Claustrophobia is a common anxiety disorder that many people suffer from. Once a diagnosis of Claustrophobia is given, the appropriate treatment should be given as well to eliminate its symptoms.
Natural Remedies for Claustrophobia –
There are many natural remedies that can be used to treat symptoms of Claustrophobia. We have listed the top 7 below.
1. Observing others:
Seeing others interact with the source of fear may reassure you and help you feel safe.
2. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT):
The aim here is to retrain the person’s mind so that they no longer feel threatened by the places they fear.
It may involve slowly exposing the person to small spaces and helping them deal with their fear and anxiety along with relaxation.
3. Relaxation and visualization exercises:
Taking deep breaths, meditating or doing muscle-relaxing exercises can help deal with negative thoughts and anxiety.
It might also be helpful to visualize yourself in a situation where you are in an enclosed space and try relaxing at the same time. Doing this might help you when you are actually in such a situation.
4. Take care of yourself:
It is important that you take good care of yourself. This includes getting enough rest, eating a well-balanced diet and exercising regularly. Taking care of yourself in such ways are naturally important and can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and panic.
5. Listening to relaxing music:
We all know that listening to certain songs can spark certain emotions, be it sadness, happiness, or anger.
Research suggests that listening to calming or soothing music while in an anxiety provoking situation can help you relax a lot.
Of course, relaxing music, as with all music, is subjective, and what you find calming for your anxiety, others may not. So, it’s important to find the sort of music that works for you.
6. Natural Herbs:
Natural herbal medicines have long been recommended as a way to treat anxiety, even claustrophobia. During earlier times, a few herbs have stood out as ones that may help to reduce claustrophobia. Two in particular are passionflower and kava.
These herbs can be used to treat a number of disorders including insomnia. However, its primary use has been a treatment for different forms of anxiety such as claustrophobia.
Passionflower and Kava may be taken in tablets or capsules, or you may prefer to take these herbs as teas or tinctures.
There are also other natural herbs that have been noted as helping anxiety. Scutellaria laterifolia (Scullcap) and Valerian have been written up as herbs that help the body or mind release themselves from fear.
7. Get distracted:
Trying something that redirects your attention away from distressing thoughts or emotions: for example, running your fingers around the edge of your phone, is a good way of not thinking about the anxiety provoking situation.
Distractions work because the brain can’t be in two places at once, and shifting attention to any activity will interrupt a string of racing thoughts.
To summarize, claustrophobia can be dealt with in many ways even without taking medication. It all depends on the severity of your problem. However, if you feel your symptoms may be getting out of hand, then it might be helpful to contact a mental health professional who can advise you on the best course of treatment.
