Something has been bugging me all my life and that's claustrophobia. What is claustrophobia in the first place? Well, it is an extreme or irrational fear of confined spaces, according to the dictionary of course!
My problem is basically that. I feel like I'm being strangled every time and I'll feel like vomiting. It's something that I have to go through with everyday. Is it fun? No. Is it curable? I don't know. Am I handling it well? I would say so.
Just sitting on a bus to school or work gets me feeling uneasy. When I feel like I have no space to move, especially my arms, I go into these panic modes that after experiencing it for a while, I've managed to find ways to deal with it.
I'll like to share with you as I know I'm not the only one suffering from these kinds of issue. Here are the steps I take when I know that my space is getting limited.
First, I tell myself don't panic. I know this seems really cheesy but it actually helps. Letting yourself know that you know what's going on is the first step to calming yourself.
Next, I'll breath in and out, and actually paying attention to it. When you're focusing on your breathing, your mind tends to lose focus on everything else. This means you won't actually know you're feeling squeamish.
While making sure you're breathing, try to look out the window or if you're sitting in the middle, just stare out the window. Get yourself as distracted as possible.
If you're feeling nauseous, use your hands to cover your mouth, while biting the inside of your lips simultaneously. This is to prevent yourself from making a mess if you do puke. Don't attempt to drink water.
These steps should help to get you feeling better and to be able to complete the journey without having to worry about having a panic attack when the walls feels like it's closing in.
There is however one mode of transportation that those steps doesn't work on for me. That is the airplane. I am terrified of planes. Somehow, every time I'm on it, I'll end up getting the seat right in the middle. No window, no space, and no way out. The best way to get over my claustrophobia on planes are simply falling asleep, reading a book, watching movies, or just talking to someone. These do help me a lot.
I really hope this blogpost has been essential for you and would help you get over similar problems that you're facing :)
Don't forget to share it with your friends if this helped you or you know someone who also goes through the same problem!
xoxo, elly.
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