View Full Version : Do Panic Attacks cause Claustrophobia?
I just wanted to ask if anyone since experiencing Panic Attacks has major problems with Claustrophobia?
I always had a problem before these attacks with closed spaces but I never freaked out. Since these have occurred I cannot go into an elevator at all and now I notice when visiting my doctor that I freak out when I am walking through the hallway. It is almost like I feel like I am suffocating. I can understand the elevator, but walking through hallways seemed very weird to me.
It just scares me that little things like this now freak me out. I wanted to go to a specific doctor and found out that he was on the 20th floor of a building and I refused him because I knew I would have to go into an elevator. I am not housebound but I am getting very frustrated this is limiting my ability get around in the outside world. Can anyone relate to this or offer advice? Thanks!
Oh, I want to add that I cannot even go into an elevator with "my safe person" It seems elevators are impossible for now. I never like them prior to this but would use them.
yer it can .... lots and on a big scale ........ i had issues with morrisons lol sounds daft but felt like the cielings were coming down on me ............. also struggled with crowded places ......... the closed space thing though i came to conclusion had something to do with the lighting ?
Thanks so much andywilde. It is amazing how our mind plays tricks on us like this. I think lighting has a lot to do with things too. Sorry, but what are morrison's? Are those lifts/elevators? Just wondering what they are cause maybe I have the same problem. Thanks for your help
lol no sorry didnt realise u were in usa sorry im in uk morrisons in a supermarket over here but they have low roofs or at least the couple that ive been too have they set me off anyways but at one point had a similar situation with asda another supermarket i know there not enclosed spaces but sure felt like it also had a problem with elevators all three have tube lighting though am sure its that ??
I am so sorry you are feeling bad too :weep:
Thanks for clarifying- yes I have major problems in supermarkets too. It makes me mad because I used to love to shop. I have this problem in closed spaces as well as open spaces too. It is so weird. My husband has no idea what I am talking about and says I sound like how he felt when he was tripping on acid :) Too bad that isn't what is causing mine.
Thanks again for your help and hope you feel better soon. It is comforting to know I am not alone
yer your not alone at all ....... i started with the panic attacks when i was 16 now 38 and nearly past the panic attacks takin 60mg of citalopram probably helps lol and the alcohol which am now dependent on also the agraphobia on bad days emmmmm but it does get better apparently
lol try the cbt methord didnt work for me but helped alot ....ish lol
Oh hun, I am so sorry to hear the pain you are in. Panic attacks are awful and don't wish them on my worst enemy. I just turned 34 and have had these almost 2 years. The worst I have ever felt in my life so cannot imagine suffering as long as you. I just started therapy and they want to put me on lexapro. I am a major hippie and hate putting drugs into my body if not necessary. I would like to try cbt but I am not sure if it will help. Don't feel alone and many people are here right with you. I think us Panic suffers are the strongest people because I don't think many could live like this for a day. I wish you all the best and feel free to PM me anytime if you feel alone.
In a word - Yes.
I am both..agoraphobic AND claustrophobic...
BabyRachel
01-12-09, 10:15
When my anxiety first started (I was seventeen) I was very chlaustrophobic. Trains were the worst, and classrooms... doctor offices... I always needed the freedom to escape. This is probably because my two first panic attacks happened in very chlaustrophobic places (tiny university museum of disease, VERY confronting, diseased body parts EVERYWHERE u look, you could not escape them) and secondly in a closed in uni lecture theatre with 100s of people.
Three years on I am doing a lot better with it, I can go on trains and into offices and such. Its sort of like my anxiety has shifted and my phobias shift too.
Also, to Mia, I can understand your beliefs but as a person on Lexapro.... ITS A GODSEND!!! So is cbt too though, Im a firm believer you shouldnt do meds without cbt.... cbt should come first.... but Lexapro works wonders...
I am so sorry you are feeling bad too :weep:
Thanks for clarifying- yes I have major problems in supermarkets too. It makes me mad because I used to love to shop. I have this problem in closed spaces as well as open spaces too. It is so weird. My husband has no idea what I am talking about and says I sound like how he felt when he was tripping on acid :) Too bad that isn't what is causing mine.
Thanks again for your help and hope you feel better soon. It is comforting to know I am not alone
I havent been in a supermarket for years,i can manage small shops but supermarkets are a no go area for me.
Just feels like im trapped once in there like there is only one way in and one way out and not enough exits.Always used to feel extremely anxious once at the checkouts if there were a few people waiting to be served.
Hi
I believe the Claustrophobia is not from the panic attacks but the underlying anxiety issues that you have. Certainly Panic attacks can cause major issues with Agoraphobia, basically because of the fear of having the attacks in public.
Unfortunately there is no medication that will probably help you that much but CBT may help with the anxiety and your thought processes. Face your fears head on but in small steps so not brining on a major anxiety issue. Always remember not to fight it and just say to yourself that feeling anxious for you can be normal and just go with the flow, so releasing any added tension which can be physically draining in itself.
It will not all suddenly go but with time and perseverance the anxiety will subside and become more tolerable and just maybe never cause you problems again. Anxiety is a protective mechanism which sometimes as in your case is acting inappropiately. It will never harm you even with those panic attacks. Never fear them and they will go as well, easier said than done I know but attainable and achievable again with time. I hope this helps.
I really appreciate all your honest replies. This has bothered me so much in that it is limiting my functioning. I plan to request CBT from my therapist.
BabyRachel - I appreciate your feedback regarding Lexapro. I hope you did not take offense to my comment. I am very determined to try and fix this with my thought process first and then if I have to resort to meds than I will. My doctor would like to make me "symptom free" first but I need her to understand that I have had these symptoms for nearly 2 years. I really don't care if I have to suffer through them even more as long as I know I am doing all I can to fix it.
I am just going to have to force myself into the supermarkets and if I need to lay down on the floor in there than I will. I have spent my ENTIRE life trying to be "PERFECT" in front of everyone and at this point I really don't care what I look like. Maybe that is why these Panic Attacks started for me - I have spent my entire life trying to please others but never myself. It is about time that I come first. Maybe we should all think like that because I have a feeling a Panic Sufferer is a chronic people pleaser, but maybe I am wrong. Thanks again for all your help and hope you all feel better soon too.
Hi Mya, Im sure I read before that panic attacks and claustraphobia are connected.....I had some panic attacks in my 20s, then in my thirtys my claustraphobia did get worse, I hate flying, will never do lifts, hate enclosed shopping centres, can do trains but its a struggle...I was referred for cbt however I dont think it helped me very much although this wont be the same for everyone. I try hard not to let it stop me doing things...but sometimes it is hard, especially when you have to walk twenty flights of stairs LOL x x
willitstop
02-12-09, 12:28
In a word - Yes.
I am both..agoraphobic AND claustrophobic...
Im exactly the same :(
I've noticed a few claustrophobic sensations since having panic attacks, although it's not that bad and completely manageable for me thankfully.
Also, I have had something my doctor calls "disassociation" - which comes with anxiety in that the ground feels like its sloping and you struggle to walk properly, or that you feel like you're walking through thick custard, or porridge - Ie, even though you're walking on solid ground, when your foot hits the ground, it doesn't feel like it.
Again this could all be down to lighting
Claustrophobia, Agoraphobia, Panic attacks are all outward signs of a major underlying anxiety problem. To sort any of these issues out you need to first calm the anxiety response and to be honest the only way to start solving things is to challenge those though processes. CBT is probably the most effective with a qualified Clinical Psychologist and then with small steps do the things that scare you so much.
I was Agoraphobic and yes it took me with CBT and determination many months to stop the panic attacks and the fear of going out, so I do so understand how these conditions so limit your quality of life. I now have no panic attacks and can go to a shopping Mall with no real problems other than the limitations that ME/CFS causes me. But I do recognise that I still have a trigger reflex as far as the anxiety is concerned, so when it strikes i just say to my self it is inappropriate and its just me and by doing that the panic attacks do not kick in like they used to.
Being cured of inappropriate anxiety is not easy, but attainable in very small steps. If anybody wants to know how the CBT help cure my panic attacks and agoraphobia then please feel free to write to me on my personal e-mail and I will help explain how it works.
All the best everbody and dont let it grind you down.
Ron
i get round the fear of supermarkets by getting my g/daughter to push me round in one of the stores wheelchairs .......cant fall over lol .............good luck to all xx
Thanks for all your kind words. I am so sorry you all are suffering like I am.
Pammy1944 - that is so cute that your grandaughter helps you out. It is funny you mentioned that but if I at least have a cart or something it makes it a tiny bit better. I find I have a real hard time in shopping centers where there are no carts. I feel like I at least need to be holding something, whether it to keep my concentration on pushing it or maybe I really want to hide behind it from all the people! I have no idea what it is but I hope I will be normal again one day. I used to love to go shopping and socialize. I cannot believe experiencing one panic attack 2 years ago has put me to this.
Thanks and good luck to you all. xxoo
i have always had a problem with lifts before all the other probs, i dont think with me it is claustraphobia with me but about not having an escape if i needed one that then makes you feel trapped i don,t know if its the same for you? xx
hi lc2613
Thanks for helping me. Yes there is definetly a fear of being trapped without an escape. Always had that even before panic attacks. It is just that now, I cannot even go near a situation where I feel there is no immediate escape.
For instance, I cannot risk to even venture into an elevator at this time or else I will endure a horrific attack. I hyperventilate just thinking about being in confined spaces now. It is almost like I cannot risk one bit, the remote possibility that I would get stuck in one of those with how my claustrophobia has magnified from this. I feel I would have permanent damage after encountering a situation like that. I know this sounds ridiculous, and I know this is such an irrational way of seeing things, but it feels very real and terrifying for me. I feel my brain has broken and it is going to be very hard to untrain. Thanks for your response and best of luck to you. xxoo
daza.theman
04-12-09, 01:24
I havent been in a supermarket for years,i can manage small shops but supermarkets are a no go area for me.
Just feels like im trapped once in there like there is only one way in and one way out and not enough exits.Always used to feel extremely anxious once at the checkouts if there were a few people waiting to be served.
im with you there buddy , i aint been in my local tescos for over a year!!
i can completely relate to you even if i manage to walk in a shop i have to be able to see the car so that i know i cn get away if needed,i cant shut the bathroom door i immediately feel trapped so i can understand im afraid i can,t give any advice as im going through the same things but if anything does help you in the future please let me know. hope things start looking up soon. xx
BabyRachel
05-12-09, 01:13
Oh no no, I didn't take offense at all. :) Don't even worry about that. hehe.
Aww thanks BabyRachel:)
I am really happy to hear Lexapro is working well for you. I will be sure to let you know if I go on it and I hope it will be a godsend for me too! Anything is better than how we feel, hugh?:) Thanks again for all your help xxoo
Hi Mya
Dont pin all of your hopes on medication, medication for depression is a good idea as we should not suffer depression for no good reason. Depression is an illness but anxiety is not an illness, its a behavioural disorder so medication is a great crutch but that is all. At some point you have to deal with it because however hard you try you will never ged rid of the anxiety as it intrinsically part of us as a defensive mechanism.
CBT, relaxation, Tai Chi, can all help but above all do not fight against the anxiety, just go with how you feel and extend things very slowly. There is no magic cure other than determination and resolution and allowing time to cure those fragile nerves.
Thank you, Ronski. :) You speak truth and I agree with all you have posted in regards to this. I have sent you a private message in regards to CBT. Thanks again for your help and I wish everyone that has been dealing with this best wishes and good luck. xxoo
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