What is the fear of elevators called, and how to cope with elevator phobia?

The fear of traveling on public transport is the fear of closed spaces. In order to get rid of this, it is necessary to find out the true causes of the breakdown of higher nervous activity, which led to the manifestation of these symptoms.

Our methods allow us to provide maximum care to more than 85% of patients. At the same time, the effect lasts not only for a long time, but also as quickly as possible. We can handle even the most severe cases, if previous treatment attempts have been unsuccessful.

What is the fear of elevators called?

In medicine there is no special term that would correspond to this phobia. The fear of elevators is similar to the fear of enclosed spaces. This is a kind of manifestation of claustrophobia. Fear of lifts can be called elevator phobia.

People who are afraid of elevators try to go up or down only by stairs. They avoid mechanical or electrical lifts at all costs. When they see the elevator, they begin to panic. Such a phobia can lead to poor health, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and even fainting.

Causes of phobia

Fear of elevators can be caused by psychological trauma received in the past. For example, a person has once gotten stuck in a lift or seen someone get pinched by a door. The appearance of a phobia can be influenced by horror films that contain scenes of violence in the elevator. A person may experience fear, fearing for his life. In this case, the cause of elevator phobia is the instinct of self-preservation.

The occurrence of a phobia can be influenced by the following far-fetched situations:

• the likelihood of becoming a victim of a stranger's attack;
• inability to get out of the lift in case of its sudden breakdown;
• fear of finding yourself in complete darkness;
• fear of falling into a mine if the metal cables break;
• fear of being pinched by elevator doors.

Complaints related to fear of traveling in transport

• Phobias are obsessive fears. Phobic anxiety
• Feeling afraid in open places or on the street
• Fear of leaving the house alone
• The need to avoid certain places or activities
• Fear of fainting

Treatment of disorders with manifestations of feelings of fear

Today, the fear of traveling on a bus, trolleybus, metro and other types of public transport, as well as the fear of traveling in an elevator, where a person encounters a limited enclosed space and a large crowd of people in this limited space, is quite widespread.

Call us and we can figure it out correctly and help you get rid of your fear of transport!

Symptoms of a phobic disorder

People suffering from elevator phobia behave inappropriately when they see the object of their fear. They get nervous, lose their composure and sense of reality. A person subject to such fears avoids elevators and tries to climb to the required floor only by stairs. Some people have a panic attack while on the lift.

• rapid pulse;
• increased sweating;
• trembling in the limbs;
• increased blood pressure;
• difficulty breathing;
• dizziness;
• fainting.

How to overcome your fear of elevators on your own?

You can cope with your fears using the following ways:

• try to take the elevator at least one floor every day;
• before entering the lift, calm down and smile;
• while in the booth, breathe deeply and evenly;
• while riding in an elevator, talking to someone on the phone;
• always carry a flashlight with you;
• going up in an elevator with a group of people.

People who are afraid of lifts need to know that their fears have nothing to do with reality. Modern elevators have safety systems that are instantly activated during a fall, and before installation and operation, all mechanisms are thoroughly checked. The doors of many lifts are equipped with sensors and sensors, so they will not close until all passengers have exited. In case of a stop, the elevator switches to autonomous power supply and the light in the cabin does not go out.

Fear of falling elevator

Let's start with the unpleasant. We are talking about rare deaths on elevators, they are caused by the people themselves, who are looking for a thrill and make their way (this is also a coincidence of circumstances, which I will talk about below) into the shaft and ride on the cabin. As a result, tragedies occur in particular due to violation of the rules for using the elevator. Now about everything else. The elevator cannot cause any damage to the passenger; falling of the elevator car is an almost impossible phenomenon. For this to happen, so many events must happen that it is practically impossible.

Now for more details about what will prevent the cabin from falling. Let's start with the traction ropes, how often we see scenes in cinema where the traction ropes are cut off or the rope itself strangely breaks, frays and fails in other incredible ways - this is a complete lie and one can say “the delirium of a madman.” As a rule, there are at least 3 traction ropes on a passenger elevator (at least 4 on cargo-passenger elevators), one rope can withstand SEVEN TIMES of fully loading the cabin. So we are talking about a broken rope when a little more people in the cabin are not considered. It’s not just that the rope breaks and the elevator will work on three traction ropes; if at least one of the ropes is weakened, the elevator itself will turn off and it will not be possible to get into the cabin. There are 2 devices responsible for turning off the elevator when the ropes are loosened: the first is the main one, the second is additional (duplicates the first).

When the cabin speed exceeds the nominal speed by 20%, the safety devices are activated. Catchers are a safety device that will prevent the elevator from falling even if there are no traction ropes. The cabin will hang on the guides. Many people who got stuck in the elevator ended up on the catchers. This is caused by several reasons, which are created by the passengers themselves: there are many people in the cabin (the mass approaches the overload mass) and when moving down, at some point the speed is exceeded. Mischief or other hooligan actions during the movement of the cabin (for example, jumping in the cabin or other sudden movements).

Also, while moving, you should not try to open the door; firstly, you will not succeed, and secondly, the elevator may stop and only the people servicing these elevators will start it.

Another favorite way to harm a person in movies is when he is pinched between doors or a part of his body, the elevator begins to move and an unpleasant picture occurs. The doors will open when they encounter any obstacle on their way (the so-called reverse). On modern elevators they don’t even have to meet anything; in such elevators photo sensors are installed, which will trigger the opening of the doors. In addition, the cabin will not start moving due to the fact that one of the doors is open, even if they are opened slightly.

The elevator car will not fall even if there is no electricity, since all safety devices are mechanical and based on the laws of physics. The cabin will also be held in place by an electromagnetic brake that holds the engine shaft; it is released only when voltage is applied to it.

In addition to everything stated above, the elevator contains a large number of sensors and other devices that ensure its operation. And if it fails or even has a bad contact somewhere, it will stop and passengers will not be able to use it.

The main thing when the cabin gets stuck is not to try to get out of it yourself, as this can create a danger to life. You need to call the dispatcher and report the jam and specially trained people will pull you out. When a person is in the cabin, nothing threatens him, except his own fears, which you also need to get rid of!

Follow the rules of use and behavior of a person in an elevator that are posted in the cabins, and scenes with falling elevators in movies will make you smile.

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Causes

One of the most important stages in the fight against a disease is to determine the factors that triggered its occurrence; your further treatment depends on this.

Experts identify several main reasons.

1. Often fear is discovered after a person has already had an unpleasant experience associated with an elevator, getting stuck in it.
2. Fear of falling and breaking. The culprit of this fear is cinema.
3. For many, the reason is the need to be in close spaces with strangers. The questions arise: if you get stuck, what can you expect from other passengers? Fear of the unknown is triggered.
4. Loneliness. It's scary to be left alone with your experiences and emotions.

Unpleasant personal experience is the reason

Symptoms of the disease

It's amazing how our mental state can affect our physical health.

The most unpleasant thing about phobias is panic attacks. When you see your fear, you lose control over your body and emotions.

People with a fear of elevators may feel:

• dizziness and fainting;
• increased sweating;
• chills;
• tremor of the limbs;
• lack of air;
• nausea;
• obsessive feeling of anxiety;
• cardiopalmus.

Specialist help

There are cases when a phobia penetrates the subconscious and a person is unable to overcome his problems on his own. You should consult a psychologist. Having studied the nature and characteristics of your fear, the specialist selects appropriate therapy.

Group therapy against liftophobia

• individual conversations;
• group classes (patients first share their fears and then their successes in combating them);
• art therapy (recreating your feelings with the help of poetry, music, dance, as well as sublimating your fears onto canvas, clay or any other available objects);
• hypnosis (one of the most effective methods: by putting the patient into a trance state, the specialist pulls out information from the subconscious that the person would not be able to remember in a normal state, in the same way the real cause of the disease is determined, and the correct attitudes are gently suggested);
• drug therapy.

The presence of phobias has long become the norm. You need to realize that your fear is a disease that can deprive you of many of the joys of life and even destroy existing benefits. Don't ignore your fears.

A passenger elevator is an extremely useful and necessary device, and in our age of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers, it can be said to be irreplaceable. Nevertheless, its design and operating features inspire outright fear in some people. Can this be called a phobia? However, you will not find a separate diagnosis in medical reference books. Among people and doctors, the phobia is simply called elevator phobia.

“What if the elevator gets stuck”: 6 ways to help your child overcome anxiety

Many children are afraid and afraid of something. This is fine. But sometimes fear develops into anxiety, which prevents you from living a peaceful life: going to school, communicating with friends, going out into nature and relaxing. How to help a child in such a situation is explained in the blog of the MYTH publishing house.

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Set a "worry time"

If your child seems to be constantly stressed about something, encourage him to set aside a special time (this could be as little as half an hour a day) to discuss his feelings. It is better that the child is not hungry or tired at this moment. Also, don't discuss your worries before bed, as this can make it difficult to fall asleep.

So that the child is not afraid to forget everything that tormented him during the day, make a special notebook for anxious thoughts - let it lie in a visible place so that it is easy to write in it at the right time. Or organize an impromptu mailbox for these purposes. By “unloading” his fears in this way, the child will gradually learn to concentrate less on them.

Don't devalue

The natural reaction when we hear another person complaining is to tell him: “Don’t worry!” But more often than not, this only devalues ​​the child’s experiences and makes him think even more about the problem. Your task is not to calm down, but to help you better control your emotions.

Distract

Once you have been as empathetic as possible, try to distract your child from excessive anxiety until it is “worry time.” You can do this in a variety of ways: count cars of a certain color together, make words from the inscriptions on shop windows, offer to cook something together. Physical activity helps a lot: hide and seek, catch-up, trampolining.

What kind of phobia is this?

Fear of elevators significantly complicates the life of a person living on the upper floors or working in a high office. Any phobia is characterized by avoidance behavior, and in this case it would be a choice in favor of walking on stairs. On the one hand, it is a very useful choice, but on the other hand, it is a colossal waste of time and effort when it comes to serious heights.

Sometimes it's simply impossible to avoid an elevator ride. Fear is accompanied by strong negative emotions, and suppressing it is not recommended for mental health. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the reasons for your phobia and work to overcome it.

Reasons for fear of public transport

If we talk about the fear of traveling in public transport (bus, metro, trolleybus, tram) - fear of confined spaces, then this diagnostic index may be included in the context of such mental disorders as:

1. Various types of neuroses - Borderline mental state. These mental disorders most often include obsessive fears.

2. Anxiety disorders – Borderline mental state. As with neuroses, obsessive fear often manifests itself in this mental state.

3. Depression – Borderline mental state. Occurs in long-term and deep conditions.

4. Toxic brain damage - alcohol, drugs, toxins, other psychoactive substances.

5. Organic brain damage - trauma, infection, tumors, etc.

6. Endogenous mental diseases – Developing as a result of disturbances in the metabolic processes of the brain.

7. Acute psychotic states – psychoses.

In the overwhelming majority, all mental disorders are treatable, but for this you need to pay due attention to your mental health and consult a competent psychotherapist who will correctly assess the condition, identify the true causes, individually prescribe and conduct adequate complex therapy.

What is behind fear? Causes

Panic fear of the elevator can be based on completely different factors. Most often it is associated with claustrophobia. The elevator car is exactly the kind of enclosed space in which claustrophobia often debuts. However, there are often cases when a person does not experience discomfort while being locked in a closet of the same size.

There are many reasons to be afraid of the elevator. For example, many sufferers of this phobia are afraid of getting stuck in an elevator. This can usually be associated with having experienced such an event in the past. To fall into a trap, to feel trapped, to find yourself alone in the dark. At such moments, the deep fear of loneliness makes itself felt.

How to overcome the fear of riding in an elevator

To successfully overcome a phobia, first of all, it is important to understand what exactly scares you. If the fear is associated with a negative experience that you would not tolerate repeating, then it is extremely useful to contact a cognitive behavioral therapist. His techniques will help you cope with your condition, gradually realizing that there is no real danger in the situation and changing your behavior accordingly.

Therapy often brings rapid results, which is why it is popular.

However, it happens when the reason for your fear does not lie on the surface. In this case, it is recommended to seek help from a hypnotherapist or analyst. By delving into your subconscious, a specialist often helps to extract useful information for thought, by rethinking which you can overcome your fear of riding in an elevator.

It is worth noting that the severity of your fear may not be strong enough to contact professionals. Sometimes it’s enough to try to figure out what exactly scares you on your own.

Perhaps you just have a stressful situation in your life right now, for some reason you are afraid for your life, and refusing to ride in the elevator is just a modest attempt to control inexplicable anxiety? Look at your lifestyle, do you eat well, do you get enough fresh air? A phobia can be a consequence of chronic stress or, conversely, an acute conflict situation.

Fear of traveling in public transport

“I’m afraid to ride buses after I found out that the bus overturned. As soon as I have to travel, my condition worsens. I understand that something is wrong with my psyche, I try to distract myself, switch gears, but more often than not I fail. I am fixated on my feelings and feel constant discomfort throughout my body, but nothing hurts, only tightness in the heart area and sometimes a stone on my chest, my heart beats very quietly, almost inaudibly, my cardiogram is normal, my lungs are fine, my hands often get cold, legs and feel internal trembling, discomfort in the stomach. I saw a psychologist, worked with him for a long time using different programs, methods, and tried hypnosis. The psychologist says that this is a fear of closed spaces. It lets go for a short period of time and then it all happens again...”

“Two years ago I was riding on the subway, and there was a desire to go to relieve myself, but not a strong one. I was in the subway for a long time; I didn’t want to get out. It ended with me almost peing myself in public, which I had always been able to tolerate normally before. Now I'm scared to even go into the subway. It can suddenly come up, and I can’t stand it. When I go to the toilet, the urine is still a little clear. I saw a urologist - no pathologies. I went to the venereologist - too, everything is fine. I tried to be treated by a neurologist - without any changes. Now I’ve been going to a psychologist-psychotherapist for a year now (such a specialization does not exist, we are talking about an ordinary psychologist - author’s note). We've already talked about everything in the world, but the problem remains. And the worst thing is that now I’m afraid to ride buses. As soon as I want to sit in it, I immediately feel like I’m going to wet myself.”

“I can’t ride in elevators! I always walk, it’s good that I don’t live so high, only on the 8th floor. And I very rarely go out to visit a friend; I have to go to the 22nd floor. Although I myself have never gotten stuck in an elevator, my fear of elevators is terrible. It all started when a friend of mine got stuck in an elevator and talked about it so vividly that my chest felt cold. I’m very afraid of cramped and closed spaces.”

How does the fear of traveling in public transport appear?

Fear is a feeling of internal tension associated with the expectation of threatening events and actions. This is a protective reaction of higher nervous activity aimed at preserving life.

When the central nervous system malfunctions, various kinds of pathological reactions can form, causing feelings of fear, which are called “phobias” in official medicine. Basically, the formation of fears (phobias) of traveling in public transport and elevators, being in cramped enclosed spaces are associated with a high load on the human psyche in everyday life.

Phobias are obsessive and senseless fears, such as, for example, fear of heights, large streets, open or limited, visually closed spaces, crowds of people, fear of getting an incurable disease, fear of fears, and this can include the fear of traveling in elevators, buses, subways and etc.

Obsessive fear, or phobia, is an intense and irresistible mental state that engulfs a person, despite the understanding of the meaninglessness of his fears and attempts to cope with them on his own.

Phobias, or obsessive fears, for example, the fear of riding the subway or other public transport, today are often defined as the presence of neurosis, but this is not always the case. It is impossible to immediately talk about its true origin just by the external manifestation of a mental disorder.

Phobia (fear), in any of its manifestations, is only a symptom, a small fraction, which indicates the presence of any mental disorder, and does not give clear indications that this mental disorder is neurosis, even if it is combined with so-called panic attacks , which, like a phobia, is a symptom.

If a psychotherapist encounters a symptom in the form of a phobia, his main task is to conduct a differential diagnosis in order to accurately determine the main source that causes this mental reaction - obsessive fear.

What to do if you suddenly discover you have a phobia

Firstly, you don’t need to immediately diagnose yourself and panic. Secondly, make sure that this is not a one-time incident. Then follow all the recommendations described above. Analyze what exactly scares you. Could this be the result of the thriller I watched yesterday?

Do not use sedatives just like that, if you really do not feel the strength to overcome your fear, consult a psychologist. A competent specialist will definitely understand your problem, help you overcome your fear, and teach you relaxation techniques.

conclusions

Global urbanization leads to the emergence of more and more new phobias, completely unusual for people living in villages. The fear of riding in elevators is another example of this. Fear is inherent in a considerable number of people, although often in a mild form, when a person can cope with it on his own. Some people completely refuse to use the elevator, but these are rather exceptions to the rule. For them, therapeutic groups are recommended, which include people suffering from various phobias, and individual sessions with a psychologist.

My child is afraid to ride in an elevator, what should I do?

Parents whose children are between the ages of 3 and 7 often face a huge number of fears in their children. Children have different fears. Some kids are completely afraid of almost everything. Also, fear of elevators is very popular nowadays. Many parents will decide to simply ignore this fear and move around without the help of an elevator. But what should mothers do who have several children and live starting from the 5th floor? Carrying a stroller and bags is difficult and inconvenient. Therefore, the child’s fear must be fought. What to do if a child is afraid to ride in an elevator?

How to overcome childhood fears?

At this age, when children are susceptible to fears, they are also susceptible to worries. Fears, including the fear of the elevator, will arouse these negative experiences in the child. Under no circumstances try to convince your child with words that his fear is unimportant. For him it is quite real, and your words are abstract.

In addition, you cannot appeal to the child’s shame, as many parents do. Very often you can hear “You are already an adult to be afraid of such nonsense!” Such an attitude towards a child will only strengthen his fear. Moreover, to fear will be added shame for having such fear. The result is no positive progress in getting rid of childhood fear.

What should parents do? How can they help a child cope with fear? First of all, you should talk to your child, find out where his fear comes from. Perhaps he is afraid of the noise of the elevator or the feeling of movement itself. After such a conversation, you will be able to determine the reason for your fear of the elevator. Based on this, explain to your child that the elevator is not scary, but fun. You can organize a mini-scene with toys, showing them in such a way that they are not afraid of the elevator and the baby should not be afraid.

The main thing is to translate everything into a game form. Together with your child, compose a funny song about an elevator. You can also draw a whole story about how the elevator helps people. Explain to your child how the elevator is constructed, why it makes so much noise, and how the doors open and close. Tell us about the advantages of the elevator, and together look at the encyclopedia with pictures dedicated to this device.

As practice shows, most children adopt the fears of their parents that they received in childhood. Adults have residual feelings of fear and are now reluctant to use the device or technology. Children feel this and project it onto themselves. Therefore, parents should look for the roots of children's fears in their childhood.

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