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Suggest Treatment For Panic Attacks And Claustrophobia
Question: hello, 30 years female. Since childhood am scared of going to closed spaces like lift, travel in plane, Ac buses, metro trains etc. later, I started facing my fears like started traveling in flight, Ac buses, metro trains etc but I have not dared go in lift. During my pregnancy, while traveling in plane i had a kind of panic attack while landing, which I used have in my childhood due to extreme fear of closed chamber. After this incidence even if I see closed chamber like Ac bus, aero plane, lift I get terrified. I want overcome this claustrophobia.
Brief Answer:
Medicines and/or behavior therapy would help
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
Thanks for writing to us.
You are aware that you are suffering from claustrophobia.
It can be treated.
The best way is cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention.
In CBT your automatic thoughts of fear while in you are in such situation will be responded in specific manner. You have to face situation with relaxation techniques of deep breathing or low dose mouth dissolving benzodiazepine drug like clonazepam. After such incidence you need to actively think about whole incidence and understand that what has happened and your behavior was correct or not. Gradually you will learn how to behave in this situation.
In exposure and prevention you need to face fearful places intentionally (or we can say forcefully) with courage. For example you will be kept in lift for few minutes daily. This approach is not used nowadays. But if person is ready to go with this approach it can give fast results.
Medicines also can help to prevent panic attacks as well as to reduce thoughts of fear in such situations.
In medicines SSRI group of drugs(fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, escitalopram) are main stay of the treatment. Benzodiazepines group of drugs (clonazeapm, lorazepam or etizolam) are used initially for short duration for fast symptomatic relief.
I prefer paroxetine in such cases.
As your problem is there since long medicines and psychotherapy both should be applied simultaneously and later on medicines can be withdrawn gradually.
For treatment you need to consult psychiatrist personally.
Hope I have answer your query, I will be happy to help further.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki
Medicines and/or behavior therapy would help
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
Thanks for writing to us.
You are aware that you are suffering from claustrophobia.
It can be treated.
The best way is cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention.
In CBT your automatic thoughts of fear while in you are in such situation will be responded in specific manner. You have to face situation with relaxation techniques of deep breathing or low dose mouth dissolving benzodiazepine drug like clonazepam. After such incidence you need to actively think about whole incidence and understand that what has happened and your behavior was correct or not. Gradually you will learn how to behave in this situation.
In exposure and prevention you need to face fearful places intentionally (or we can say forcefully) with courage. For example you will be kept in lift for few minutes daily. This approach is not used nowadays. But if person is ready to go with this approach it can give fast results.
Medicines also can help to prevent panic attacks as well as to reduce thoughts of fear in such situations.
In medicines SSRI group of drugs(fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, escitalopram) are main stay of the treatment. Benzodiazepines group of drugs (clonazeapm, lorazepam or etizolam) are used initially for short duration for fast symptomatic relief.
I prefer paroxetine in such cases.
As your problem is there since long medicines and psychotherapy both should be applied simultaneously and later on medicines can be withdrawn gradually.
For treatment you need to consult psychiatrist personally.
Hope I have answer your query, I will be happy to help further.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Neel Kudchadkar
Answered by
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