Ok, picture your self in a maze. At the end of that maze you come to a quiet room without windows or any type of objects that would circulate air in and out the room. Now picture the door suddenly slamming and locking behind you and the lights shut off. Being trapped, the most common reaction would be to feel scared and scream to be let out. I honestly think everyone has a slight case of claustrophobia. It’s basically a fear of being closed in. It can be in a room, elevator, garage, closet or even a box. A more accurate description would be a fear of not having an easy escape route, especially if one is being closed in against their will. S/he would feel the need to be able to get home or any safe place.

Walking into a meeting or a function with a lot of people may be hard to enjoy. Always dreading the moment doors close because one feels trapped is a symptom of claustrophobia. Not having the power of knowing one can escape when they want can take a toll on them.

Other difficult situations are traveling in a car or in the air. Since it is not as easy to ‘’escape’’ from these would be something a person might avoid. A person might stop traveling all together because of the possibility of getting trapped in a traffic jam. Being stuck in a car surrounded by millions of other cars would be one of the most horrible feelings next to being stuck in a room in the dark without a ventilation system. Being stuck on an airplane miles in the air would really suck as well.

So, if your claustrophobic please think about the situations you’re putting yourself in before your get into them. This way, you can avoid having a hard time breathing or even hyperventilating.

Dealing and living with your phobia is not easy but it is do-able. Telling yourself everyday that you can conquer a certain fear and going along with a fear-facing activity would help you stay calm in certain situations. It help you breath when you think you can’t. There is always a little voice in your head telling you the right decision even if you have no clue what to do or where to go. A lot of the times it tells you to calm down and think about ways of getting to “safety”.