Ahmed El-Ganainy 211000846
Causes and effects of Claustrophobia
An extreme sense of fear or anxiety when put in specific circumstances can be classified as a
phobia. Phobias come in many types according to each individual; some might be extremely
stressed by spiders while others are deathly afraid of drowning. Another form of phobia is the
fear of enclosed space, also known as claustrophobia. Claustrophobia is a serious condition that
debilitates many societies' individuals. It is highly suggested that claustrophobia is a result of
childhood trauma, and its effect on adulthood includes poor mental health and debilitating
struggles through sufferers’ daily lives.
Childhood trauma could leave a long lasting effect on our lives, and claustrophobia is no
exception. According to Witter(2020), it is suggested by research that children who experience
trauma involving enclosed areas are likely to develop claustrophobia. Young children can very
likely be stuck in an elevator or punished by a parent by being locked inside a room for a few
hours which can lead to long lasting effects on their mental well being, and eventually leads to
developing claustrophobia as an adult. This reaffirms that childhood events have a massive
influence on whether a person develops claustrophobia or not. Moreover, young individuals who
experience bullying by their peers or experience stressful events unrelated to enclosed spaces are
prone to developing depression and anxiety disorders that lead to the development of phobias in
general. Accordingly, It is reasonable to assume that an individuals’ early life is an important
factor to consider when tracing back what caused an individuals’ claustrophobia.
While the causes of claustrophobia can be traced back to early childhood, its impact highly
influences a claustrophobic adult’s daily life.
Due to a claustrophobe’s daily encounters with enclosed areas, anxiety and high stress
situations are very prevalent. Constant stress and anxiety without a doubt take a toll on a
person’s mental well being (Nielsen, 2022). The constant stress leads to a decline in one’s
psychological well being and might result in depression or other serious mental disorders.
Sufferers of claustrophobia are very commonly sufferers of anxiety which results in a vicious
cycle of one worsening the other. Claustrophobia is a daily struggle against highly stressful
situations that result in many problems regarding psychological well being.
Additionally, claustrophobic individuals suffer from problems that affect daily activities that
might seem very easy and natural for others. Nielsen(2022) mentions that claustrophobia affects
a person’s career prospects and social relationships in a highly negative way due to their struggle
with simple daily tasks. To elaborate further, It is unlikely for someone suffering from
claustrophobia to accept a job in a different building that they do not know the layout of,
similarly, they do not attempt to go outside to a social gathering with their peers if the outing is
in a novel area. To add to that, riding an elevator or buying much needed supplies from an
underground store could cause claustrophobes to go through a panic attack which leads to them
being reluctant to leave their homes or attempt any new activities in fear of the aforementioned.
Claustrophobia highly impairs many individuals and turns many small chores into massive tasks.
To conclude, claustrophobia is most probably caused by childhood incidents and continues to
affect sufferers psychologically while impairing them throughout common everyday chores. It is
imperative for everyone to learn more about this phobia and help claustrophobic individuals seek
professional help by being supportive and arranging meetings with licensed professionals. A
huge role falls on the media to educate society about this phobia and let suffering individuals
know about steps to take in order to get rid of this major problem.