ofcourse they are real! claustrophobia!!
I never know about it till I had to have a MRI scan! I read about it in the internet and thought: it's not a big deal; I've never been diagnosed by claustrophobia.
but things went wrong in the hospital!
in the end I figured out what to do:
I closed my eyes from the beginning till the end of the scan. it wasn't easy, but easier than facing the fear
Closing your eyes while in a small space is a good idea I think. I have been fortunate, as I have not been in a situation that required me to be in a small space, but thinking about being in enclosed or small spaces does make me nervous and uncomfortable. I think I'll keep your trick in my back pocket just in case. :-)
trust me it worked :)) I hope you never need a MRI, but if it happened, don't panic :D
Thanks for sharing this post