Need An MRI? Tips for Claustrophobics from Boston Univ. Expert

Ever wonder what makes you afraid? Dr. Todd Farchione of Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders says when it comes to claustrophobia fear can spring from several sources. You might have a frightening experience in a tight space, leading you to fear enclosed spaces. You might watch someone else have a frightening reaction to a small space, leading you to equate confinement with fear. But sometimes it’s much less personal. You can thank evolution, says Dr. Farchione. “Every emotion that we experience is tied to a reaction and that serves an evolutionary function. So when I feel fear, what do we want to do? Well, fight or flight.” Thousands of years ago fight or flight was a necessity. Today, when it comes to getting an MRI, that innate reaction is considerably less helpful if your doctor says you need a scan to guide your treatment.

The escape reaction leads some people to crawl right out the end of an MRI machine during the middle of an exam. Linda Raimondi knows firsthand. She can sense a panic attack coming. Linda says doing online research didn’t do her fear any favors. “With so many people having MRIs today and us having access to the Internet, we know too much. Going in, my fear is compounded and it made it even worse.”

Self Talk and Getting Real

For someone like Linda, it can be hard to rationalize the fear. She tries to tell herself the walls aren’t closing in on her, but her fear makes it hard to believe. “I can only take so much and I gotta get outta here.” That’s not uncommon, according to Dr. Farchione:

“The more that the person tries to stay calm, it can actually have a paradoxical effect, where they say, ‘Ok, I’m not staying calm, what does that mean?’ And then it can build on itself very quickly.”

Suddenly, anxiety has spiraled into a panic attack. Dr. Farchione’s best advice for you: Be ready to experience the fear. “It’s almost like being able to be ok with the fear that we’re experiencing in that situation and tolerate that,” he says. “Be present and tolerate that experience and stay put.” Sounds simple, but it can be tough to do when your brain is screaming, “GET OUT OF HERE!!!” That’s where “self talk” can help. The idea of talking yourself through a frightening situation begins with being clear about how dangerous the situation really is. That means asking lots of questions before your exam. Find out:

1. What is an MRI?
2. How long is it going to last?
3. What will it be like?

The answers to those questions can help you set your thinking straight and quell the anxiety. Dr. Farchione doesn’t just research and help others, he’s had an MRI and can relate. In this video he talks about how he used self talk when he felt the panic rising during his exam: