{"id":486,"date":"2015-07-08T20:17:53","date_gmt":"2015-07-08T20:17:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rayusradiology.com\/?p=486"},"modified":"2021-03-02T15:50:53","modified_gmt":"2021-03-02T21:50:53","slug":"need-an-mri-tips-for-claustrophobics-from-boston-univ-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rayusradiology.com\/blog\/need-an-mri-tips-for-claustrophobics-from-boston-univ-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"Need An MRI? Tips for Claustrophobics from Boston Univ. Expert"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ever wonder what makes you afraid? Dr. Todd Farchione of Boston University\u2019s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders<\/a> says when it comes to claustrophobia fear can spring from several sources. You might have a frightening experience<\/strong> in a tight space, leading you to fear enclosed spaces. You might watch someone else<\/strong> have a frightening reaction to a small space, leading you to equate confinement with fear. But sometimes it\u2019s much less personal. You can thank evolution<\/strong>, says Dr. Farchione. \u201cEvery 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.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

The escape reaction leads some people to crawl right out the end of an MRI machine\u00a0during the middle of an exam. Linda Raimondi knows firsthand. She can sense a panic attack coming. Linda says doing online research didn\u2019t do her fear any favors. \u201cWith 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Self Talk and Getting Real<\/h3>\n
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For someone like Linda, it can be hard to rationalize the fear. She tries to tell herself the walls aren\u2019t closing in on her, but her fear makes it hard to believe. \u201cI can only take so much and I gotta get outta here.\u201d That\u2019s not uncommon, according to Dr. Farchione:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more that the person tries to stay calm, it can actually have a paradoxical\u00a0effect, where they say, \u2018Ok, I\u2019m not staying calm, what does that mean?\u2019 And then\u00a0it can build on itself very quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly, anxiety has spiraled into a panic attack. Dr. Farchione\u2019s best advice for you: Be ready to experience the fear<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like being able to be ok with the fear that we\u2019re experiencing in that situation and tolerate that,\u201d he says. \u201cBe present and tolerate that experience and stay put.\u201d Sounds simple, but it can be tough to do when your brain is screaming, \u201cGET OUT OF HERE!!!\u201d That\u2019s where \u201cself talk\u201d 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:<\/p>\n

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  1. What is an MRI?<\/li>\n
  2. How long is it going to last?<\/li>\n
  3. What will it be like?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The answers to those questions can help you set your thinking straight and quell the anxiety. Dr. Farchione doesn\u2019t just research and help others, he\u2019s 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:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n