I’m scared of elevators. I get very anxious and I feel like I will die inside it

Hi. It’s Jenny at AnxietyBoss.com. Our question today is from Greg in Grayson, Alabama. I’m scared of elevators. I get very anxious and I feel like I will die inside it.

To begin with, just so you know, you have a condition which is very common in amongst the 210 million population that uses elevators. Interestingly, quite a majority of them have reported facing fear and nervousness once in a while when in an elevator. It is important for you to know that modern technology makes elevators absolutely accident proof, though one in a million mishap might still occur. Some of them even have emergency phones and alarms for your help. The best thing here is that these elevators are not airtight; hence, you can have the confidence that you won’t either get suffocated or trapped even if the system fails for some time.

Once your facts are in place, you can then try to understand your fear. While you might think that you are suffering from a phobia of elevators, you actually might be having claustrophobia or fear of closed places or agoraphobia, fear of being trapped in a place. Just try to look at the possible cause of fear in your mind. This might enable you to rationalize and handle it. However, once you feel that your fear of elevators is bothering your basic efficiency, it’s time to see a therapist.

For instance, you might start shirking work if your office is on a high floor. There are instances when some previous traumatic experience of closed places or being trapped in an elevator in childhood could actually be causing your present phobia. Your therapist will help you recognize your suppressed fears, rationalize and, hence, handle them suitably.