Symptoms | Agoraphobia and claustrophobia

Symptoms

Claustrophobia: Claustrophobia describes the fear of narrow or closed spaces. It is a so-called specific phobia in which the anxiety is limited to one object or situation. The narrow spaces, such as elevators, trigger a more or less oppressive, tense feeling in the patient.

If the person concerned gets into the situation, even physical symptoms such as difficult breathing or shortness of breath can be triggered, even though there is no triggering cause. As a rule, the patient knows that his or her fears are unfounded, but cannot simply turn them off and therefore often experiences psychological distress. This can lead to avoidance behavior, by which the patient tries to avoid the circumstances that trigger the fear.The suffering is intensified by restrictions in social or professional life, as the patient feels powerless.

When confronted with this uncomfortable situation, a panic attack can occur. Agoraphobia:In agoraphobia, anxiety is concentrated in public places, crowds (e.g. on the bus, the subway or in halls) and in situations where the patient is on his or her own, for example when travelling independently or in unknown places far from home. Fear is the fear that problematic situations will arise from which the patient cannot escape or in which no immediate help is given.

Possible anxieties are partly caused by experiences that have already been made and that have caused a kind of trauma in the patient. Dizziness, fainting, loss of continence (urinary and intestinal control) as well as heart problems with associated pain can play a role in this context. The expected symptoms mentioned above represent only an excerpt of the overall possibilities.

The patient develops avoidance behavior in the context of this claustrophobia. He tries to avoid such unpleasant situations, but this often leads to critical situations, such as social isolation. Anxious environments may be visited only in company or not at all.

If a confrontation does occur, a panic attack can occur, which can be accompanied by physical symptoms. Although panic disorder is an isolated psychiatric disorder, it is often associated with anxiety disorders, especially in combination with agoraphobia. At the beginning of the diagnosis it should be examined whether the patient’s anxiety is normal or abnormal.

The symptoms that occur, any underlying previous illnesses and the degree of social restriction caused by the avoidance behavior play a role here. In the case of pre-existing conditions, both psychiatric conditions and physical illness must be taken into account. For example, in the context of the cardiovascular disease angina pectoris, a symptom occurs which those affected describe as a constricting, constricting feeling in the upper body.

If the symptomatology occurs in small spaces, it can be falsely associated with claustrophobia. If there is no such mental or physical illness, a primary anxiety disorder appears to exist. The first choice means of diagnosing and assessing anxiety disorders are psychological tests.

These are usually structured as questionnaires and must be completed either by the patient himself (self-assessment) or by the examiner (external assessment). For example, in the diagnosis of a questionable agoraphobia, one could examine existing avoidance behavior. The direct question about stress-inducing or frightening situations can also give an indication of a developed anxiety disorder if the answers are unusual (healthy people do not classify those situations as negative).