Fear Of Being In A Narrow Room Or Cleithrophobia, Recognize Symptoms And How To Overcome

YOGYAKARTA When trapped in an elevator and the body feels chilled with excessive fear, it could be because of a phobia of being in a narrow room or called clicithophobia. Cleithrophobia is a specific type of phobia, comes from the Greek clicitho which means closed or closed. Many events can trigger cleithrophobia, including locked in a bathroom or another small room, such as an elevator. This phobia can be experienced by children and adults with various disturbing symptoms.

If a person has clicitrophobia, he will be afraid of any situation when in a narrow room. Fear will make the breath faster, chest pain, dizziness, and shaking. This phobia can be related to traumatic experiences, but evolutionary and genetic factors also play a role.

Symptoms of clicitrophobia are similar to other specific phobia symptoms. Such as experiencing chest pain, chills, difficulty breathing, dizziness, fear of losing control, nausea, fast heart rate, shaking, and sweating. If someone has this type of phobia, they can panic and feel trapped when in a narrow room. They can scream, cry, attack physically, freeze, and try to escape.

Diagnosis clicithrophobia is performed after taking medical history and conducting laboratory tests as well as physical examinations. Clehithrophobia, not recognized as a different condition in DSM-5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). In contrast, this condition will be classified as a specific phobia form. To be diagnosed with specific phobias:

Cleithrophobia is often misinterpreted by clausthrophobia, or fear of a closed space. Although the two have some similarities, there are significant differences between the two. Klaustrophobia, can happen at any time when in a narrow and closed space. While clicithophobia, often feel very comfortable when entering a narrow area they are free to leave but they feel unable to leave it, locked, or trapped.

That means, clicitrophobia is okay with a narrow space if there is a way out. But you can feel panic if it is locked. This fobia can also cause anticipatory anxiety. In contrast to clauses of feasibility that can cause panic when entering a narrow space. These two phobias can occur simultaneously, because it is important to get a professional diagnosis of mental health and get the right treatment.

How to deal with the specific phobia of clicitrophobia, reported VerywellMind, Monday, February 17, by overcoming the anxiety and fear caused by the phobia. Among them by deep breathing, meditation, practicing full attention, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, and visualization. In addition, opening every door from a narrow room can help you feel calmer.