I just discovered I’m claustrophobic.
I was looking for a book in our very minute office library, moving bookshelves here and there to spot that book. Two minutes into my searching, I felt the room closing in on me. I was finding it hard to breathe. Good thing I still got hold of my senses and stepped out of that room. If I had spent a bit more time in there I would’ve probably blacked out!
Thinking that was just an isolated experience, I forgot about it. Claustrophobia creeped up on me last night when I was in Powerbooks Glorietta. I was in the Home Design section and I got that same feeling again — I felt bookshelves were about to fall on me, that they were going to squeeze me flat… scary! Needless to say, I moved on to the roomier Children’s Books section.
I’ve learned that breathing slowly in and out will calm me down. Any other tips? Another way to deal with claustrophobia is through hypnosis, but that’s for extreme cases I would think. Mine is just a mild case.
No wonder I feel more at home in wide, open spaces. Or maybe I’m just scared of being surrounded by tall bookshelves.
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.