Fears of Claustrophobia … Ben P

Ben is male, age late 60s, with multiple fears in the claustrophobia family, which first manifested in the 1990s. These fears include – elevators, caves, tunnels, crawl- paces under houses, thick woods/trees in the dark, small airplane seats and 2 door cars (back seats).

Counseling and years of research into family background brought forth the facts that Ben had been stuck in his mother’s birth canal for over 4 hours, his mother had a hard birth ( he was a wanted child, however, so no rejection involved), his father was abusive and Ben would hide under the bed fearing a beating from his father for the least infraction, as a teen other teens held him under the water in a swimming pool ( tremendous fear of drowning set in ), several experiences on crowded elevators, going under houses ( feeling they would “fall in on him”) and today’s modern tight-fitting airplane seats ( fear of the overhead luggage compartment too close to his head and fear of not being able to quickly get out), and the tightness of being in the rear seat of a 2 door car with no quick opening to get out.

To many persons these things seem like normal every-day occurrences but to people like Ben they are the “realities” one has to live with from the fears they have. Care in counseling and deliverance must be exercised to show compassion and never any ridicule of the person like “just get over it” etc, et al, that does not work, and is not a godly approach.

Intense prayer, forgiveness (where needed), breaking of various curses, all broke the power of the ruling spirit of claustrophobia in Ben in 2007. Ben reported later that he had to travel through some long tunnels ( could not back out ) and also ride on a plane with 3 small seats abreast ( he chose the window seat and with prayer from his wife was able to overcome that fear ). A trip up a 500 foot elevator in a theme-park tower broke the fear of elevators. God had given Ben the victory but Ben had to “walk out” his deliverance. He still is working to gain total victory over each remaining fear involved with Claustrophobia and is gaining that victory. This is much like the journey of Israel under Joshua taking the promised land city by city and town by town. The whole journey of deliverance is life-long, step-by-step, as the Lord leads, the counselee submits to continued forgiveness and positive statements of faith and belief in what Jesus Christ has done – Jesus is the deliverer. Ben P