It was October 1999, and Nicholas White, who was working late at Businessweek magazine, wanted a cigarette. Instead, he got a 41-hour claustrophobic nightmare trapped inside an elevator. White did as we all would do in such circumstances, especially if we didn't have our ever-present smartphones (and maybe even if we did). Ultimately, he became discouraged when no one did. More than a day-and-a-half later, White was rescued. Heck in 2011, an elderly nun survived four days locked inside the elevator at her Baltimore convent while her sisters were off at a convention. Being trapped in an elevator can be mind-numbing torture. Our pulse rate quickens. Our blood pressure rises. We sweat. We contemplate our life. We think about death. Sometimes we cry. Other times we panic. Some are lucky, others are not. Many things can shake a person's psyche, and becoming trapped in an elevator arguably tops the list. Even the fear of being trapped is enough to cause panic in some people.
(Image: https://p.turbosquid.com/ts-thumb/8E/BtpvbL/MD/searchimage_/png/1668802391/600x600/fit_q87/cba2217703499bdb0e4341cdbe0383ba7e7eb889/searchimage_.jpg)The horror elevators engender is real. In December 2011, Suzanne Hart, 41, a New York City advertising executive, stepped into an elevator on Madison Avenue. Shockingly, the door closed on Hart and grabbed hold of her. Such tales chill our bones. Yet, they are rare. Those who design and build the elevators say most accidents result from human error, not mechanical failure. Heck, some people injure themselves when climbing out of a stuck car. Yet, people fear elevators fires, fix ipad screen elevator decapitations and a litany of other problems. Yes, elevators cause anxiety in many people, who don't like to ride in them, or even wait for them. Experts estimate that 200 people were killed in elevators when the World Trade Center collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001. Although there's no way to be sure, some undoubtedly died when the elevators fell to the ground. Although no one keeps statistics on how many people fear elevators, doctors say for those that do, their fight-or-flight response is all messed up.
The fight-or-flight response, of course, is the body's way of dealing with fear. It's triggered by biochemical reactions, including the release of hormones that cause our body to change. When that happens, we might lose our voices, our limbs might shake and our heart rate might increase. Elevator phobia is a form of claustrophobia, the fear of being trapped. Those who have elevator phobia not only fear that the elevator will malfunction, but they also fear having a panic attack. Their fight-or-flight response goes helter-skelter. They sweat. Their heart rate increases. Their blood pressure sharply increases. Some hyperventilate. Others suffer dry mouth. People faint or feel as if they need to vomit. They propose that our brains have evolved to perceive being in a confined space as dangerous. As a result, the brain has developed a special fear of closed-in places to keep us safe. Agoraphobics, who often experience panic attacks, also do not like elevators.
Agoraphobics fear any place where escape is difficult. In Nicholas White's case, he didn't suffer from any phobia, although when he was a boy, he and some other children were trapped in an elevator for 20 minutes. Nevertheless, some people are so afraid of elevators that they not only avoid the machines, but even refuse job offers if they entail riding on one to an office. Elevator phobias are hard to treat, according to The Anxiety and Phobia Treatment Center at White Plains Hospital, in White Plains, New York. To that end, some psychologists recommend cognitive-behavioral therapy. CBT offers a way to desensitize patients by exposing them to their fear until that fear dissipates. For those who don't want to go the CBT route, the experts say there are things you can do to occupy your mind if panic sets in on an elevator. You can snap a rubber band on your wrist; try to distinguish which key on your keychain is which by feeling them in your pocket; or count the tiles on the floor or elevator wall.
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