Claustrophobia and Hypnosis - written by Alan B. Densky, CH

Sufferers of claustrophobia have fears involving small spaces or places where it may be hard to leave quickly, such as elevators, trains or airplanes. Some people even get claustrophobic in MRI scanners. Due to their feelings, claustrophobic people often try to stay away from enclosed spaces. Sufferers also tend to stay close to doorways or along the walls of a room, versus approaching the center. Claustrophobia sufferers often experience anxiety attacks when they start to feel "trapped" or enclosed. For many sufferers, being in a confined space is as alarming as the thought of being buried alive.

Having an anxiety attack in a tiny space can be an alarming incident for claustrophobic people and those near them. At the moment an individual's claustrophobia is triggered, they may experience anxiety attacks, trouble breathing, nausea, fainting, and other, often irrational, responses. A person can become claustrophobic at any time or because of a traumatic event, but its onset frequently occurs at an early age.

The phobia can be activated by various situations, which may be different from person to person. For instance, some claustrophobic people may only feel panicky while on a lift, while others find large crowds trigger their condition. In any situation, claustrophobia and similar phobias often have a negative impact on people's lives and personal happiness. People with phobias often develop avoidant behaviors and enjoy a decreased quality of life as they plan out their activities around their phobia.

For some people, the aspect of embarrassment over their fears is as difficult as the phobia itself. Many sufferers are aware that their fears are exaggerated and irrational, but cannot seem to maintain control of themselves. The reason for this is because phobias are rooted deep within the unconscious, which no amount of conscious willpower can be fully effective in controlling. This poses a unique challenge to the treatment of phobias.

Claustrophobia is relieved by anti-anxiety drugs or therapy. Hypnosis is an excellent, safe and non-invasive type of therapy with no negative side effects. It works by targeting the deeper causes of fear in the unconscious to quickly eliminate a phobia. A system that uses Ericksonian hypnosis therapy techniques and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) can be used to eliminate a phobia. This phenomenal program uses numerous techniques to help people beat their fears.

The initial phase in curing a phobia is helping the phobia sufferer feel rested and anxiety-free. Hypnosis therapy has traditionally been used as a type of relaxation therapy, to allow people to clear their minds and focus deeply.

Conventional hypnotic techniques have used direct, post-hypnotic suggestions to help relieve phobias. The disadvantage of the direct suggestion is that the mind tends to resist being simply "told" how to behave. So many people throw up barriers ignore suggestions. In our modern society, people of all ages are especially prone to reject direct suggestions because we tend to be independent thinkers who question authority.

Relaxation is the basis of the hypnotic state. Once set the tranquil state, rather than using post-hypnotic suggestions, a better approach known as systematic desensitization can often help eliminate a phobia through visual imagery.

Ericksonian hypnosis therapy uses a more refined approach than traditional hypnotherapy. It utilizies indirect suggestions concealed in captivating stories and metaphors to engage the unconscious and persuade it to adopt a better, phobia-free line of thought. Since indirect suggestions do not need to be tailored to a single phobia like direct post-hypnotic suggestions do, a single good Ericksonian hypnosis therapy program can work to cure any phobia or even more than one phobia.

NLP, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, is an innovative type of therapy that several experienced hypnotherapists have begun to use. The most effective NLP technique for eliminating a phobia is called the Visual - Kinesthetic Disassociation, also called V/K. The V/K is recognized as the single session phobia cure, and for good reason. Phobic or anxiety reactions (attacks) take place because traumatic experiences are attached to and triggered by mental images. With the V/K, the traumatic experiences are disconnected from the mental images - often in one simple session, and the fear is virtually gone.

Those suffering from claustrophobia can attain relief with hypnosis therapy. The use of Ericksonian hypnosis with NLP techniques can help anyone fight their phobias. Hypnotherapy has helped countless sufferers feel safe and secure in situations where earlier, they would've suffered a breakdown. Hypnosis has provided incredible benefits for sufferers of phobias and continues to improve lives all the time.