Claustrophobia help Kent

It’s not unusual to hear someone say ‘I don’t do lifts because I am claustrophobic’ , and to some degree or other we may all have a small degree of claustrophobia. After all, it is not too pleasant being stuck in a lift packed with people in sweltering summer heat, or, just as bad, on a broken down underground train in rush hour.

However, there is a difference between not liking lifts and trains, and somebody that is suffering from a very real fear of being stuck in a lift and getting on a train. Somebody that is suffering from full blown claustrophobia will not even be able to get into that lift, get on that train, that bus, or indeed any place that they consider to be confined.

In my experience full blown claustrophobia has a severe impact on the lives of the people that suffer with it.

For example, if somebody lives in a major city where parking is a problem, public transport may be their only means of getting to work. They are then limited to jobs that are geographically close. This is going to limit their opportunities in terms of job choice and pay, and indeed if they are even able to get a job within their local vicinity.

So what can you do to help yourself if you have claustrophobia?

Avoidance:

The first thing to understand is that by AVOIDING the situations your fear, you are merely FEEDING the fear and making the phobia worse.    The more confined situations you avoid the more situations you will start to fear and end up limiting your life further.

Exposure :

To help yourself you need to EXPOSE yourself to what you fear, and stay in the situation for as long as you can until the panic and anxiety has reduced. This helps to de-sensitise the fear trigger that has been stored in the Amygdala.

Visualisation:

The trick is to start with small steps and work your way up to the thing you fear most. So for example if the thing you fear most is going to the cinema but you think you may be able to force to get into a lift, try this first.  The way to do this is to spend some time each day VISUALISING yourself doing this .Visualise yourself calmly entering the lift, and remaining calm whilst in the lift yourself.

Self Hypnosis:

To do this you need to SELF-HYPNOTISE every day.

Find a calm relaxed spot where you will not be interrupted and imagine yourself standing at the top of a stairway, this can be an open stairway that leads to a beach or somewhere pleasant but obviously it must not be a confined stairway.

Now imagine yourself taking a step down the stairs. As you take the first step say to yourself…I am becoming calmer and calmer…feeling more and more relaxed with each step down….

Count down the steps in your head…nine…deeper and deeper….8 more and more relaxed….seven….deeper still…..continue counting down until you get to one, and the last step, and then visualise yourself stepping off the step into a your favourite place. This could be a favourite holiday destination, it could be your favourite room at home, a beautiful garden or even a place that you have only ever imagined going to.

The important thing is that this place is a safe and wonderful place for you to be. Once you are in your favourite place, then start to imagine yourself approaching the lift, imagine yourself getting into the lift, imagine other people getting into the lift, imagine the lift moving to the next floor and watch the digital numbers on the lift as it moves from floor to floor. Imagine standing back and letting the people in front of you step out before you step out yourself. SEE yourself doing all of this in a calm and relaxed state.

Set goals:

Try to set yourself a goal. So if the first goal is to get into a lift and the last goal is to sit through a movie in a cinema then try to set yourself tasks in between these two goals so you eventually work your way up to going to the cinema. Set a time frame in which you hope to achieve these goals and then work towards each goal by visualising each and every situation.

So for example

Challenge 1 – get into a lift and go one floor

Challenge 2 – get into a lift and go two floors

Challenge 3 – get into a lift and stay in a lift for ten minutes

Challenge 4 – go to a cinema and go inside the screening room for five minutes.

Challenge 5 – go to a cinema and go inside the screening room for ten minutes.

Challenge 6 – go to a cinema and go inside the screening room for twenty minutes.

Challenge 7 – go to a cinema and go inside the screening room for forty minutes.

By the time you get to forty minutes you will most likely be able to comfortably sit through the whole movie and will have de-sensitised the fear.

Breathe:

It is important to remember also that whilst panic attacks are awful to experience, they do not kill you. If you start to experience a panic attack it is important to regulate your breathing. Your breathing will increase and become shallow during a panic attack leading to a shortage of carbon dioxide, and a resultant chemical imbalance which causes the symptoms of the panic attack. During a panic attack the trick is to try to regulate your breathing to a normal pace. Breathe in through your noise for four, hold for three and breathe out through your mouth for three.

These are just some of the steps that you can implement to help yourself overcome claustrophobia. These steps can also be used for agoraphobia.

Hypnosis for Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia help Kent

However, if you need more advanced help, hypnosis is an excellent therapy that helps you to overcome your phobia. People that have developed a phobia in the first place will be highly suggestible and excellent hypnotic candidates.*

I will help de-sensitise that fear trigger using advanced hypnotherapy techniques. I will teach you self-hypnosis, as well as calming exercises; breathing exercises and assist you with exposure techniques.*

If you want to live a normal life again, and need claustrophobia help Kent, why not give hypnosis a try?*

Call me now on 01634307030 for claustrophobia help Kent to discuss your problem or drop me an email on enquiries@dohypnosiskent.co.uk for further information.

Please note results may vary from person to person. There are never guarantees when undergoing any form of therapy and for this reason we do not offer any guarantees for any of our hypnotherapy services. *