NLP & Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia is the fear of enclosed or confined spaces. The condition is common in both men and women and can strike at any age. NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming and was originally designed by linguist John Grinder and mathematician and gestalt therapist Richard Bandler. NLP is used as a therapeutic technique for many conditions, including phobias.

Symptoms of Claustrophobia

• Attacks of claustrophobia produce symptoms such as worry, anxiety, fear, panic attacks, difficulty breathing, physical illness, fainting and other intense physical and emotional responses, according to hypnotherapist Alan B. Densky. Its onset often occurs in childhood, but it can start at any age, particularly after experiencing a trauma.

Why Claustrophobia May Need Treatment

• Panic associated with claustrophobia is often triggered by certain situations--such as crowds, sitting in airplanes, trains or automobiles, or riding in an elevator. Many claustrophobic people prefer to stay near doorways or walls of rooms, as opposed to being in the center. Experiences that may trigger a claustrophobic reaction in one person suffering with the condition may not trigger it in another sufferer.

  Because many who experience claustrophobia learn to avoid situations that trigger panic or fear--such as public transportation or elevators--it can greatly decrease quality of life, depending on the condition's severity. Treatment, such as NLP techniques, may become necessary to help a sufferer achieve a balanced and fulfilled life.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming

• Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, refers to three influential components of behavior and experience--neurology, language and programming. This term describes the interrelationship between mind (neuro) and language (linguistic) and how this interaction effects the human body and human behavior, including why people may suffer from phobias like claustrophobia.

Shifting an Interpretation of Reality

• NLP techniques function based on the belief that people develop their own interpreted views of reality that help give meaning to their behaviors. A claustrophobic may be suffering from this phobia because of how she constructed her view of reality, what that reality means, and coping choices made. Adherents of NLP believe everyone develops views of reality consciously or unconsciously and that shifting views that are unproductive or detrimental can enable a person to achieve a better quality of life.

NLP Techniques for Phobias

• NLP therapeutic techniques focus on how to enable a patient to change his view or "map" of reality so she can perceive the greatest number of choices and perspectives. The Visual-Kinesthetic Disassociation or "V/K" NLP technique is often used in combination with hypnotherapy as a treatment for phobias. V/K focuses on disassociating traumatic emotions from the imagery of phobia triggers--such as elevators--thereby giving the sufferer more emotional and cognitive choices surrounding that trigger. Alan B. Bensky claims phobias can be cured in as little as one session with NLP V/K techniques.