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Fear of the End of the World

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The End of the World: Common Fear for Most, Phobia for Others

 

Several years after their release, you still haven’t watched popular movies like The Day After Tomorrow, I am Legend, or 2012. In fact, you make it a point to skip all doomsday movies or even watch their trailers.

Do you also get anxious when you hear about passages from the Book of Revelations or anything related to supernatural phenomena, pandemics, ecological collapse, or the possibility of a zombie invasion like The Walking Dead?

While these are all scary possibilities, most of us know they are improbable. But if the hypothetical possibility of the world ending sends you into a state of panic and overwhelming anxiety, you may be suffering from apocalypse anxiety, or a fear of the end of the world.

This can be a crippling fear that may cause you to withdraw from your community and stop living life to the fullest. People around you may feel you’re a pessimist or are too gullible or exaggerating your fears, which can make it difficult to share your thoughts with someone.

However, once you acknowledge your phobia, you can find ways to deal with it and even overcome it completely. Let’s take a closer look at what this fear of the end of the world involves and how you can address it.

 

Fear of the End of the World Meaning

The fear of the end of the world belongs to the doomsday list of phobias. This broad classification also includes fear of plagues, fear of Armageddon, fear of death or thanatophobia, fear of nuclear destruction, and fear of a nuclear holocaust.

The idea of a worldwide catastrophe can send one into a spiral of anxiety and panic, making them want to avoid exposure to these ideas.

So, people who suffer from extreme apocalypse anxiety would often avoid watching anything related to the portrayal of the end of the world. They would avoid conversations about the end of the world or any form of global disaster.

 

Causes of Fear of the End of the World

Like most fears, this specific phobia doesn’t have a precise origin. Several factors can come together to result in this phobia.

Exposure to wild conspiracy theories, movies, books, and other interpretations of how the world will end all contribute to why a person can have this phobia.

End-of-the-world scenarios, whether biblical or fictional, often include death, suffering, and devastation. And if a young person is exposed to this information, it can be traumatizing to them.

People who have started questioning their faith may also find the end of the world something to fear and will avoid the topic. Being in an environment where people believe that the end of the world is a form of punishment or a way to filter the good from the bad can also drive one to develop an extreme fear of the “end times.”

The fear of the end of the world can also result from how the media portrays this inevitable event. Many people readily believe what they see on social media and other communication outlets, which can cause panic and hysteria.

Someone with a history of mental health problems, such as anxiety, is also at a higher risk of developing this fear.

Symptoms of Fear of the End of the World

Each person suffering from this fear will experience different symptoms depending on the severity of their phobia. There may be multiple symptoms experienced at once or only one at a time.

Here are the most common symptoms people with apocalypse anxiety experience:

Physical Symptoms

  • Cold sweat
  • Dry mouth
  • Fainting
  • Increased heart rate
  • Gastrointestinal distress
  • Nausea
  • Shaking
  • Shortness of breath
  • Tightness in the chest
  • Vomiting

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Panic attack
  • Illogical thoughts about getting hurt and dying
  • Irrational thoughts of losing control
  • Withdrawal from society

 

Fear of the End of the World Treatment

Like many other phobias, various treatment options are available to overcome the fear of the end of the world. Seeking professional treatment and practicing self-help techniques are the two main ways to address this phobia.

Self-Help Options

The first step to overcoming any phobia is to understand exactly what you are dealing with. Acknowledging your fear will push you to better understand it and then try to overcome it.

Writing in a journal can help you better understand your fear and recognize irrational thought patterns. Ask yourself, “If the end of the world will indeed happen, how does worrying about it now help you?” or “What made you believe that the end of the world will happen? Is the resource reliable?”

Answering such questions honestly will allow you to start identifying and responding to your triggers better.

You can also practice relaxation techniques to deal with your fear triggers. Learning yoga, meditation, and rhythmic breathing or engaging in regular physical activities can also help build a more stable frame of mind.

Professional Help

Seeking the help of a medical professional, such as mental health professional, will give you a more structured approach to treating your phobia. You may start by discussing your fears to determine the possible causes, triggers, and how this phobia impacts your life.

Your therapist will then develop a treatment plan that will equip you with the necessary tools to overcome this fear.

They may also recommend a particular therapy or therapies. They may prescribe medication if needed.

Some of the standard therapies effective for fears like apocalypse anxiety are:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Exposure therapy
  • Talk therapy

Living with the Fear of the End of the World

People dealing with this fear can often lose their will to live because of the mindset that doomsday is just around the corner. But that’s not the case at all.

The world has been dying one way or another for thousands of years, be it through global warming or health pandemics. But you are still alive. And obsessing over the end of the world will be of no help to you.

Opt for professional treatment and stick with it. You can also reach out to friends and family or join support groups where you can express yourself freely without fear of being judged.

It won’t be an overnight process, but with the proper mindset and commitment to get better, you might soon start looking forward to tomorrow without fear.

 

Conclusion

The idea of the world ending can be terrifying. But it doesn’t have to stop you from living your life. Make sure you surround yourself with a strong support system of friends, family, or support groups and seek professional treatment. With time, you will soon overcome this phobia and live for the many tomorrows to come!

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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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