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Fear of the Future

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Looking Into the Fear of the Future

Do you often avoid being around or looking at clocks or watches? Have you ever skipped birthdays, anniversaries, or graduations for fear of the idea of the passage of time? Does looking at a calendar spark anxiety or panic?

If so, you may be dealing with the fear of the passage of time, or fear of the future.

This phobia is more commonly seen in the elderly or those suffering from an illness. It can not only make you fearful of any milestones marking the passage of time but also make you obsessed with time in general.

While this fear of the future can be difficult to deal with, there are various tools and techniques that can help you gradually overcome it.

What Is This Excessive Fear of the Future?

 

An excessive fear or the future is closely related to chronophobia, which is the fear of time.

It affects people with future uncertainty who do not know what their future will bring or those who are afraid of facing tomorrow.

This fear is common among those who are ill or elderly because these groups tend to have future anxiety. Those in such situations often worry about facing the future; they may expect poor outcomes or even death. The phobia is also common among prisoners and is referred to as “prison neurosis.”

So, it is this fear of the unknown that causes severe anxiety and even panic attacks. The person may feel doomed, as if they have no future. They may also feel their days on Earth are numbered as they age and come closer to death. The uncertainty of what lies after death also causes anxiety and fear.

A fear of the future is a powerful irrational fear of time and is classified as a specific phobia. People that are scared of the future often worry they don’t have enough time to accomplish goals.

Such people often find themselves obsessing over watches and calendars, either watching them continuously or avoiding them altogether. And in the case of avoidance, this can affect their professional lives as they may fail to meet deadlines or experience trouble at school or work.

While the fear of the future is a common fear that almost everyone has to some degree, it becomes excessive for those with an actual phobia.

Causes of Excessive Fear of the Future

So, what causes the fear of tomorrow?

The exact reason for the cause of any phobia is largely unknown, but like most different kinds of phobias, it is a combination of factors that results in one developing the phobia.

Genetics and environment are the two main factors that play a role in a person developing this excessive fear.

It could also be triggered by a traumatic event like being trapped in a cave, or having near-death experiences or other similar trauma. Such high-anxiety situations may cause survivors to develop the fear.

A person may also be genetically predisposed to fear of the future  or other mental health issues, in which case even the smallest of triggers can lead to the onset of the phobia.

 

Symptoms of Excessive Fear of the Future

Here are some of the physical and mental/emotional symptoms that a person with this fear may experience.

Physical Symptoms

  • Chills
  • Trembling
  • Palpitations
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sweating
  • Nausea
  • Lightheadedness
  • Insomnia

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Severe anxiety
  • Feeling of dread
  • Obsessive behaviors
  • Depression
  • Panic attack
  • Continuous thoughts of a dreadful tomorrow
  • Avoiding future talks
  • Constantly worrying about the future
  • Obsessed with keeping track of time and date or the opposite
  • Circular thought patterns

 

Treatment of Excessive Fear of the Future

An excessive fear of the future, if left untreated, can lead to severe consequences like social isolation, relationship issues, mood disorders, substance abuse disorder, and depression. Because of this, it’s wise to address it as soon as possible.

While there is no defined treatment for every phobia, all phobias coming under the specific phobia category can be treated using similar techniques.

Self-Help

Acknowledging your phobia is the first step towards a healthier you. Once you learn about your triggers and the level of anxiety you experience, you can begin to manage your phobia with self-help techniques.

Some of the best self-help techniques are:

  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Exercise
  • Deep breathing
  • Relaxation techniques

These techniques can help reduce anxiety or panic and calm the nerves when faced with your fears. Additionally, if you are in the middle of a panic attack, try deep or rhythmic breathing, counting numbers, distraction techniques, etc., which will help you cope with the anxiety.

You can also start journaling. Journaling is recommended by doctors for patients with mental illnesses as it can serve as a safe place for you to vent your thoughts. Rereading the previous entries will also help you distinguish your rational thoughts from the irrational ones and will go a long way in helping you overcome anxiety.

Professional Help

Getting professional help is important when dealing with any phobia, especially if your fear has started hindering your daily life.

Mental health professionals are trained and experienced in dealing with anxiety disorders and specific phobias. They will be able to accurately diagnose your condition and determine the best form of treatment for you.

They may use one or more of the following therapies:

  • Hypnotherapy
  • Exposure therapy
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)

If needed, the doctor may even prescribe medications like anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs. These are meant to subdue the extreme symptoms of the phobia, but they are not a cure for the phobia itself.

 

Coping with Excessive Fear of the Future

Living in constant worry about the future can be exhausting, leaving you unable to appreciate the present while always being scared of what comes next.

It’s crucial to seek help, whether it’s in the form of self-help or professional treatment. It’s also a good idea to open up to your friends and family as they can offer you support and understanding.

You might also consider joining a support group, so you can get different perspectives from those in a similar situation.

 

Conclusion

Spending every second worrying about what is to come sounds like a nightmare, and that’s exactly what an excessive fear or the future can be. This irrational phobia can engulf you and impede your life.

Fortunately, there are many treatment methods that can help you deal with this fear and possibly even overcome it, so you can enjoy every moment as it comes.

FearAZ.com is looking for personal stories of any 'fear of' or phobia. If you have an interesting story you'd like to share, we welcome your submission. If the story fits with our content and guidelines, we'll add it to our site.
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Your Fear Goes Up and Down

Are you someone who would rather climb the stairs than take the elevator? You call it squeezing in a workout after being sedentary the whole morning. Or perhaps you claim it's a faster route. These are both typical, normal, and acceptable reasons. But what if you need to be in the conference room on the eleventh floor in five minutes, and you're wearing your business suit and wingtips? Would you still prefer to take the stairs? If your answer is yes, then maybe it's time to take a closer look at your reasons for avoiding elevators. Elevators stir all sorts of emotions in passengers. From the discomfort of closeness to strangers to the sensations in our gut, elevators can be a source of the heebie-jeebies for many, but for some, they can also be a source of terror. Let's dig a little deeper into the latter, and see what this terror is all about and what can be done to manage it. To begin with, does being inside an elevator give you chills or the sweats? Or does it trigger an unpleasant memory? Perhaps you remember movies you've watched where something terrible happens inside an elevator. From Silence of the Lambs, The Shining, Final Destination 2, or the king of all elevator horror films, 2010’s Devil, the elevator becomes witness to something sinister and horrible. And you want nothing to do with any of it. You know that you're not claustrophobic. You can deal with heights just fine, too. And you know that you're not going to be trapped inside. All of these contribute to a fear of elevators—but they don't apply to you. Yet being inside one does something to you. It's hard to explain.

What is the Fear of Elevators Called?

What you have is a fear of elevators, which is called elevatophobia. It is most commonly triggered by an experience of getting stuck inside either due to a power outage or technical maintenance. Hearing about other people's experiences or watching a movie about similar circumstances can prompt a fear of elevators getting stuck with you inside. Usually, claustrophobics and agoraphobics may also develop elevatophobia because the triggers and objects of these fears are related. Claustrophobia is the fear of closed and cramped spaces, while agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped without any means of escape. Put the two together, and the elevator becomes the perfect combination of both phobias. The space is limited and closed, with only one means of entry and exit. You can add another point of access if you consider climbing the cables like they do in the movies, but that certainly isn't ideal.

Symptoms of Elevatophobia

If for some reason an elevator stops due to an outage or some technical difficulty, passengers with elevatophobia may go into full panic mode. Even if the maintenance team advises that it will just be a matter of minutes, by then, the person's mind has become irrational with the fear of the elevator falling, being stuck for hours, or other unpleasant thoughts. You would expect a person to exhibit the following physical symptoms: Additionally, you would be filled with that overwhelming anxiety where you feel that you have zero control over the situation. You start fearing the unknown and are filled with negative thoughts about death and imminent doom. You become irrational and unresponsive.

Possible Complications of Elevatophobia

When the panic sets in, the possibility of emergencies related to pre-existing conditions may make themselves known. This might include serious health crises like heart attacks or asthma attacks. When this happens, fear becomes a medical emergency. Elevator rides do not last long; it's just a matter of minutes or even less. But the fact that a person can escalate from panic to a near fatal medical situation classifies the fear of elevators as a 'hard phobia.'

Trying Some Self-Help Methods

Your fear of elevators can likely interfere with your social and work life and relationships. Not everyone understands that elevatophobia, like most phobias, can be crippling. But don't be disheartened. Depending on the level of your fear and level of control, you can gradually face and manage your phobia. Here are some recommendations you can try:
  1. Make a List of Everything that Entails Riding in an Elevator This is a systematic approach to getting over your anxiety. By following a step-by-step process, you can identify where the fear kicks in at its strongest. You can write a list of steps like pressing the topmost button and waiting to arrive on that floor, watching as the door closes and opens, being alone inside the elevator, or having delays with the doors opening. Now try doing the opposite. For example, face away from the door or occupy yourself with your phone so that you are distracted.
  2. Create Your Fear Ladder Although the name says fear of elevators, it is not the whole process that scares you. There are just phases and parts of the elevator riding experience that cause you to panic. So go back to the list you initially created and label the fear level you feel. You can do it numerically, too, like ten being 'really scary,' six, 'manageable scary,' and one, 'not scary at all.' You can put the corresponding fear levels so you can focus more time and effort into activities that are more scary to you.
  3. Face Your Fear By now, you have identified what scares you the most. You can try repetitive action to minimize your fear and increase your sense of ‘normalcy’. Remember that the longer you expose yourself to your fear, the better you get at handling your emotions. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stop. Pushing yourself too fast and too soon can backfire. Modify your pace and go slower instead.
  4. Talk About Your Fear People by nature, unfortunately, are not quick to offer understanding and support. You need to tell them what's wrong before they can empathize. Talk to someone who you trust and ask for their support, especially in the initial phase of overcoming your fear. If you are too afraid to ride the elevator alone, you can ask them to go with you, and before you realize it, you are on your floor, and there was no indication of panic.
  5. Learn To Be Patient Be patient with yourself and your predicament. This is, after all, your fight against fear. It might take hundreds of elevator ride practices before the fear gets under control. Even then, there might be some hesitations and episodes of nervousness. These are acceptable and expected, so cut yourself some slack and congratulate yourself for every progress.

Seeking Professional Help

Along with self-help, you can always enlist a medical professional's aid to support you with your elevatophobia. Talking to someone who has experience with similar cases can be comforting, because you know that you are not alone, and this situation can get better. Talk to your doctor about the severity of your fears and the symptoms that you experience. Explain how you deal with it in an attempt to control it. An exam and a health history are made to ensure that there are no unrelated or underlying problems that your symptoms might mask. Usually, phobias like this are approached with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Your doctor will talk about these options with you, and it's entirely up to you, with your doctor's recommendation, what you want to pursue. For psychotherapy, the most common type is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which aims to help you find different ways of behaving, thinking, and reacting when about to step inside an elevator or when already inside it. With medications, there are beta blockers and benzodiazepines, but note that these can have side effects. Whatever these side effects are, you should promptly share it with your doctor.

Simple Tips to Overcome Elevatophobia

Elevators are not perfect, but their likelihood to malfunction, fall, or get stuck is very low. If you are not fully confident with this information, you can help overcome your elevatophobia by learning common elevator safety tips and basic elevator operations. These should help curb your mild fear until you become more self-assured. In addition to that, here are some of the things that you can do to gradually overcome your fear of elevators—both in getting on and riding one.

Conclusion

Yes, elevatophobia can be a challenge in today's world, but don't allow the elevator to win. Don't let it stop you from taking a job on the top floor or attending a social gathering on the rooftop. Sure, you can take the stairs if you insist and arrive winded and sweaty, with the party about to wrap up. But is this the quality of life you seek? Elevators are designed to make life easier. There are guaranteed ways to help you overcome elevatophobia. Take the first step and seek help. Soon, you’ll see yourself breezing through the floors with those arduous stair climbs little more than a memory.
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