Slava Profina 07/25/2018 no comments
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The fear of thunderstorms has haunted humanity since ancient times, when people who did not know about such a weather phenomenon regarded it as the wrath of the gods. Over time, the fear of thunder and lightning subsided, especially as their nature became clear. Many people are afraid of thunderstorms; this is just a sense of self-preservation. But this phenomenon terrifies some people so much that people try to hide in the farthest corners. In psychology, fear of thunder and lightning is called brontophobia.
What is brontophobia?
What is brontophobia? This is the fear of thunderstorms. An alternative name is keraunophobia. All people follow safety precautions: they try not to go outside in bad weather, do not use the telephone on the street, and turn off electrical appliances at home so that they do not burn out. At the same time, the person maintains a sober mind, his actions are rational and calm. This is normal behavior during a thunderstorm and is associated with the instinct of self-preservation. After all, lightning can really hit a tree, car, house or person.
But for people with a phobia, thunderstorms turn into real torture. The person loses control over his actions. He huddles in a corner and flinches at every clap of thunder. The behavior of a brontophobe is irrational and dangerous for him and others.
What is characteristic of brontophobe:
- Panic attacks during and before a thunderstorm. In someone else's house, in an open area, in public transport, a store and similar places, panic intensifies.
- Fear of sockets and electrical appliances. Sometimes even switched off appliances scare a person. At advanced stages of the disease, a brontophobe may completely turn off the electricity and refuse to use technology.
- The desire to hide in a safe place. At advanced stages, some patients need a special shelter, a bunker. If bad weather occurs outside, the patient may knock on everything in the house and ask to be let in.
- Inappropriate reactions: screaming, crying, aggression, stupor.
This is interesting! Brontophobia affects children more often than adults.
Symptoms of blattophobia
Cockroach phobia manifests itself in the form of a whole complex of symptoms. Blattophobes are not just afraid of these creatures, but experience extreme uncontrollable horror at the sight of them. In addition, other symptoms of the disorder are observed:
It is noteworthy that blattophobes can be completely calm towards other insects, as well as snakes, lizards, and spiders. They experience panic horror only in relation to cockroaches.
A person who suffers from a fear of cockroaches may experience fear even when they see a photograph or drawing of an insect. Many blattophobes try to keep their home perfectly clean in order to protect themselves from cockroach infestations. They purchase and keep on hand all kinds of pesticides against domestic insects.
Causes of pathological fear of thunderstorms
Why are people afraid of thunderstorms?
- Childhood psychotrauma. Severe fear during a thunderstorm in childhood can haunt a person throughout his life. Maybe it happened when a child got lost on the street and a thunderstorm started. Or the child was alone at home when bad weather happened outside. Or the child was simply intimidated by his parents. The cause of childhood psychotrauma can be anything, and the associative connection can be both direct and indirect. For example, the thunderstorm itself did not frighten the child, but the scandal of the parents that happened at that time frightened him.
- Psychotrauma in adulthood. An accident related to a thunderstorm or an unpleasant event that occurs during a thunderstorm can cause psychological trauma. As in childhood, associations can be direct and indirect.
- Suggestibility and impressionability. Reports from the media, horror films, stories from friends - all this can provoke the development of a phobia in a suggestible person.
- Superstitions. Some people still regard thunderstorms as the wrath of the gods and natural forces. For example, a person can be sure that lightning will strike him for some sins.
Sometimes pathology is associated with other fears:
- astrapophobia – fear of lightning, bright flashes of light;
- ombrophobia – fear of rain;
- Ligyrophobia – fear of thunder, loud and sharp sounds.
If a person is not frightened by the whole thunderstorm, but suffers only from a fear of lightning or thunder, then one needs to look for the root cause of this condition. For example, ligirophobia may be associated with a difficult childhood in which parents quarreled, shouted, slammed doors, etc.
How to help yourself?
Phobia of crowds often causes panic attacks. Moreover, an attack can occur at the most inopportune moment, for example, when you are having an important conversation, getting your hair done at the hairdresser, or making an important purchase. In this case, the fear of the crowd is joined by shame, shame for oneself, helplessness and a feeling of despair.
If the fear of large crowds strikes you suddenly, you should have a few tips to help you overcome your panic. First of all, you must protect yourself from traumatic factors: avoid crowded places, speaking in public and anything that may cause fear of crowds of people. If circumstances are such that this is impossible to do, use the following techniques:
- Look around you. You will see that everyone is busy with their own business and does not pose any danger to you. For them, you are no different from the rest of the gray mass. Instill this thought into yourself as deeply as possible, it will relieve you of the panic caused by crowd phobia.
- As a rule, fear of crowds makes a person look at others as a solid gray mass. Try to single out the person, talk to him, ask for the time or something else. Having received a calm and intelligible answer from a stranger, you will see that this is an adequate person who does not pose any danger. This way the condition will improve.
- Try to focus on your breathing and your entire body. Feel the areas of your body that are tense. Try to calm down, take even, deep breaths, and exhale the same way. If you learn to breathe properly and relax your body, you can overcome your fear of crowds forever. You can learn this through yoga and meditation practices.
- If you feel panic looming, try dialing a loved one on the phone and talking to them about distracting topics. This will relieve the feeling of fear, give confidence and strength.
To summarize, it is worth noting that phobia of crowds of people is a serious pathology that significantly poisons life. Demophobes are limited in their movement, trying not to run into a crowd and thus not cause a panic attack. This means only one thing, this condition is subject to psychological adjustment, which can be carried out by a specialist (psychotherapist or hypnologist).
Ways to overcome fear
To overcome fear, you need to get to know it better. Stock up on scientific literature and study what a thunderstorm is. We are afraid of what we do not know and do not understand. Break down the phenomenon itself into its components, find out about the safest and most dangerous places during a thunderstorm, what attracts lightning, how real ball lightning is, etc. Find answers and scientific explanations to all your nagging questions from reliable sources.
Self-deliverance
At an early stage, you can cope with the problem yourself. The main thing is to learn to be distracted and calm down when panic begins. You can play a musical instrument, sing, draw. If fear allows you to use technology, then you can watch a movie or play loud music. If flashes of light scare you, you can buy thick curtains.
To relieve tension, you can drink herbal tea (chamomile, mint, motherwort). But it’s even better to master breathing exercises, relaxation and self-regulation techniques. These skills will come in handy if a thunderstorm hits you outside your home.
It is important! Anxiety and worry will be less of a concern if a loved one is with you during a thunderstorm.
If a child is afraid of thunderstorms, then you need to explain to him the features of this phenomenon and talk about safety precautions. Parents must remain calm themselves because children copy the behavior and reactions of adults. It is unacceptable to intimidate a child into coming into the house from a walk. Instead, all risks need to be rationally explained.
Help from psychotherapists
It is recommended to consult a psychotherapist if the phobia is severe and if you do not understand the true cause of the fear or cannot cope with it. In this case, we are talking about childhood psychotrauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. In both cases, you need to work first with the client’s subconscious, and then with the conscious.
To identify the root cause and correct the condition, psychology uses cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, hypnosis, psychoanalysis, and psychodrama. If there are complications, taking antidepressants, tranquilizers or other psychoactive medications is indicated.
Methods for dealing with phobias
Taking your fear of cockroaches for granted is not a solution to the problem, but a self-defeating escape attempt. Fear destroys a person's life, and it takes a lot of effort to become the master of your fear, and not remain a prisoner. Accept the problem, understand it and start fighting using an integrated approach. Cockroach phobia can be treated using psychotherapy or medication.
Drug treatment
Medicines are prescribed exclusively by a doctor. Self-treatment can lead to serious consequences.
The list of medications below is for informational purposes only.
- Tricyclic antidepressants (Fluoxetine, Sertraline).
- Weak tranquilizers (Phenazepam, Imipramine). They must be used directly during panic attacks.
- Tablets that block the feeling of increased anxiety during an encounter with an insect. These include Buspirone.
But medications can only help temporarily, directly during a panic attack, when the patient needs to be calmed down by giving a soothing decoction or pills.
Medicines must be taken as prescribed
Other methods to get rid of the problem
The main assistance in the fight against blattophobia can be provided by qualified psychotherapists or psychiatrists. They will teach you how not to succumb to phobias and reduce the negative impact of stress on the body. Treatment for each individual is selected individually, as it depends on many factors.
- Hypnosis is a state in which suggestibility increases and the absence of fear of a phobia is imprinted in the subconscious. Not all patients will agree to this method of treatment, all because of the same fear, but all phobias can be treated with hypnosis. The doctor puts the patient into a trance and, asking him leading questions, determines the true cause of fear.
Hypnosis against phobias
- The method of autogenic training consists in mastering the technique of self-hypnosis, in which a feeling of heaviness arises in the body, as a result of which a state of muscle relaxation is achieved, the so-called. relaxation. To do this, you need to turn on calm music, relax, even out your breathing, turn off your emotions, close your eyes and start saying self-hypnosis phrases: “I am brave.” I easily overcome my fear”, “I know that my fear is created by me, which means I can overcome it”, “I turn off my fear of (cockroaches) for the whole day.”
- The practice of yoga is a good helper in the fight against phobias. Regular yoga classes provide an outlet for our fears, gradually eliminating the level of anxiety.
- One of the effective techniques in struggle is to face your fear. By overcoming yourself, you will overcome your phobia. The exit should not be rapid, but gradual.
- Playing sports in the fresh air is a cure for many diseases, including blattophobia.
General characteristics of the disease
When characterizing the disease, the following reactions of people are most often noted:
- They try to avoid participating in entertainment events.
- They do not want to watch comedy films and performances, considering it an unnecessary waste of time.
- They never talk about the good things that have happened in their lives, or devalue them when mentioned.
- They forbid themselves to think about happiness, even remember joyful moments, fearing that something bad will happen.
- They feel guilty when they experience joy, when they realize that they are happy.
- They unknowingly give up everything that could change their life for the better.
