Last week I had an MRI. Being that I have had over 100 MRIs in the past 30 years I was not concerned. Checking off the list of the intake assessment I paused a bit on checking off the box for “do you have claustrophobia?” I checked “no” since I was very familiar with the procedure.
The reason for the MRI is that I have had significantly blurrier vision in my left eye compared to my right eye. So, I was going to have the routine scan of my brain to monitor benign brain lesions that I have a history of. Also, I was going to have a scan of my option nerve in the left eye to rule out any lesions. I was told I was supposed to have two 30-minute scans with a break in the middle. Being that I will nod off into a nap in the MRI I was not concerned.
When I went to the place of the MRI, I was told my scan was going to be an hour and 20 minutes straight. No break. They would bring me out to inject contrast. Thinking I could do this, I proceeded. Part of having an MRI scan of my brain requires this “helmet” that goes over my head as I am lying down that I can see through. Again, I have had over 100 of these experiences before.
The second the tech placed the helmet over my head… I lost it. I have experienced anxiety before, but not to this extent. The only way I can describe the extremity of the experience is that it felt like my anxiety went from 0 to 100 in less than a second. The experience was suffocating. I had to get up and reschedule the procedure but instead I would take a sedative about 15 minutes beforehand.
I felt like a failure. I apologized to the tech and of course she was very understanding saying that even a person who installs HVAC’s and goes under crawlspaces under a house have a hard time. The tech said a person who has lived in a submarine for six months could not do it. The tech did say it is typical for a person to become more claustrophobic as they get older.
I have so much more empathy who deals with this kind of anxiety on a constant basis. What does a person do when they encounter a trigger, they were previously unaware of? Unfortunately, there is not a standard answer as anxiety can come in just about any setting. With claustrophobia in particular, such as the MRI, the answer for me was to get a prescription for a sedative. What about a more common setting such as taking a elevator where a person is crammed in with a bunch of other people?
Plan and have a contingency plan. The challenge with an unknown trigger is having anxiety triggered in an environment that has always been comfortable. Take the elevator for instance. If the door opens and there are already a lot of people, take the next one. If a person is already in an elevator or small space with a lot of people, do what you can to better position yourself closer to an exit and/or some air.
I am small anyway, but I used to be smaller at 4’11” for a number of years. One summer that I spent in Branson, MO on a mission trip , I went Spelunking in a cave called “The Birth Canal.” The actual cave was so small I had to get on my stomach and take my safety helmet off since it was bumping against the top. I had zero problem then, but that was 23 years ago. Now that would not be the case.
Do not underestimate what you think you would have no problem with, like I did with the MRI. Be open to change and accepting of the fact that a person is always changing either physically and/or emotionally and there is nothing wrong with that.
If you have no choice such as taking a flight for your job or to see family, if it is reasonable pay extra to change you seating to an aisle seat, so you have an exit or business class which have more leg room.
Anxiety is real. Claustrophobia is real, but they do not have to derail your day. Face what you can and do what you can to get through the experience. The MRI that I was supposed to have, in hindsight, maybe if I had closed my eyes before the “helmet” came on, it may have been different. Still an hour and 20 minutes straight is a long time to be in a confined tube. Next time I am going to voice that as the tech told me that exceptions can be made, and a patient can ask to come out for five minutes or so. What is important is I know my trigger and have a sedative to take beforehand.
If you are looking for a therapist near you then a Google search is a great way of finding one. I happen to be a therapist in Charlotte, NC but am licensed to counsel anyone in the state of North Carolina. In Google, try looking for “psychotherapist,” “find therapist,” “therapy near me,” or even “counseling charlotte, nc.” If you feel like you have hit a wall you are not able to get past, call me at (704) 458-6298 or email me at jeffhelms@clearerthoughtspllc.com.
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