Am I Claustrophobic?!

 Friends, I was in my school and during vacation, I would always go to my maternal village, Nandgaon in Nasik district. As a small kid with all my cousins, I visited the Devi temple on one of the Fridays. I entered the temple through the main door, and it was loaded with people. The crowd drifted me inside, gradually towards the main statue, and when we were inside that time I started feeling breathless. It was an uncomfortable and intense feeling of escape and I also started suffocating with hot flashes. When I came out in open air, it was a feeling of life once again. This incidence repeated so many times, in the temples, sometimes in the public bus, sometimes in an auto rickshaw, sometimes in a crowded mall, in an aeroplane, at all these places crowd was the common factor which would always to lead to accumulation of carbon dioxide. A contributing factor to that was the temperature, like if it is winters or heavy rains, breathlessness was not an issue but if it was summers and a crowded place, it often lead to breathlessness. Due to these many incidences I realised that I am claustrophobic. Castrophobia is a fear or anxiety either due to a confined space or crowded place. It begins with sweating, difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath, hot flashes, panic-state, trembling and in later conditions unconsciousness. 

There are ways to control the claustrophobia related symptoms,

1. Practicing slow and deep nostril breathing, and bhastrika pranayama. 

2. ⁠Smelling Kapur crystals wrapped in a cloth.

3. ⁠Unwrapping the excess clothing like scarf, overcoat, socks, shoes etc. 

4. ⁠letting your feet breathe freely. 

5. ⁠Slow, regular and safe exposure to all that triggers claustrophobia.

6. ⁠Diverting attention to something which interests you more during the incidence. 

7. ⁠Wearing thin, cotton inner garments that aren’t too body fitting especially during heated weather.

8. If claustrophobia goes beyond control and becomes a hurdle in the daily routine, then medical advice has to be taken. 

In regular life following things can be practiced,

a. Inside a room – standing near to the exits, very close to fan or AC.

b. Inside a vehicle – avoiding travelling when traffic will be heavy, when the temperature is high during afternoon, sitting near the window or the AC slit. 

c. Inside a building – preferring to take the stairs rather than the lift.

d. At a party – standing near the door in a crowded room, even if the room is large.

e. Physically always being near the exit point.

f. Avoiding heavy meals, eating satwik food and staying hydrated.