How do people with claustrophobia work in the office?

In the modern world, every person has encountered an escalator at least once. This happened in a shopping center, or on the subway, or while going to some other public place. But no one thinks about the fact that many people are worried about the fear of this design. After all, it is the fear of escalators that causes many citizens around the world to suffer. In psychology, this phobia is called escalophobia. If at least once in your life you have had a strong feeling of fear before taking a step on the escalator, then you need to seek help from a specialist.

The fear of escalators is called escalophobia

Causes

Millions of people travel by metro every day, without thinking that they may be in danger. They are not afraid to board a train or ride an escalator. All these ordinary things are impossible for someone suffering from subway anxiety. The fear of the subway is called metrophobia. Where does this fear of this type of public transport come from?

• According to psychologists, fear of riding the subway can occur in people prone to nervous disorders. This can be either unfavorable heredity or individual characteristics.
• People who are vulnerable, prone to suspiciousness and anxiety are especially susceptible to developing this phobia.
• Very often, the cause of fear of the subway is an unpleasant experience. This could be a situation where a subway car has stopped or an accident has occurred. Having witnessed an accident in underground transport, a person is afraid to enter the subway again.
• MASS MEDIA. Regular reports of terrorist attacks and explosions cause genuine horror before visiting the metro.

Ideal room

What does an ideal office look like for people who experience anxiety in confined spaces? We decided to ask Amir Idiatulin, general director of the architectural studio IND Architects and winner of the Best Office Awards, about this.

— When designing office space, we take this factor into account and work to ensure that future employees do not feel depressed in the office. If the space is compressed, there are no windows or they are very small, then we try to maximize the room using architectural methods. To do this, we use light colors in the interior, and if the ceiling is low, we make open utility lines (this gives volume to the space, and besides, it’s fashionable now). Very often, for example, in hallways where there is little space, we use mirrors and various glass, glossy surfaces that reflect light and create depth of space,” explains Idiatulin.

Fears of a metrophobe

There are several things that a metrophobe is afraid of. What a person with a phobia fears: they are afraid of the ceiling collapsing and are afraid of being buried underground. Metrophobes also fear:

• terrorist attacks and the possibility of becoming a hostage;
• explosions, which are often reported in the press and on TV;
• accidents occurring due to a vehicle malfunction;
• the likelihood of being stuck in a subway car for a long time;
• darkness if the light suddenly turns off;
• robberies.

Related Fears

An anxious state arises due to pre-existing psychological abnormalities in which the patient fears something.

Claustrophobia

The fear of enclosed spaces often overlaps with the fear of riding the subway. Psychologists connect this very simply: a person is afraid to move in the subway because he is afraid of getting stuck in a carriage without the ability to leave it.

A feeling of confinement, a feeling that “the walls are pressing in” can occur in a person suffering from claustrophobia when entering the carriage.

Achluophobia

The fear of the dark, known to many, forces the sufferer to abandon the thought of the subway. The patient is not only afraid of being in a dark subway tunnel, but also of the fact that at some point the electricity may turn off.

Social phobia

People suffering from social phobia feel uncomfortable, so they try to avoid crowds. This is almost impossible in the metro, since this type of transport is one of the most popular.

Psychologist Sergei Klyuchnikov

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I would like to start the blog with something more joyful and positive than the terrible explosions in the subway. But along with the victories and discoveries that make us happy, a lot of bad things are happening in the world...

Not all of these events are worthy of attention, although you can learn from the greatest grief.

Don't want to go down to the Metro? Are you afraid of the possibility of another explosion?

No matter how scared we are, we have no choice but to conquer ourselves and our fear. And this can be done if we understand the science of constant mobilization. To be mobilized means to awaken from a lazy, dormant state and be ready at any moment to accept the challenge of life.

During the first few days, fear spread through our souls in the form of shock. The acute stress scared many. People admitted that they were afraid not only for themselves, but more often for their loved ones, who might end up on the subway again. Today, the initial shock has passed and life seems to be returning to normal. The authorities have promised to strictly punish all those responsible and I want to believe that they will try to do this. The dead cannot be brought back, but as they say in such cases, life goes on.

But can we now live without fear? Psychology teaches us that after the stage of acute shock and stress comes the illusion of calm, and then comes the stage of the so-called post-traumatic syndrome. During this period, fear may return in the form of anxiety attacks and waves of depression. Our legs themselves begin to fail when we are about to go to where these explosions occurred - in the subway. If we give in to fear, we may turn into neurotics who will not be able to use public transport at all.

Should We Yield to Those Who Prepared Terrorist Attacks?

Those who planned these explosions really hoped to make fear a constant companion in our lives. They wanted us to become afraid of everything - even just going into the subway! Imagine how this paralyzes our lives, especially if we do not have personal cars. And those who have very often have to use the metro if they have to deal with business issues in the center of Moscow during the day. I am convinced that we cannot allow terrorists to rule our lives. After all, by being frightened and showing our weakness, we will encourage them to launch new attacks. Weakness never pacifies the aggressor, but rather inflames him.

We need to learn the science of calm and courage. This is our only way out. Today, the entire population should be imbued with calm and courage, and not just the military, police and representatives of the special services. Still, there have been much more terrible trials in our history. It is not us who should be afraid, but those who sent innocent people to their deaths. We are able to cope with fear itself, and with the fear of fear, which makes some people panic and complicate their lives by avoiding travel on the subway.

How Not to Be Afraid of Your Fear?

Let’s imagine the consciousness of a good athlete, a martial artist, a person who went through special forces. He can be calm and happy. And if he has to ride the subway, he doesn’t clench his teeth or play with his nodules, suspiciously peering into the face of every migrant worker. He is always ready for active action, and if danger comes, he will be the first to be able to react to it correctly. This will allow him to save himself faster than others and effectively help those in trouble.

Mobilization is not fear or suspicion towards every person of Caucasian nationality. But this is not carelessness, not wanting to think anything about the dangers that surround us. It is impossible to live in our world, completely shifting the problems of our security to the authorities, law enforcement agencies, police and special services. Yes, we must demand from those who are professionally entrusted with protecting our lives to fulfill their professional duty. But it will take a lot of time for the authorities to learn how to competently protect us. And now we need to live not with our heads bent, but with our heads held high. To do this, we need to defeat the fear that has penetrated our hearts.

Yes, after the explosions we began to identify the metro with danger, although a real threat can meet us anywhere. A terrorist attack is rarely repeated; terrorists understand that if it happens every day, people will get used to the danger and, to some extent, stop being afraid. And this is not part of their plans.

So you need to understand: if an attack occurred yesterday, it is far from certain that it will continue today. You need to be vigilant, but you cannot turn your life into continuous suspicion and expectation of horror. We must believe in a successful outcome of all events and remain calm.

To cope with fear in the subway, it is useful to do internal work on yourself, using psychological exercises and practices. I will give a list of such practices that I use in working with my clients.

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Difficulties

This phobia is not life-threatening, but it causes a lot of inconvenience to the patient. Life is complicated by the fact that you have to give up fast and convenient transport due to obsessive thoughts about danger: a metrophobe is late for important meetings, events and meetings, taking too long to get to the right place. If there is no alternative to the metro, the patient is forced to abandon a planned event or communication with friends simply because he cannot get to the specified place in any other way.

He is forced to look for alternatives, making life more difficult for himself and his loved ones.

Signs

Often a metrophobe carries fear within himself. On the one hand, this is constant avoidance of the object of the phobia, and on the other, it is a panic attack at the mere thought of having to go into the subway.

Panic becomes acute if the patient has to use the subway.

In this case, the following symptoms occur:

• excitement and anxiety;
• heaviness in the legs;
• hand tremors;
• sweating;
• tinnitus and pressure surges;
• lack of air;
• irregular heart beats.

These symptoms can cause a nervous breakdown, and the presence of chronic stress leads to serious illnesses (strokes, heart attacks).

Clinical signs of metrophobia

Metrophobia differs in two clinical signs: one of which is panic attacks, the other is avoidance of movement by this type of transport.

Avoidance is a set of actions by the patient aimed at circumventing actions so as not to experience discomfort from traveling on the subway. Metrophobes refuse underground transport services, choosing other methods of transportation.

Panic attacks are attacks of uncontrollable fear. Even being in the metro area, not to mention going down to the station, can take a person out of a state of mental balance. In cases of an attack of uncontrollable fear, characteristic phenomena are noted: difficulty breathing, flashing of spots, limbs become heavy, as if filled with lead, profuse sweating occurs (cold sweat appears on the back and palms), heart rhythm is disturbed, which leads to heavy intermittent breathing and shortness of breath, the apogee of such symptoms is loss of consciousness.

During a panic attack, the patient cannot concentrate. In this state, he is very vulnerable and is capable of becoming a victim of an accident or accident.

Signs of a phobia

Treatment methods

To overcome the fear of the metro, beliefs and understanding of one’s problem alone may not be enough, so a metrophobe will need high-quality medical care. One of the first steps will be to contact a psychotherapist, who will prescribe homeopathic medicines that will provide the patient with calm. Medicinal herbs (valerian, motherwort, lemon balm) have a mild calming effect. In advanced cases, tranquilizers from the benzodiazepine group may be required. They relieve fears, which helps you temporarily forget about the fear of the metro and use this transport when you need to.

If you are afraid of riding the subway, then to eliminate your fear of the subway you will need hypnosis, which will help you find and eliminate the root of the problem at the subconscious level. Hypnotic sessions will give control over emotions and give the patient the desired calm. Painless treatment with hypnosis, as well as methods of suggestion, is a chance for complete healing of metrophobia and restoration of a harmonious life. Exposure to the very nature of fear helps to cope with a phobia.

We must not forget about a healthy lifestyle. Walking in the fresh air, regular exercise, and the ability to organize your work day can strengthen the nervous system and make it less susceptible to any phobias.

Fear is a difficult phenomenon; with the right approach, you can forget about it forever, leaving unpleasant sensations in the past.

Bloody interview

Igor Tulin, owner of the Internet company NewTube, told us a story illustrating how difficult it is for people with claustrophobia to be in conditions familiar to everyone else.
When he worked at a bank as deputy head of the project finance department, he needed an economist to forecast and analyze real estate prices. He remembered the interview with one of the candidates for a long time. — A woman in her early 30s came. I immediately noticed that she had a sad look, there was some kind of “universal melancholy” in it. However, we had a good talk - her competencies met my expectations. Throughout almost the entire interview, which took place in my office, the door was slightly open, and I noticed that the woman periodically glanced at her, but did not attach any importance to it. But suddenly my colleagues took and closed the door. I didn’t even have time to react when the applicant jumped onto the windowsill, knocked out the glass, grabbed the outer grille and began to shake it. At the same time, she screamed heart-rendingly: “Help!” Passers-by began to gather. She asked to call the police and an ambulance,” recalls Igor Tulin.

Bank employees opened all the doors that she might encounter on her way out and said that the passage was clear. After 15 minutes of calm persuasion, during which colleagues emphasized that the ambulance was on the way, the police too, and that she could leave the building without hindrance, the claustrophobic applicant gradually came to her senses. She climbed down from the windowsill and walked towards the exit.

“There was nothing left of the double glass - they shattered to pieces. I had to take two curtains to the dry cleaner because they were covered in blood. The woman had numerous cuts. She cut her forehead on the bars and had to be stitched up. Blood flooded the entire corridor and splattered the walls,” says Tulin.