobia

Clinical treatment options for autophobia are the same as the treatment options for other phobias. All phobias are based on the expression of irrational fears, and treatment aims to alleviate these fears. Treatment is centered on helping you recognize and understand your condition better so that you can take steps to reduce the frequency and intensity of your episodes.

Autophobia treatment typically involves a combination of:

Psychotherapy

Techniques like exposure therapy & cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are often used. Exposure therapy gradually and progressively exposes you to whatever you fear in a safe, controlled manner and environment. CBT combines various practical methods to help you better cope with the extreme anxiety that results from your fear.

Prescription medications

Beta-blockers and benzodiazepines can also be used. Beta-blockers inhibit the actions of adrenaline (epinephrine) to keep your heart rate slow and blood pressure down and to dilate the blood vessels to accommodate blood flow. Benzodiazepines slow down messaging between the brain and body and induce a mild tranquilizing effect.

Lifestyle modifications

Many people experiencing autophobia find it beneficial to learn and routinely practice certain lifestyle habits that help to calm the mind, enhance focus, reduce anxiety, and restore normal function sooner when an autophobic episode attacks them.

If you believe you have autophobia, consider the advantages of yoga, mindfulness meditation, pranayama (deep breathing exercises), various possible forms of semi-strenuous exercise, an intentionally positive attitude, and proper nutrition. All of these might help reduce or relieve the symptoms of autophobia over time.

“The lockdown during the pandemic could have contributed to facing the fear of being alone and resulted in coping with this fear in unhealthy ways, such as alcohol, overeating, or even suicidal thoughts. Know that you’re not alone, and that help is always out there, so feel free to contact a therapist to talk through treatment options that are right for you.”

Talkspace therapist Dr. Karmen Smith LCSW DD

Consider What Works for You

Different people respond to being alone differently. Many people openly state that they don’t enjoy or like to be alone. However, they don’t take the fear of being alone to the level that someone with autophobia does.

People with genuine autophobia become severely anxious about being alone. They’re willing to go to great lengths to ensure that they’re not left by themselves — this is often taken to the point of irrationality. Left unaddressed, the condition can disrupt normal life functioning and, ultimately, happiness.

If you believe that you are experiencing autophobia, know that help is available. Many people find they’re able to reduce or completely resolve their symptoms through proper treatment and self-dedication to the healing process. Treatment will help you understand the thoughts and feelings that cause your autophobic reactions. If your symptoms don’t disappear completely with regular treatment, you can take comfort in knowing they’ll likely be significantly reduced.

If you or someone you care about is suffering from autophobia to the point where it’s disrupting life, there is help out there. The next step is deciding it’s time to find it so you can start overcoming your phobia.

Sources:

1. Specific phobia. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/specific-phobia. Accessed December 23, 2021.

2. Eaton W, Bienvenu O, Miloyan B. Specific phobias. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(18)30169-x. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7233312/. Accessed December 23, 2021.

Symptoms of Atychiphobia

What is atychiphobia? Atychiphobia can be defined as an abnormal, unwarranted, and persistent fear of failing at something in your life. Any mistake you make can lead to ultimate failure. This chronic fear can be so extreme that it negatively affects your life. Atychiphobia affects an estimated 2 – 5% of the population. Symptoms of an irrational fear of failure can range from mild to extreme and can include:

• Rapid heart rate
• Difficulty or rapid breathing
• Tightness in the chest
• Pain in the chest
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Trembling sensations or shaking
• Digestive distress
• Sweating
• Hot and or cold flashes

While the above are all physical symptoms, there are also emotional symptoms that may present, including:

• Having an overwhelming feeling that you need to escape a situation you’re fearful of
• Having extreme feelings of anxiety or panic
• Feeling like you’re detached from yourself
• Thinking and believing you might die or pass out
• Having an intense feeling you’ve completely lost control
• Feeling powerless over your fear

“The fear of failure can range in symptoms from mild to more severe that can impede one’s daily life. Anxiety and depression often go along with this overwhelming fear, and it is important to know there is help available; you do not have to struggle alone.”

Talkspace therapist Jill Daino, LCSW-R, BC-TMH

Self-limiting is common for people with atychiphobia. This means you may be prone to sabotaging your own efforts to succeed. An example of this would be never beginning an important project, ensuring it fails, just so you don’t actually fail after completing it.

Signs That You Have a Fear of Failure

There are several signs that you might have a fear of failure. Some of the more common ones can include:

• Being a perfectionist: It’s not uncommon for perfectionists to also have a fear of failure phobia. People who are perfectionists often have an intense need for things to be in order or perfect, which sometimes results in atychiphobia.
• Exhibiting learned helplessness: Learned helplessness can be common with atychiphobia. In this case, you may become so fearful about unpredictability in your life that you avoid things you’re afraid you’ll fail at. An intense belief that you’re not good enough may even cause you to withdraw from life completely.
• Having obsessive thoughts: A fear of failure can cause you to obsess about decisions you need to make or other things in your life. These obsessive thoughts can become overwhelming and disruptive, ultimately interfering with daily life.

Risk Factors of Atychiphobia

It can be difficult to put a finger on exactly why you’re experiencing an unnatural fear of failure. There are numerous risk factors for developing different phobias. You may be at higher risk for atychiphobia if you:

• Have perfectionistic tendencies
• Failed at important personal goals in the past
• Have a genetic predisposition to atychiphobia
• Have an eating disorder, mood disorder, or anxiety disorder
  

Through a process known as observational learning, you may also have a higher risk for atychiphobia if you were shaped in early life by someone who also had a fear of failure.

Diagnosis of Atychiphobia

If you have a repetitive fear of failure that’s beginning to impact your daily life negatively, it could be atychiphobia. A doctor or therapist can help diagnose your symptoms and suggest possible treatment options.

When you seek help, you’ll be asked questions about the symptoms you’re experiencing, your family medical history, your personal, social, and psychiatric history, and any prescription or natural medications that you use routinely.

Some of the known criteria considered for a formal diagnosis of atychiphobia include whether you might:

• Avoid situations, people, and objects that might cause this specific phobia
• Experience excessive anxiety in routine fear-causing situations
• Have an immediate panic attack or strong fear response to moderate stimuli

Your family doctor may refer you to a psychiatrist, licensed therapist, or another mental health professional to make a formal diagnosis.

Treatment of Atychiphobia

The goal of treatment for any phobia is to improve the quality of life. Although medication is sometimes prescribed, treatment for atychiphobia tends to be most successful when therapy is used as well. Some commonly recommended and successful treatment options for overcoming phobias might include one of or a combination of the following. 

“Getting treatment for your concerns around atychiphobia earlier can make all the difference. Working with a therapist, you can not only get support, but you can learn how to navigate the fear of failure and learn new strategies to manage the challenging thoughts and feelings.”

Talkspace therapist Jill Daino, LCSW-R, BC-TMH

Lifestyle modifications

Some people can cope with mild cases of atychiphobia without professional help or prescription medications. Certain lifestyle changes might prove beneficial.

For instance, learning and routinely practicing mindfulness meditation exercises can help you slow down, live in the moment, and avoid distractive thoughts of failure or inadequate performance.

Other relaxing endeavors might be helpful, too. Yoga, deep breathing sessions, journaling, and massage can help you destress and cope with anxiety about an upcoming challenge you’re facing. A calm, focused mind is better able to handle the fear of failure than a nervous, unfocused one will be.

Some research shows that different mindfulness interventions can be effective for those living with atychiphobia. Learning mindfulness techniques might significantly help you cope with avoidance or anxiety issues that stem from atychiphobia.

We all deserve to be content and have confidence in our abilities. If you think that your fear of failure is out of control and you’re not responding well to the lifestyle modifications listed above, then it might be time to seek professional help. Atychiphobia treatment is more effective the earlier you start in your journey. 

Sources:

1. Specific Phobias (Symptoms) | Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety | Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Med.upenn.edu. https://www.med.upenn.edu/ctsa/phobias_symptoms.html. Accessed December 21, 2021.

2. Dinç S, Ekşi H. A Psychological Counseling Study on Fear of Failure and Academic Procrastination with a Spiritually Oriented Cognitive Behavioral Group. Spiritual Psychology and Counseling. 2019;4(3):219-235. doi:10.37898/spc.2019.4.3.85. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341588119_A_Psychological_Counseling_Study_on_Fear_of_Failure_and_Academic_Procrastination_with_a_Spiritually_Oriented_Cognitive_Behavioral_GroupAccessed December 21, 2021.3.

3. Hjeltnes A, Binder P, Moltu C, Dundas I. Facing the fear of failure: An explorative qualitative study of client experiences in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program for university students with academic evaluation anxiety. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2015;10(1):27990. doi:10.3402/qhw.v10.27990. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4545197/. Accessed December 21, 2021.

In daily life, it is common to sit bumper to bumper in traffic, pass through the occasional revolving door, or try on clothes in a dressing room. But what if these experiences cause crippling anxiety for you? These situations involve a confined space that makes those with claustrophobia — the fear of enclosed spaces — feel entirely trapped, triggering overwhelming anxiety. 

Claustrophobia is a common phobia that many struggle with. This anxiety disorder varies in severity and triggers but impacts all those who have this specific phobia. Thankfully, claustrophobia is a treatable condition and there are many treatment options to help you work through these challenges.

What Is Claustrophobia?

Claustrophobia is the intense fear of small, crowded, or confined spaces. For those with claustrophobia, being in an enclosed space causes intense feelings of anxiety and panic. These reactions are often provoked when one feels trapped with no way out. 

This phobia is a situational type of anxiety disorder, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. A phobia is diagnosable according to the DSM-5 when fear of a situation causes immediate anxiety and significant distress that is irrational and out of proportion for the danger posed. Individuals with a phobia will avoid triggering situations to an extent that impairs normal functioning. Phobias such as claustrophobia are also persistent, lasting 6 months or more. If an individual experiences these reactions to being in confined spaces, they could be diagnosed with claustrophobia if it’s unrelated to another mental illness.

Many types of small or crowded spaces trigger deep fear in someone with claustrophobia. Talkspace therapist and anxiety management expert Bisma Anwar, LMHC, says “some examples of [triggering] situations can be riding in a crowded elevator, getting locked in a windowless room, or driving on a highway. So, if someone experiences a situation like this, they can become highly anxious.”

Claustrophobia is one of the most common fears, with close to 5% of the American population struggling with the disorder in varying degrees of severity. This phobia is more common among women than men, but it can be experienced by anyone, no matter their age, sex, or background. The typical onset age for this phobia is childhood to teenage years. 

Claustrophobic Triggers

Many situations may trigger the onset of anxiety or a panic attack in someone claustrophobic. Specific triggers vary from person to person, but generally, any type of enclosed or tight space can cause an anxiety attack. Many people will go out of their way to avoid such triggers to limit their anxiety. 

Spaces that may trigger claustrophobia:

• Crowded elevators
• Small cars, especially driving on a congested highway
• Subways and trains
• Airplanes, especially in turbulence 
• Crowded areas 
• Tunnels
• Basements and cellars
• Small, windowless, or locked rooms
• Revolving doors
• MRI or CT scans
• Car washes
• Dressing rooms
• Public restrooms
• Closets

These spaces are encountered often in everyday life, which is why claustrophobia can be such a challenge to cope with. If you think you have claustrophobia, know that help is available and the condition is treatable.

What are Symptoms of Claustrophobia?

Encountering enclosed spaces triggers many intense symptoms of anxiety for those with claustrophobia. Anxiety and panic attacks usually include accelerated heart rate, difficulty breathing, and sweating, among other symptoms. Many claustrophobia symptoms are debilitating and uncomfortable, which is why this phobia can severely decrease quality of life. 

Claustrophobia symptoms include:

• Intense anxiety or panic attacks
• Sweating
• Accelerated heart rate
• Shaking
• Feeling light-headed
• Nausea
• Difficulty breathing
• Hyperventilating 
• Fainting
• Headache
• Chest tightness
• Confusion or disorientation

To mitigate these uncomfortable claustrophobic symptoms, individuals with this specific phobia often compulsively check the exits of a room, standing near them when possible. Someone with claustrophobia will go out of their way to avoid triggering places, such as choosing to take the stairs over an elevator, even if it is many flights. When given the choice, a sufferer of claustrophobia will choose open safe spaces to avoid the onset of these intense anxiety symptoms.

What Causes Claustrophobia?

Like many mental illnesses, the causes of claustrophobia are complex with a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Fear is a natural instinct for all humans because it helps us survive and find safety, but this instinct becomes extreme for those with claustrophobia. This severe fear can be caused by a past traumatic experience such as abuse, being trapped in a small space, or experiencing bullying. These experiences increase anxiety when a person is confined, and potentially leading or exacerbating claustrophobia. 

Claustrophobia can also be observed and learned from a parent or a peer. If you observe someone close to you who is afraid of enclosed spaces, you are more likely to learn this pattern and have this fear long-term. Those with a claustrophobic parent are more likely to become claustrophobic themselves. 

When it comes to genetic causes, researchers connect claustrophobia to dysfunction of the amygdala, which is the brain’s center for processing fear. People with claustrophobia tend to have a smaller amygdala, which plays a crucial role in causing anxiety, according to the 2009 study. Research published by the American Psychology Association also found that those with claustrophobia misjudge distances as closer than they actually are, which explains why they more readily perceive danger in enclosed or tight spaces. 

Additionally, research traces claustrophobia back to a single gene called GPM6A. Mutations of this stress-related gene cause claustrophobia, according to a 2013 study. Mental illness is rarely as simple as one gene, but this finding may provide insight into the genetic factors at play causing the onset of claustrophobia.

“Sometimes claustrophobia can get triggered by a traumatic memory which can come up unexpectedly and catch us off guard. By being more mindful when this happens we can understand our own trauma triggers better and work to decrease its impact on us next time.”

Talkspace therapist Bisma Anwar, LMHC

How Is Claustrophobia Treated?

Claustrophobia is a treatable condition, with many effective options available. Treatment is effective in 90% of cases — it is a curable condition. Psychotherapy is one of the best treatment options for claustrophobia and there are multiple forms of therapy that are effective in treating this phobia. 

“Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps change negative thoughts and feelings that come from situations that trigger claustrophobia,” Anwar says. “Exposure therapy works by a person being put in a situation that is similar, but non-threatening, where they can confront their claustrophobia and cope with their fear. Visualization techniques include picturing the scenario that they find anxiety-inducing.”

Types of therapy to treat claustrophobia

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — CBT is a tried and true method of treating anxiety disorders. A CBT therapist works with their client one-on-one to change negative thought patterns and the behaviors associated with these thoughts. For claustrophobia, this looks like sessions where you work through the fear associated with confined spaces and look for ways to overcome it.
• Exposure therapy — this is another effective method for treating claustrophobia. This type of therapy slowly exposes the client to their fear so that over time they feel less overwhelmed and controlled by it. Through repeated exposure to the phobia, you can become desensitized to the intense fear previously associated with the situation. 
• Visualization techniques — these techniques are also important for treating claustrophobia. In this method, the sufferer uses mental imagery to learn how to combat their fears. Visualizing a safe space while experiencing a panic attack can be a helpful technique. While in therapy, practicing visualization in order to cope with fear in the moment has been shown to be effective.

“Exposure therapy can be very effective to treat claustrophobia as it helps challenge those fears. It helps the individual realize that they can actually beat their negative thoughts and cope effectively with the anxiety that comes up from exposing themselves to what they are afraid of.”

Talkspace therapist Bisma Anwar, LMHC

Medications for claustrophobia

Medication works for treating claustrophobia as well, particularly in more severe cases. Anti-anxiety medication or antidepressants can decrease internal emotional dysregulation and increase the ability to cope when fears arise. Other natural supplements may work for individuals depending on their needs.

Tips for Managing Claustrophobia

When faced with a triggering situation, it is hard for someone who’s feeling claustrophobic to cope in the moment. There are ways to manage this fear though when confronted by a confined or crowded space. Practicing management strategies helps de-escalate the anxiety experienced when a trigger arises.

Ways to manage claustrophobia

A therapist can teach you how to best implement techniques like these when anxiety escalates. Some specific tips include: 

• Deep breathing exercises. This can include counting inhalations and exhalations, placing a hand on your abdomen to feel your breath, square breathing, and other exercises. 
• Visualization techniques (as described above).
• Counting practices, such as counting up or down by 7s.
• Grounding techniques that help you stay present. One option is using your five senses to focus on what you see, hear, touch, smell, and taste.
• Repeating a calming mantra to yourself, such as “This feeling will pass” or “I am safe.”

These exercises, among many others, can help you cope with feelings of anxiety during a challenging situation. 

How to help someone with claustrophobia

It is scary to watch someone close to you deal with debilitating anxiety without knowing what to do. While you can’t solve mental illness with the snap of a finger, you can support your loved one through their challenges. Being there to listen and validate their feelings will likely mean the world to someone with anxiety. Helping them find treatment can also support them when they’re struggling for a way out.

If you or a loved one is dealing with claustrophobia, please seek out support from a licensed mental health professional. Claustrophobia is treatable; a life free from debilitating fear is attainable. 

Not sure where to start? Talkspace is a great first step, offering affordable online therapy with licensed professionals right at your fingertips. Get started on your journey towards healing today.