First time I had one, it was for my knee. When I made the appointment, they asked if I was claustrophobic. I said no, because I didn't think I was. Turns out I'm not claustrophobic in small rooms, elevators, etc., but when you stuff me into a tube the size of a coffin where my arms are literally pinned to my sides, I have a panic reaction, because it literally feels like being buried alive to me. Who knew?
I managed to get through it only because I didn't have to have my head all the way in there for them to scan an area that low on my body. But it took all the self control I could muster to keep from fighting my way out of there. I tried to concentrate on staring at the ceiling and keep my mind off the feeling that the rest of my body was immobilized. The problem is you need to be very still while the machine is doing its thing, and it's really hard to be that still while stifling waves of panic. Ironically, that made the whole ordeal take even longer!
Years later, I needed to have an MRI on my neck. Remembering the earlier experience, I looked for a place that advertised open MRIs, figuring I'd be fine as long as I didn't have to be "buried alive" in that tube. WRONG. I was okay with the basket on my head, because that didn't give me the "buried alive" feeling that triggered the panic. I was able to closed my eyes and relax, UNTIL I gradually became aware that they had also put some kind of enclosure around the rest of me. That did it. Even though it wasn't nearly as constraining as being stuffed in the tube, that triggered the same "OMG GET ME TF OUT OF HERE NOW!!!" panic reaction that the tube did.
We were not able to complete the scan that day. *sigh* Since then, I feel like I understand phobias a lot better than I used to. It is very strange to be completely terrified of something that you rationally know is not going to harm you, but knowing it is an irrational reaction does nothing to dispel the terror and panic. It's completely involuntary and outside one's conscious control.
If I ever need an MRI again, I will plan ahead for sedation, because I know that's what it will take.
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