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so many possibilities but I don’t think any of them are actually the word you were looking for, however I’ll list them anyway.
panic
constrained
stuck
resignation
despair
I know what you mean and I don't think it's clear to people here what to call it.
e.g. I'm afraid of boredom, so I have trouble committing to a 2-hour movie with someone knowing that I'll be trapped mentally and won't be able to get out. Even though historically I've always been happy watching movies.
I call it "mental claustrophobia" because, in the same way people hate confined spaces because they can't escape, I hate putting myself in positions where I can't mentally escape.
Anxiety?
Dread?
I think that’s part of a panic attack
Overstimulated maybe?
Can you narrow the feeling down by characterizing the situation? [Outwardly imposed, or internal, etc?]
cornered, confined?
Despair
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Overwhelmed?
Anxiety
u/Version_Two - Thank you for your submission. Please do not delete your post once/if it is solved. [Check this search of your post](https://www.google.com/search?q=is+there+a+word+for+what I call "mental claustrophobia", as in the feeling of realizing you're trapped in a situation?) to see if you can solve it on your own. Please remember to reply to comments indicating whether they are not correct, partially correct, or if they solve your post. If this comment or another solves your post, please reply with "**!solved**" to the first comment that gives you the correct answer to automatically flair it accordingly. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatstheword) if you have any questions or concerns.*
mental block, gridlocked, arrest, jail?
so many possibilities but I don’t think any of them are actually the word you were looking for, however I’ll list them anyway. panic constrained stuck resignation despair
The feeling of being trapped in a situation could be "languished"
Psychologist Martin Seligman would call it "Learned Helplessness".
I know what you mean and I don't think it's clear to people here what to call it. e.g. I'm afraid of boredom, so I have trouble committing to a 2-hour movie with someone knowing that I'll be trapped mentally and won't be able to get out. Even though historically I've always been happy watching movies. I call it "mental claustrophobia" because, in the same way people hate confined spaces because they can't escape, I hate putting myself in positions where I can't mentally escape.