Have you ever found yourself wondering about how to overcome a fear of closed spaces (claustrophobia)? A surprisingly high number of people struggle with claustrophobia, and this can significantly impact your happiness and wellbeing when working in cramped conditions. However, while claustrophobia can seem oppressive, it doesn’t have to necessarily be this way. In fact, there are many excellent ways to overcome these feelings – and EMDR therapy may help for claustrophobia relief.
What Causes Claustrophobia?
Before we go further, you may be wondering: what causes claustrophobia? Claustrophobia can have many potential causes. For many people, though, a fear of closed spaces stems from a previous negative experience with being in an enclosed space. This may often be due to childhood bullying or trauma; alternatively, some evidence suggests that a fear of closed spaces may be hereditary. Claustrophobia is caused by a similar part of the brain that causes social anxiety disorder.
It’s worth considering that claustrophobia is one of the most common phobias. As such, even if you feel alone, remember that you’re not the only one going through this. A lot of people are struggling with claustrophobia.
How a Fear of Closed Spaces Can Impact Your Day-to-Day Life
Undoubtedly, a fear of closed spaces can have numerous impacts on your daily life. Of course, the exact impacts will depend based on how severe your claustrophobia is. However, the condition can feel debilitating for people with the most severe forms of claustrophobia. In many cases, you might struggle with enclosed spaces such as office cubicles, aeroplanes, train carriages, and the like. Even crowded rooms or temporary experiences such as being in an elevator can spark feelings of panic and fear.
How EMDR Can Help for Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is widely considered an anxiety disorder, but it’s not something that you will need to live with for life. Indeed, there are plenty of great ways to overcome a fear of closed spaces, no matter how much they might interfere with your life. One of the most common effective options is to try EMDR for claustrophobia.
How Does EMDR Work?
When you attend your first EMDR session for claustrophobia, your caring counsellor will use bilateral stimulation to help treat the issues you have been facing. Through bilateral stimulation, you will be able to reassociate previous negative experiences with being in a small space with new, better memories. In doing so, you can take a massive step in terms of healing from your childhood trauma overall. Don’t worry if you’re not sure where to start. Your counsellor can help you find the best starting point for your EMDR therapy.
Is EMDR Therapy Effective for Claustrophobia?
If past traumatic events cause your claustrophobia, EMDR therapy could be the ideal solution. EMDR is highly effective for helping with numerous types of traumas and anxieties. As such, EMDR is often used for claustrophobia; in addition, it’s commonly used for many forms of childhood trauma. As such, you might find that it’s the perfect treatment for your own feelings of anxiety due to small spaces and claustrophobia. Don’t worry – if you have any extra questions, I’d be happy to answer them for you.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been looking for ways to overcome a fear of closed spaces, EMDR therapy may be effective. Indeed, many people are using EMDR therapy for claustrophobia with great results. As such, if you’ve been unsure whether this could work for you, please don’t hesitate to contact me today. I’d be thrilled to help out wherever possible, so you can find the most effective solutions for your recovery. You don’t have to live with claustrophobia, and I’ll be here to help you find a new solution!