Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia (Latin claustrum "cage", gr φόβος Phobos " fear ", " phobia" ), called in technical language also claustrophobia, is a specific ( "isolated" ) anxiety disorder. It is expressed by those affected as fear of actual or perceived confinement or before the mere presence of close or enclosed spaces. In extreme cases, are already in a closed door to the panic attack. The fear of suffocation and fear of restriction: It makes sense the claustrophobia be divided into two related fears is. In appropriate situations occur where parties to hyperventilation and sweating.

Colloquially claustrophobia is called agoraphobia, while the psychology claustrophobia to the agoraphobia, the fear of public places or large spaces applies ( Phobia F40.0 according to standard ICD -10).

Occurrence

Claustrophobic fears are widely used in everyday life. They occur in elevators, buses and trains, but also in department stores, cinemas and generally in gatherings of people. Also the symptom in offices is known offering several jobs. Practical significance attained the claustrophobic especially in the MR environment, since the patient while lying up to 30 minutes in a tube and has to keep quiet, so that sufficient image quality will be guaranteed. With " open MRI systems," this fact is now being countered at individual study centers.

In a study by Murphy and Brunberg required during an arbitrary seven-week study period, of 939 patients who were 18 years or older, 134 persons ( 14.3 %) due to outspoken anxiety reactions some form of drug sedation ( up to general anesthesia ) so that the MRI scan could be performed.

Psychodynamic background

The psychodynamic background claustrophobic fears often lies in the inhibition of expansive and defensive patterns of behavior among those affected. So they set themselves in interpersonal relationships too little from, and the resulting fear of collection, Crowded Will and suffocation is shifted to symbolic situations.

Treatment

In claustrophobic fears, the increase up to the panic attack, antidepressants such as SSRIs or tricyclics are used. However, there are psychotherapeutic approaches such as behavioral therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. Play in behavioral therapy confrontation, and the detection of interpersonal behavior patterns a major role in psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis uncovering hidden not yet understood, that is, unconscious motives, the symptom is understood here as a compromise visual solution attempt. In addition, experimented recently with virtual reality techniques. It is an exposure therapy, are used in computer- based programs.