In order to know the meaning of the term claustrophobia, it is necessary to discover, first of all, its etymological origin. In this case we can establish that it is a neologism that was formed from two clearly differentiated parts:
-The Latin word “claustrum”, which can be translated as “closed” or “bolt”.
-The Greek noun “phobia”, which is synonymous with “irrational fear of something”.
From these two terms, claustrophobia was formed in 1879 by Benjamin Ball, a professor at the University of Paris.
According to DigoPaul, the claustrophobia is the phobia is experienced to the indoors. It is part of the so-called anxiety disorders, which occurs when the person suffers from pathological anxiety.
In the case of claustrophobia, fear and aversion arise when the individual is in a small environment, in a tunnel, in a cave or in an elevator, to name a few possibilities. The phobia is linked to the possible negative effects related to this type of space, such as running out of air.
In general, the claustrophobic tries to avoid closed places since they feel vulnerable and without freedom. When accessing these kinds of places is unavoidable, you begin to have various sensations derived from the high level of anxiety: dizziness, tachycardia, suffocation, sweating, tremors, etc. Once you move away from what is causing the phobia, the anxiety is reduced and the symptoms disappear.
The development of claustrophobia usually occurs after a traumatic experience in a closed place. If a person has a tunnel accident and is trapped for ten hours until rescue, they may start to panic when they are in a place with no natural light and poor ventilation. Claustrophobia can also be contracted by witnessing or hearing a negative event such as the one mentioned.
The treatment of claustrophobia is carried out with therapy sessions with a psychologist or a psychiatrist. The professional tries to get the patient to develop the necessary tools to control and modify the pathological reaction triggered by closed spaces and thus overcome fear.
Other important data on claustrophobia are the following:
-The studies carried out on this fear must be established that they indicate that, as a general rule, it is due to some type of traumatic situation experienced during childhood. Situation that led the person to remain locked in a dark room, to be locked in a closet…
-Have thoughts that he is going to run out of air or that he is going to die, chest pain, nausea or even strong Headaches are other symptoms that claustrophobics experience when faced with a situation that brings out the fear they feel.
-In addition to sessions with a psychologist or psychiatrist, treatment may consist of the use of drugs, such as anxiolytics, or the use of relaxation tools, as would be the case, for example, of the so-called mindfulness, which in recent years years has achieved so much relevance.
