Question for those who have experience with phobia

[carlotta]

So I didn’t know what a panic attack felt like or that I had claustrophobia before I was in a MRI machine experiencing them, 10ish years ago.

I’m generally pretty chill, probably have less overall anxiety than your average person.

The claustrophobia thing had never come up before, I suppose because it’s pretty easy to avoid small enclosed spaces, especially ones as small as an MRI machine.

I did find after that incident that even thinking about it or trying to imagine going in again I triggered very close to the same feelings as actually doing it.

Last week we went on our yearly vacation in a state park of Pennsylvania and decided to check out a roadside attraction we passed every year, “The Mysterious Maze”

From the website:

“This indoor maze is two stories high & completely dark. Lighted OPTICAL ILLUSIONS and eerie music add to the mystery of a lifetime. The excitement is indescribable! Where you think you are…you’re not! Where you think you’ve been, you haven’t. This maze is so mind boggling you can’t wait to share the experience with family and friends. Changed yearly for our regular customers. For ages 9 or older. Younger children must be accompanied by an adult.”

It didn’t even occur to me that this would be a problem. I had kind of forgotten about the claustrophobia.

My husband and two teenage sons went in ahead of me, I went in holding my 10 year old son’s hand. He is generally a little anxious about everything but wanted to try this.

It’s probably a bad idea for me to even try to describe the experience too much, but I was in a large hallway in the pitch black for a few minutes. I felt slightly uncomfortable, but then things got narrow and getting out of there became the most important thing in the world to me and the thought that there were two stories of this ahead of me was absolutely unbearable. I told the 10 year old he had to come out with me or hurry ahead to the rest of the family because I COULD NOT stay. He stayed! And lived! They all made it out in about 30 minutes. And said they would do it again!

Even though the experience of panic was quite brief, I find any wandering of my thoughts back to then almost as upsetting as the actual thing. It was almost a week ago and I woke suddenly last night in panic because of dreaming about it. I had to leave the bedroom because it felt too confined and sleep on the sofa.

Is this typical aftermath of experiencing your phobia?

Man I don’t like this!

[gigi]

I have had panic attacks in episodes since I was a teenager, and am on low-level meds to take the edge off. When I had the worst episode (about 20 years ago now, and at the time I didn’t think I’d make it), they gave me Ativan so I could get some sleep and be able to think more clearly. Panic causes a self-fulfilling loop of more panic and it just spirals up, so getting some sleep and then therapy was helpful. I came from a family background where you didn’t seek help for this kind of thing, so I had to get really bad before I could seek help.

I am not advocating meds, just telling you my experience. I know how bad the panic feels – even just one twinge hits you in some deep primal place where fight or flight kicks in and you have to get away! And if you have had it before and it returns – it is this familiar OH SHIT it’s back. OMG OMG it was so bad last time, SHIT run!! But I can’t escape my own brain!

It’s OK. You will get through it. There are ways to cope and adjust. I have cards with true things written on them, and read them knowing they’re true even if I am not feeling it. You may feel like you are dying, but you’re not. This is a biological reaction that is very strong but you can make it.

[Lasciel]

Yep, that’s pretty much how it goes. Add in nausea and the shakes sometimes, and nightmares for flavor.

I actually DO suggest meds. A long-term fix is going to require therapy (cognitive/behavior therapy is a beautiful thing for people who think too much) but sometimes getting to a place where therapy can help requires things to be a little chemically-assisted to get you to a calmer place. It sucks that you need the broken thing to work to fix itself, but it is what it is.

For advice right now, don’t try to avoid thinking about the event. Accept that you’ll be panicky and feel yucky and think about it anyway (preferably in a very safe place with people you trust around you, but not somewhere like your own bed or bathroom where you don’t want that space to be associated with feeling like that. Make sense? Anyway. Try to think about it repeatedly - like once a week, or if you feel like you can handle the stress, once a day. Brains like novelty, and even being scared gets boring when it’s scared of the same thing over and over and over again. You aren’t aiming to be not scared, just not utterly out of your mind with fear/anxiety.

Eventually part of my mind figured out what was going on. So now I still feel the panic and the awful sinking feeling and the ‘must escape now now now now I’m gonna die’ nasties, but now there’s another part of my mind sitting back going ‘nope, didn’t die last week when this happened. Are we really doing this again? Deep breaths, don’t freak out, it’s just a bit of time and I’ll feel better again’ etc etc. which I realize makes me sound crazy, but it’s preferable to only having the panic.

But yes, it feels utterly shitty, and beyond that, it bugs me especially that I can’t control my own mind instantly the way I want to.

[Me_Billy]

If you need a MRI or CT scan in the future, ask your doctor to prescribe tranquilizers and have someone drive you. Going in to the machine feet first helps as well. Plus you can also request an “open” machine in some cases.

Then of course stay away from mazes and tight places and you will be just fine!

Other than that, it is GOOD (for the survival of our species) that some people are different. That some people have certain fears, etc. If everyone was the same, our species would risk becoming extinct with just one disaster in which everyone was doing the same thing!

So good you are outside. Should that maze collapse, you will be left to carry on the species. And the other way around.

In my case I am deathly afraid of spiders! Some people heights. (Oh and I am still afraid of going to the principals office! )

[gigi]

@Lasciel

But yes, it feels utterly shitty, and beyond that, it bugs me especially that I can’t control my own mind instantly the way I want to.

Yes! It sucks. I kept thinking I could shake it off but it is very powerful. And it’s hard/impossible to separate yourself from it and look at it dispassionately!

Yeah, meds were a godsend for me, and while I don’t have to take the Ativan much at all, I keep having my doc refill it because just having it as a safety net can calm me down. I was just thinking if the OP is only having symptoms in specific experiences that maintenance meds may not be needed.

[sweat209]

@carlotta

So I didn’t know what a panic attack felt like or that I had claustrophobia before I was in a MRI machine experiencing them, 10ish years ago.

I’m generally pretty chill, probably have less overall anxiety than your average person.

The claustrophobia thing had never come up before, I suppose because it’s pretty easy to avoid small enclosed spaces, especially ones as small as an MRI machine.

I did find after that incident that even thinking about it or trying to imagine going in again I triggered very close to the same feelings as actually doing it.

Last week we went on our yearly vacation in a state park of Pennsylvania and decided to check out a roadside attraction we passed every year, “The Mysterious Maze”

From the website:

“This indoor maze is two stories high & completely dark. Lighted OPTICAL ILLUSIONS and eerie music add to the mystery of a lifetime. The excitement is indescribable! Where you think you are…you’re not! Where you think you’ve been, you haven’t. This maze is so mind boggling you can’t wait to share the experience with family and friends. Changed yearly for our regular customers. For ages 9 or older. Younger children must be accompanied by an adult.”

It didn’t even occur to me that this would be a problem. I had kind of forgotten about the claustrophobia.

My husband and two teenage sons went in ahead of me, I went in holding my 10 year old son’s hand. He is generally a little anxious about everything but wanted to try this.

It’s probably a bad idea for me to even try to describe the experience too much, but I was in a large hallway in the pitch black for a few minutes. I felt slightly uncomfortable, but then things got narrow and getting out of there became the most important thing in the world to me and the thought that there were two stories of this ahead of me was absolutely unbearable. I told the 10 year old he had to come out with me or hurry ahead to the rest of the family because I COULD NOT stay. He stayed! And lived! They all made it out in about 30 minutes. And said they would do it again!

Even though the experience of panic was quite brief, I find any wandering of my thoughts back to then almost as upsetting as the actual thing. It was almost a week ago and I woke suddenly last night in panic because of dreaming about it. I had to leave the bedroom because it felt too confined and sleep on the sofa.

Is this typical aftermath of experiencing your phobia?

Man I don’t like this!

Did you not play hide and seek when you where kid? Like hiding under the bed in the closet or in some boxes?

I wonder if some of the claustrophobia is proper conditioning or bad experience when you where young.

Where some thing happen to cause you to be claustrophobia.

[Chefguy]

I have a fear of heights, and a fear of water that’s over my head. In the case of the later, I’ve had a few experiences that could easily have resulted in death. But I don’t have panic attacks as a result, just a real aversion to abrupt drop-offs and being on a boat. Crossing one of those steel grate bridges where I can see the water far below is pretty much a non-starter.

[spamforbrains]

I have a fear of heights

Me too, but I figure that’s mostly rational. You can die from falling off a cliff. However, there have been times when I had to walk or drive across a particularly nasty bridge or near a very steep drop off I’ve experienced extreme terror. To the point that I would do anything to avoid going there again. Never had nightmares about it, though. Once I get past the scary place I quickly feel fine. Except when thinking about going there again.

[carlotta]

@sweat209

Did you not play hide and seek when you where kid? Like hiding under the bed in the closet or in some boxes?

I wonder if some of the claustrophobia is proper conditioning or bad experience when you where young.

Where some thing happen to cause you to be claustrophobia.

I have no memory of having this extreme anxiety response until the MRI. I played hide and seek as a kid, hid under beds and in closets for sure, but no memory of anything upsetting or traumatizing.

As far as I know my claustrophobia has no origin story.

[sweat209]

@carlotta

I have no memory of having this extreme anxiety response until the MRI. I played hide and seek as a kid, hid under beds and in closets for sure, but no memory of anything upsetting or traumatizing.

As far as I know my claustrophobia has no origin story.

So some thing happen well you having a MRI and you had a bad experience? And now every thing is claustrophobia just being in small room or in hallway?

Going to public bathroom or being in small car or elevator is anxiety? Or is it just MRI?

[Nava]

@sweat209

Did you not play hide and seek when you where kid? Like hiding under the bed in the closet or in some boxes?

I did, but it was always outdoors. No closets or boxes involved.

In my case I say “claustrophobia” because that’s a word people understand, but it’s more of a can’t-escape-phobia. Going into an MRI, I had a bit of a problem but not too much (I could have pushed myself out at any time, if I really wanted to). It was more boring than anything, by the time the scan was done I was half asleep.

Last time I had an attack was going into a tiny meeting room with one of those guys who talk in a very low voice and use “compassionate” and “we” words but are not really on your side at all, and he was blocking the only exit. In order to leave, I would have needed to push him out of the way and there was simply no room to do it. I came this close >< to freaking out.

It’s only happened a few times, but every time it’s been when I was in a situation or position in which I didn’t want to be and could not leave. I haven’t had nightmares about it later, though. It may take me a few days to digest it (I kind of get angry at myself) but once the situation is over, so is the fear and anxiety.

[pool]

I know a lot of people that are specifically scared of MRI’s for some reason. My Dad had to get one once and he couldn’t make it more than like ten minutes till he had to get out. I’ve had one but I actually enjoyed it, they let me listen to music during and it didn’t bother me at all.

[watchwolf49]

On our drive to Mt Saint Helens, we discovered one of my sons had a fear of heights … right there just inside the blast zone, you know the spot, yeah, right there … maybe not a phobia, it’s completely rational to be afraid on that road, I have no idea why it doesn’t slide down.

[Chefguy]

@spamforbrains

Me too, but I figure that’s mostly rational. You can die from falling off a cliff. However, there have been times when I had to walk or drive across a particularly nasty bridge or near a very steep drop off I’ve experienced extreme terror. To the point that I would do anything to avoid going there again. Never had nightmares about it, though. Once I get past the scary place I quickly feel fine. Except when thinking about going there again.

Come to think of it, I do occasionally have abrupt edge nightmares. The worst part about acrophobia is that it gets worse as you get older. I found out the hard way that I can’t even ride on a Ferris wheel now, whereas it never used to bother me when I was younger.

[Left_Hand_of_Dorkness]

My only phobia–and it’s a doozy–is medical needles (and to a lesser extent other medical events). But my reaction is almost entirely beforehand: I have trouble sleeping, I obsess before the event. During the event I tremble, moan, lie down to avoid passing out, don’t lie down and pass out, vomit, writhe, and so forth. My control over myself is pretty much limited to not running away. It takes me about five or ten minutes to recover myself, and them I’m 100% fine except for a little emotionally drained and ashamed of my behavior.

Tranquilizers definitely help :).

[gigi]

@Left_Hand_of_Dorkness

My only phobia–and it’s a doozy–is medical needles (and to a lesser extent other medical events). But my reaction is almost entirely beforehand: I have trouble sleeping, I obsess before the event. During the event I tremble, moan, lie down to avoid passing out, don’t lie down and pass out, vomit, writhe, and so forth. My control over myself is pretty much limited to not running away. It takes me about five or ten minutes to recover myself, and them I’m 100% fine except for a little emotionally drained and ashamed of my behavior.

Tranquilizers definitely help :).

As long as they don;t have to administer them by needle. :eek:

[sweat209]

@Nava

I did, but it was always outdoors. No closets or boxes involved.

In my case I say “claustrophobia” because that’s a word people understand, but it’s more of a can’t-escape-phobia. Going into an MRI, I had a bit of a problem but not too much (I could have pushed myself out at any time, if I really wanted to). It was more boring than anything, by the time the scan was done I was half asleep.

Last time I had an attack was going into a tiny meeting room with one of those guys who talk in a very low voice and use “compassionate” and “we” words but are not really on your side at all, and he was blocking the only exit. In order to leave, I would have needed to push him out of the way and there was simply no room to do it. I came this close >< to freaking out.

It’s only happened a few times, but every time it’s been when I was in a situation or position in which I didn’t want to be and could not leave. I haven’t had nightmares about it later, though. It may take me a few days to digest it (I kind of get angry at myself) but once the situation is over, so is the fear and anxiety.

It just lot of phobias have trigger some where. And many times a bad experience will trigger it.

Like people afraid of water, being in a open ocean or being in a elevator.

I known some people afraid to swim or go any where close to water.