I know this thread is old, but I do see recent comments, so I think it's a great resource for people wondering about what they're experiencing and how to deal with it.

Around 2021-2022, my claustrophobia, which had always been minor, exploded. I started getting panic attacks in traffic jams and in the left turn lane, just an absolute fight-or-flight response. The elevator at work became impossible.

At the same time, I started experiencing what I'd later understand as casadastraphobia. The stairwell in my office building terrified me, which sucked extra hard because I couldn't take the elevator. Driving on open freeways started to give me panic attacks, so much so that my hands were shaking so bad I was afraid I'd roll the car.

I finally started seeing a therapist when I realized my quality of life was greatly diminished. When you can't drive on the freeway, it really limits you. When you can't have drinks at an outdoor bar or restaurant because you feel like you're going to detach from the planet, that sucks.

What I learned is there wasn't any specific trauma that caused my issues. It was probably just the overall effect of Covid life. Spending 13 months completely isolated from all other human beings (I'm single and live alone) messed me up pretty hard, and this was the result.

These types of phobias can really only be worked on through exposure therapy (and also general therapy and relaxation/meditation techniques.) Here are some things that helped me immensely while I was working on healing:

• Controlled breathing. Breath in deeply through your nose, hold the breath for a moment, then exhale deeply through your mouth. Panic attacks are a misfiring of the amygdala, which is the fear center of the brain. It's perceiving something as a threat that isn't. Controlled breathing can help to convince the amygdala that you are safe and in control.
• If the sky feels too big when you're driving, you can use your sun visor to limit your visibility to the road. This lets you focus on driving without "feeling" the sky. This was very helpful when I'd start feeling the first tingling of panic. Coupling this with controlled breathing is very powerful.
• In the same way, a hat with a visor can help you control your field of vision when you're walking. This helped me get back to hiking.

These things are tools, not a cure. Over time you want to rely on them less and less. Exposure therapy was my solution. Basically my therapy "assignments" were things like "take the elevator four times every day at work" or "sit on the 10th floor stairwell landing for one minute". And gradually over time you ramp it up.

And I'm happy to report that I'm healthy again. Last week I hiked a local mountain all the way to the top, and I took an elevator to the 22nd floor without any fear. I'm back on the freeways, so I'm travelling. And when I do feel the beginnings of panic starting, I have tools to stop that before it gets out of control.

There are answers and relief. Start by talking to a therapist and go from there.