Could I be suffering from claustrophobia?

[Sparkling_Fairy]

Hi all,
I've been having anxiety attacks/symptoms for about 6 months. After finding out what triggered them in the first place and a lot of fights, I managed to get over most of it. I have the odd physical symptom, but it's rare and it doesn't send me into a frenzy anymore.

The only thing I can't shake, is the uncomfortable feeling in my chest when I'm in the living room with my heating on. It usually happens between 7pm and 9pm, depending on how long I've been sitting on the couch.
I used to suffer from claustrophobia majorly as a child! To the point I would never lock the bathroom door anywhere, and I would take the stairs to my grandparents 14th floor apartment every week.
I haven't really suffered from it in a long time, except that I still hate taking lifts.

With the anxiety now, at first I thought I was just overheating. But I'm not always necessarily warm when I get this uncomfortable feeling in my chest. I just feel once it comes on, that after 5 or 10 minutes or so I have to leave the room. Preferably to somewhere cold or with fresh air.
This is making me wonder whether I'm not having a claustrophobia attack. I do only get it when the heating is on. The moment I start smelling warm air, I get it. But I can walk out, walk back in and feel that my living room really isn't all that warm. I just get a feeling like I won't be able to breathe soon.

Any thoughts? Or pointers on how to deal with it? It's my last remaining anxiety symptom. I'd really like to get rid of it!

[lucass]

I never experienced claustrophobia but I had major panic attacks and had to leave the place I was in immediately.. Breathing exercises can help a lot to relax.

[Traceypo]

To me, it sounds like panic, I feel like that when there is anything blocking my exit or people standing too close to me.
You may be now anxious about that time coming, more aware about it and that may raise your panic. Try sitting through it next time, breathe, remind yourself you're safe and it won't harm you.
Xxx

[MyNameIsTerry]

I don't think it's claustrophobia. I reckon it's a trigger issue for your existing disorder. Did it happen when you were struggling in the past? Does it mimic things that used to bother you?

The reason I ask is that I have had these issues myself (still do). I find that a sensation can be a trigger because it is close to sensations that were associated with anxiety in past scenarios. Part of the panic/anxiety process is memory and it makes checks to determine whether it should provide a certain response. So, for me, I know it is making a check and finding a similarity and sending out the anxiety. This may be a partial match and the point of the anxiety is really to determine the conscious reaction which will either be neutral/positive (hence starve the subconscious process triggering it, over time) and negative (in which case my reaction would reinforce it, allow it to make new associations to strengthen itself).

So, by needing to leave, it's going to start further associating these unpleasant sensation with the need to flee. Thus fleeing becomes avoidance.

So, really the opposite seems the way to go. Endure it, do the self talk and don't allow it to build on itself with the fleeing. You could also try to expose yourself to those conditions to build up a tolerance and make it extinct the ERP way.

It's a very specific trigger, hence why I'm thinking a memory connection of some kind.