Dubbed the Titan, it is 22 feet long, can go about 3.4 miles below sea level in the Atlantic Ocean, and carries a crew of five in a cabin “about the size of a minivan.”
One person wrote, “Lord, I could not imagine that I would be willing to enter into it.” on reddit depending on the news. “It’s like hyperventilating your worst nightmares all in one.”
But are our feelings of anxiety really a sign of claustrophobia? Would most people struggle in such a small space? The Post asked an expert.
Are we all experiencing collective claustrophobia?
It may seem so, but claustrophobia is an irrational fear of enclosed spaces that can lead to panic, difficulty breathing, chills, and chest tightness. Fear of stranded ships is not unreasonable if submarines go missing.
If you’ve never experienced claustrophobia before, the feelings of anxiety and nausea you experience when reading news articles or seeing images of missing ships and passengers are probably empathic-triggered.
“I think what we can recognize about this particular situation is that it’s a very dire situation,” he said. Corey Acland, Clinical Director of the Sydney Phobia Clinic in Australia. “For many people witnessing this story, it’s safe to say that if they don’t feel uncomfortable doing normal activities like taking an elevator or taking the subway, they probably aren’t claustrophobic. But, The anxiety they are experiencing in this story is due to their pain and empathy for these people.”
Mental health experts say it’s not uncommon to panic after listening to someone being trapped. When a Thai youth soccer team and coach were trapped in a flooded cave in 2018, many said they felt claustrophobic (during a daring and ultimately successful rescue, one of the divers A man drowned, and another died a year later from an infection acquired in the cave.)
William F. Hanning III, a physician and emeritus professor of psychiatry at the University of Hawaii, said, “Excessive empathy and trying to feel the feelings of those who are suffering is a level that makes us unacceptable for all of our own fears. It can even amplify the suffering of people,” he said. John A. Burns School of Medicine. “A common example of this is panic. The thought of being trapped in a space from which there seems to be no escape is too often a trigger for that same panic.”
The confined space of a submarine makes most people claustrophobic, right?
Not necessarily, experts say.Claustrophobia is estimated to have a wide range from about 2 o’clock To 12.5 percent of the population And most of the patients are women.
Maximilian Kremer, Marine Technology Group Director University of Hawaii Marine Center, and trained and operated in smaller submersibles for nearly 20 years. His ship was a seven-foot ball of steel, fully loaded with equipment for three people.
“Frankly, it wasn’t very common for people to have to contend with claustrophobia,” he says. “Even for those who would normally be a little apprehensive due to the close proximity to other passengers and pilots, once in the water, that quickly fades away, giving way to the wonders of the sea.”
Kremer said he remembers two times in 20 years when he had to stop diving because of claustrophobia.
“You can’t drop a claustrophobic person down,” says Kremer. “There have been several incidents during safety briefings where someone has decided to give up the chance for this coveted adventure. We immediately stopped diving and came back.”
Kramer said he remembers playing in basements and cramped spaces without any fear, even as a boy. “But her wife can tell you that to this day, she insists she’s never going to set her foot in such a small area,” he said. “It’s not about her.”
What is the difference between normal phobia and claustrophobia?
Discomfort and fear of enclosed spaces are “more or less normal,” she said. Nasir Gaemi, a psychiatrist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. There is probably a biological reason why humans are afraid of heights, insects and confined spaces.
“It’s normal to be anxious about many things,” said Ghaemi. “These are all normal physiological responses that humans have evolved over thousands of years.”
But “some people get stuck in a state where they can’t function as well,” Garmi says. When someone’s concerns about enclosed spaces do not match the actual risks posed by the situation, their fear becomes a “phobia.” A person’s concerns begin to affect their daily lives at home, work, and school.
“Fear gets in the way and prevents people from doing what they want,” he says. Joe Bienvenu, Professor of Psychiatry and Anxiety Disorders at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “It’s an irrational fear that interferes with a person’s life.”
What causes claustrophobia?
Tendencies to heightened anxiety and claustrophobia can occur in families from time to time, Bienvenu said. It’s even possible that it’s genetic, but Bienvenu said the exact cause is still unknown.
He also said that past traumatic experiences of feeling trapped, without a sense of control or knowing how to escape, can lead to claustrophobia. Adam Borlanda clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic.
“It can get out of control,” Borland said. “I’m in this situation and I can’t get rid of myself.”
Garmi said the phobia is a “physiological reflex” or so-called “choking alarm” in people who believe they have high carbon dioxide levels, or lack of oxygen, when in close proximity to other people. He said there is research that suggests.
“They get physiological signals that they’re not getting enough oxygen,” Gemi says. “They feel like they’re suffocating. Then they have a panic attack. Those people become claustrophobic.”
People with claustrophobia often go out of their way to avoid enclosed spaces. But staying away from certain situations, such as taking an elevator or taking the subway, can actually reinforce the phobia, Bienvenu says.
What triggers claustrophobia?
Inability to breathe due to actual or perceived lack of oxygen causes symptoms of claustrophobia, Bienvenue said.
Also, closed spaces without a clear exit can cause claustrophobia. In general, lying still for an MRI scan can be claustrophobic and can cause a feeling of being buried alive.
Images and news reports can also trigger feelings of claustrophobia for some. Thanks to all the videos and photos available on our mobile phones, we can imagine what it would be like to be in a certain place. Boland said it’s as cramped as the Titan sinking in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
“Here I look at these renderings and I’m like, ‘Oh my god’. This is horrible,” Borland said. “We inevitably put ourselves in that situation and think, ‘How can I handle this?’ How would I feel if I were in this situation?”
“And then things start spiraling from there,” Borland said.
Tom Bunn, former aviation pilot and author of Panic Free, a self-help book on controlling panic and claustrophobia, says that fear of enclosed spaces, such as flying, is caused by lack of control and fear. said to be triggered. The inability to leave.
“Fear is caused by trauma that was not escaped,” Ban says. Your brain associates places you can’t control, or where you can’t leave, with potentially life-threatening situations.
Bang is a program that began in 1982 and works daily with four to five people who have a fear of flying. To deal with their fears, Ban asks people to imagine experiencing different events that occur on an airplane. Land on the tarmac with a friend you can hang out with.
“We just tie each plane scene to a physical person that we feel completely safe with,” Bang said. “Change the code for the airplane scene from dangerous to safe.”
Bang said the trick is finding the right people. It is not always the spouse who is stressed. Instead, you need to pick someone who doesn’t care if they fly or not.
Hanning of the University of Hawaii agreed. “Given the fear of being trapped, it’s certainly generalizable to everyone, but comfort comes most often from the presence of other people,” he says.
How do you overcome claustrophobia?
Claustrophobia is a learned behavior, a conditioned response to certain experiences and fears, and it is possible to “unlearn” these responses, Garmi said. Calming drugs like Xanax only provide temporary relief and can help you get through the MRI scan.
Prescription medications such as talk therapy and antidepressants can provide lasting improvement. “Exposure therapythe therapist creates a safe environment in which the person is exposed to what they fear.
“Just increasing your exposure will gradually reduce your phobia,” Ghaemi said. “That’s the most effective treatment.”
Tara Parker Pope contributed to this report.
