Claustrophobia

Jules

Jules

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“Claustrophobia is an anxiety disorder that causes an intense fear of enclosed spaces.”

Anyone else have this problem?

Just typing the word makes me anxious. I started to type this topic last night and couldn’t. Right now wouldn’t be a good time to take my blood pressure.

A long time ago I woke up from an anesthetic and couldn’t move for a few minutes. Not sure if this is when it started, if not, it sure heightened it.
 
Yes I am.

Elevators 🤮, MRI machines, I need medications. The door at the doctor office needs to be cracked open a bit. But I realized, over time, that it’s not so much a claustrophobic condition as a need to be able to have an escape route.

No visible ready escape route equals both a claustrophobic reaction and a possible a panic attack.
 
A while back, I went for an MRI.

The clinician, who was about to slide me into the tube asked, 'you're not claustrophobic, are you?'

'I'm just gonna pretend I'm my cat.'

'Pretend that you're your cat?' she repeated, sounding confused.

'You can offer my cat a box that a freezer came in, or one that held a pair of toddler's slippers. He'll choose the shoe box each and ever tine; hunkering down until he's spilling over the sides.'

This gal laughed and said it sounded just like her cat.

And that's been my only experience with having had an MRI. It was annoyingly noisy. I was admonished to lay still. But I lived on to write this post about it, so...
 
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palides2021 said:
Anxiety can also be a physiological response to your environment. The "fight or flight" hormones come from your adrenal gland and it sits on top of the kidney. It might be the culprit. https://www.adrenal.com/adrenal-gland/function

My mom has had a cyst on her adrenal gland for years, and she's afraid of just about everything (calls me everyday to make sure I'm ok).
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My adrenal glands are dead which is why I take prednisone so I doubt it’s that, but I don’t know. I think it’s a result of child abuse.
 
Post 4
Smoothseas was asked, 'you're not claustrophobic, are you?'


No, oh hell no, I live in a closet because it's easy to clean.
 
I did suffer from claustrophobia during the days of the old fashioned MRIs. Not any more; since they are 'open' MRIs. An open MRI is an MRI machine that is configured differently, mostly for patient comfort. Conventional MRIs consist of a hollow, cylindrical structure that patients are sent slowly through.:eek: My first conventional MRI was done many years ago and the Radiology tech put a fan at one end. It helped. :LOL:
 
I'm not intensely claustrophobic, but sometimes if I get "cornered" like at a party or anyplace with a lot of people like a crowded elevator, I can feel an anxiety attack coming on and I'll push my way through until I'm free. It's almost like I feel smothered or something.
 
I was petrified of elevators when I was around 10 years old. My parents moved us to a different town but the new house they bought wasn't quite ready when we arrived so we stayed in a hotel with about 25 stories, We were on the 19th floor and I remember insisting on walking up all 19 stories rather than take that damn elevator - lol. Being in an enclosed space doesn't bother me any longer though.

If you're even mildly claustrophobic don't watch the movie 'Buried'; just don't! I was gonna post the trailer here but I won't out of respect for those it would negatively impact.
 
Kaila said:
I have wondered if these have become available in more areas and locations, and if they are available without extra costs to the patient.
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The last time I had an MRI was a little over a year ago and I can't recall if we paid for it. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh, yes, we did pay an arm and a leg. Because the MRI I was to have at the hospital where hubby worked was super outdated and they hurt my hip. I was then referred to another hospital which our insurance wouldn't pay. I remember it was expensive. I have no clue as how much we paid.

If a doctor or facility has no contract with your health plan, they're considered out-of-network and can charge you full price. It's usually much higher than the in-network discounted rate.

It's so sad but the reality is that it is all about money. When I had those procedures done recently, the Radiologist herself said that the hospital had two MRIs and that both needed to be replaced. She said that if I needed an MRI, she would order one in another city. Why on earth would I do that if there are other hospitals in our area and I am now on Medicare and can go anywhere for an MRI.. I declined, of course.
 
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Aneeda72 said:
Yes I am.

Elevators 🤮, MRI machines, I need medications. The door at the doctor office needs to be cracked open a bit. But I realized, over time, that it’s not so much a claustrophobic condition as a need to be able to have an escape route.

No visible ready escape route equals both a claustrophobic reaction and a possible a panic attack.
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Exactalactly.
 
Kaila said:
I have wondered if these have become available in more areas and locations, and if they are available without extra costs to the patient.
Click to expand...
An MRI in Australia can cost consumers up to almost $1,500, depending on the area of the body being scanned and the reason for the scan. MRIs are free for inpatients in public hospitals, or when bulk-billed at a radiology practice – providing you have a referral from a specialist or GP and your scan is a Medicare-eligible procedure.

But as more than half the Australian population – about 13.6 millions people – have private health insurance, the price jumps up outrageously IMO, depending on what part of the body is being x-rayed. Luckily when I had my hip replacements I had a CT scan which was much less traumatic.
 
Aneeda72 said:
Yes I am.

Elevators 🤮, MRI machines, I need medications. The door at the doctor office needs to be cracked open a bit. But I realized, over time, that it’s not so much a claustrophobic condition as a need to be able to have an escape route.

No visible ready escape route equals both a claustrophobic reaction and a possible a panic attack.
Click to expand...
Yes! An escape route! That's exactly what I feel when I'm "cornered" by a bunch of people.
 
MrPants said:
If you're even mildly claustrophobic don't watch the movie 'Buried'; just don't! I was gonna post the trailer here but I won't out of respect for those it would negatively impact.
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Thanks for the warning. This did remind of an Alfred Hitchcock TV show I saw in my youth, so it obviously was bothering me then.
 
You've seen these TV detective shows where kidnappers bury their victim, (there have been a few real ones, i remember the last in
Florida, over two decades ago) the only appropriate punishment for these crooks is to bury them, with enough oxygen for a week.
There will be no attempt to dig them up.
 
I’m not really claustrophobic but I’ve begun Insisting that the door in the Drs office gets left open a bit as long as I’m not undressed. This after one time they all went to lunch and left me on a table i couldn’t get off of. They each thought somebody else was going to get me down etc. MRI,CT doesn’t bother me. Was more worried about the old style X-ray stuff with tons of stuff hanging on wires over me. Not afraid of heights but respect them. Don’t like to go up to the edge of the scenic wonders because people jostle around.
on the other hand, how people can make a “game “ out of this “escape room” fad is totally beyond my comprehension.
 
Jules said:
Thanks for the warning. This did remind of an Alfred Hitchcock TV show I saw in my youth, so it obviously was bothering me then.
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I am a bit claustrophobic -- I do fine in elevators, etc. But watching any of those buried alive movies will send me over the edge. Or movies about being trapped under something, like in an earthquake. It's one of the biggest reasons (irrational, I know) that I've chosen to be cremated.
 
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