Post-Isolation Vestibular Deconditioning Syndrome (PIVDS): The Hidden Root of Claustrophobia, Panic, and Visual Overload
What If Your Anxiety Isn’t Psychological?
If you’ve been struggling with sudden claustrophobia, panic attacks in crowded places, or overstimulation in visually busy environments, you’re not alone. And if you’ve been told it’s just anxiety, you’re not crazy—you may have been misdiagnosed.
At Movability, we treat complex cases every day. And through careful observation, pattern recognition, and clinical success, Dr. Sina Yeganeh has identified a new condition that bridges the gap between neurological dysfunction and modern lifestyle: Post-Isolation Vestibular Deconditioning Syndrome (PIVDS).
This term, coined by Dr. Sina after years of working with patients during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, refers to a very real and overlooked problem. Many people experience intense symptoms following periods of physical isolation, prolonged screen use, and reduced sensory input. But these symptoms are not rooted in psychiatric illness. They’re rooted in sensory disuse and neural dysfunction.
What Is PIVDS?
Post-Isolation Vestibular Deconditioning Syndrome (PIVDS) occurs when the brain’s sensory and spatial orientation systems become deconditioned due to prolonged periods of:
• Minimal physical movement
• Excessive screen time
• Visual convergence (staring at close-up objects)
• Lack of vestibular stimulation (head movement, balance challenges)
• Isolation from dynamic environments
These factors disrupt the normal integration of the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. This sensory mismatch causes symptoms that often mimic psychological conditions but originate in the nervous system.
Anatomy and Neurology: What Happens to Your Brain and Body?
The human brain depends on continuous, coordinated input from three primary systems:
1. Vestibular System
Housed in the inner ear, the vestibular system detects motion, orientation, and gravity. It stabilizes your vision and keeps you balanced. When you stop moving, turning your head, or challenging your balance for extended periods, this system becomes underused and hypersensitive.
2. Visual System
Excessive screen time and indoor living keep the eyes in a constant state of convergence (focused on near objects), which deactivates the divergence and peripheral gaze pathways. This visual rigidity reinforces feelings of spatial confinement and can trigger dizziness and anxiety.
3. Proprioceptive System
Mechanoreceptors in the joints and muscles provide the brain with a real-time map of your body in space. Sedentary living and lack of varied movement reduce this feedback, further impairing spatial awareness.
When these systems fall out of sync, the brain experiences a form of “neural disorientation,” leading to symptoms like:
• Claustrophobia
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Panic in open or crowded spaces
• Overstimulation from light and sound
• Uneasiness when leaving familiar environments
Commonly Missed Symptoms and Patterns
Patients with PIVDS are often told they have generalized anxiety, panic disorder, or claustrophobia. But here are some red flags that point to a sensory mismatch instead:
• Symptoms started after a period of isolation, illness, or remote work
• Traditional therapy or medication didn’t resolve the issue
• Dizziness or uneasiness worsens in visually complex environments (e.g. malls, subways)
• Temporary relief when walking outdoors or looking at the horizon
• Discomfort when turning the head or using screens
These clues point to a disrupted neural circuit, not a psychological disorder.
It’s important to note that while some PIVDS symptoms resemble claustrophobia, the underlying trigger is not fear of enclosed spaces—it’s sensory mismatch. In fact, many patients report discomfort not only in confined areas like MRI machines or elevators, but also in visually complex or wide-open spaces, especially during transitions. This further supports that the root cause is vestibular-sensory dysfunction, not phobic avoidance.
How PIVDS Differs from Other Diagnoses
PIVDS can present similarly to conditions like panic disorder, Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD), vestibular migraine, or even agoraphobia. However, its hallmark is the onset after extended sensory deprivation or isolation, paired with a poor response to psychiatric treatments and rapid improvement through sensory reintegration. Patients often describe feeling “off” or spatially disconnected in a way that isn’t fully captured by conventional diagnoses. Identifying a history of environmental monotony, screen overuse, or isolation is critical to distinguishing PIVDS from other disorders.
Why This Has Been Overlooked
Until now, no diagnostic label captured this specific pattern of symptoms. That’s because it doesn’t fit neatly into the categories of mental health, vestibular pathology, or neurodegeneration. The COVID-19 pandemic created the ideal conditions for this phenomenon to surface, and clinicians like Dr. Sina who work hands-on with complex cases were uniquely positioned to recognize the pattern. PIVDS fills a long-standing blind spot by acknowledging that sensory and neural disuse can create dysfunction that mimics psychiatric illness but requires a physical, neurorehabilitative approach.
A Silent Epidemic in the Digital Age
With more people working from home, relying on screens, and reducing outdoor activity, the conditions that cause PIVDS are more common than ever. This makes PIVDS a hidden epidemic. Many people live with this dysfunction for years, being treated for anxiety or panic when the root cause lies in their vestibular and sensory systems. Recognizing it early can save years of frustration, misdiagnosis, and ineffective treatment.
A Real Case: When the Diagnosis Wasn’t Anxiety After All
One patient came to Movability after two years of worsening panic attacks and extreme sensitivity in visually busy places like grocery stores and malls. She had been prescribed multiple psychiatric medications and underwent CBT, but her symptoms only intensified. Again and again, she told her doctors, “This doesn’t feel like me. It’s like my body is stuck in overdrive. My nervous system is acting on its own.” Despite her insistence that this was coming from inside her body—not her mind—she was repeatedly told it was anxiety.
After a full-body assessment, Dr. Sina identified signs of severe vestibular deconditioning, visual-vestibular mismatch, heightened autonomic tone, and postural misalignment.
Her treatment plan included not only sensory retraining and guided exposure, but also full-body structural work to correct spinal and pelvic imbalances, upper cervical care to reduce brainstem and cranial tension, and techniques to calm her overactive nervous system. Her sympathetic response had been so chronically elevated that even her peripheral nerves had become hypersensitive, keeping her in a persistent state of fight or flight.
Within three weeks, she began to feel real improvement. Her panic wasn’t psychological—it was neural disorientation driven by a combination of sensory mismatch, structural tension, and chronic autonomic overload.
Are You a Good Candidate for PIVDS Treatment?
Many people suffering from PIVDS have spent years chasing answers through the mental health system. If you’ve gone through therapy, tried multiple psychiatric medications, or have been diagnosed with anxiety or panic disorder—but still feel the same or worse—you might be a good candidate for PIVDS treatment.
You’re especially likely to benefit from this approach if:
• You’ve felt chronically misunderstood or dismissed in medical appointments
• You notice your symptoms are worse in stimulating environments or when using screens
• You feel “off” in your body but can’t explain why
• Standard treatments like SSRIs, CBT, or exposure therapy haven’t helped
• You’ve been told your symptoms are “just anxiety,” but your gut tells you there’s more to it
If any of these resonate, the root cause of your suffering may not be psychological at all—it may be neurological and sensory-based. And the good news is: it can be treated.
Why Conventional Approaches Often Fall Short
Mental health support is important, but when the root issue is neurological, talk therapy and medication alone are unlikely to resolve it.
Most conventional approaches overlook:
• Sensory mismatch between visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive inputs
• The role of spatial movement in nervous system regulation
• Visual rigidity and convergence-induced overstimulation
As a result, patients continue to suffer, often cycling through multiple misdiagnoses.
Movability’s Integrative, Root-Cause Approach to PIVDS
At Movability, we specialize in identifying and treating complex, misunderstood conditions. We don’t treat symptoms in isolation—we assess how your brain, body, and environment interact. Here’s how we address PIVDS:
Step 1: Comprehensive Assessment
Dr. Sina and the team begin with a full-body evaluation including:
• Vestibular testing
• Gaze and eye movement tracking
• Balance and proprioception assessment
• Postural and musculoskeletal screening
We ask the right questions to reveal overlooked triggers and patterns.
Step 2: Collaborative Care
Our multidisciplinary team includes chiropractors, physiotherapists, naturopaths, and massage therapists who work together to:
• Restore visual-vestibular integration
• Improve joint and postural stability
• Normalize autonomic nervous system tone
• Reintroduce safe, progressive sensory challenges
Step 3: Personalized Recovery Plan
We use:
• Movement therapy
• Visual retraining
• Outdoor exposure protocols
• Nervous system regulation techniques
This process helps recalibrate your sensory input and rebuild spatial confidence.
What You Can Do Today: Free First Step
Before diving into rehab, here’s what Dr. Sina recommends right now:
“Leave your phone at home. No music. No distractions. Go outside and walk. Let the sunlight hit your eyes. And don’t look at the ground. Look far into the distance. A tree. A tower. A cloud. Let your brain stretch its spatial awareness again.”
This simple act begins to reactivate the systems that have been neglected. It’s often the first, most powerful step toward feeling normal again.
You’re Not Broken. You’ve Been Disconnected.
Post-Isolation Vestibular Deconditioning Syndrome is real, and it’s more common than you think. If you’ve felt lost in your body, anxious in your own environment, or misunderstood by the healthcare system, we see you. We believe you.
At Movability, we’re not just treating symptoms. We’re restoring function, one system at a time.
A message from Dr. Sina: If you’re a researcher, or graduate student in a related field and this topic resonates with your work, I invite you to reach out. Whether you’re developing a thesis, studying vestibular disorders, or exploring the neuroscience of sensory mismatch, I’m happy to assist. I can share my testing protocols, clinical observations, and treatment frameworks. There’s room to collaborate and bring greater scientific awareness to this emerging condition. Contact the clinic if you’re interested in working together.
Contact Movability today to book a comprehensive assessment and experience our results-driven approach.
