I have a fear of...Claustrophobia
Welcome to help about Claustrophobia
“I have always been claustrophobic. But I have been able to control my panic attacks for a number of years and so I am able to use lifts and am reasonably happy in confined spaces, but only if I do my breathing exercises.
As things got better for me, my husband suggested that we took a holiday abroad which meant taking flight. I was mildly apprehensive but generally felt okay. That was until we got on the aircraft. I was expecting that there would be one door to be closed and then we would be off. Unfortunately, I discovered later, that there are lots of freight doors to be closed and before a plane can fly.
But as each one shut with a great big clunk I became more and more anxious. You could even feel the plane move as the doors closed. Unfortunately we were sitting in sight of the last door to be closed. When the crew started to move all the handles I really felt as if I was being shut in and my anxieties really started to kick in. My husband was very good and encouraged me to do my relaxation and breathing exercises which helped. My question is how much air is in the cabin and how thin does it become at 35,000 feet. I would feel a lot better if I knew that I could open a window even though I know everything is shut tight until landing.”
D.A. Mc. NYC NY
The crew are trained to help you.
Breathing plays an important part in overcoming both panic attacks and claustrophobia. You should learn diaphragmatic breathing techniques to control these overwhelming feelings. The cabin crew are trained to help passengers who suffer from this.
People who suffer from these symptoms generally have negative thoughts about them. Most of us ignore temporary feelings that we might get in our chest or in our breathing patterns but for some people they are signs of suffocation or collapsing. It is all a question of how an individual interprets the symptoms.
It is important to learn to recognise the signals that precede an attack and use breathing, relaxation of visualisation techniques to reduce anxiety levels.
Remember the pilots can open their Direct Vision window even when airborne.
There is much more for you to discover on this web site so please have a look around and get the knowledge and confidence that you need to overcome your fear of flying.
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