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The Fear of Being Robbed
Situational Phobias

Harpaxophobia – The Fear of Being Robbed

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Introduction to the Excessive Fear of Being Robbed

Are you in constant fear of being stolen from or robbed? Before going to bed, do you have to triple check your windows, doors, and gates? Do you spend a lot of money on security systems and fancy locks that may not be necessary?

Have you ever wondered, Why do I have a fear of someone breaking in? or How do I get over the fear of being burgled?

If you said yes to these questions, you’ve come to the right place. You likely have harpaxophobia, or the fear of being robbed phobia.

The good news is with the right information and mindset, it’s possible to overcome this.

What Is Harpaxophobia All About?

Harpaxophobia definition is simple: it’s the fear of being robbed. This term is a combination of the following root words: harpax, which stands for “thief” or “one who steals,” and phobos meaning “fear.”

A person with harpaxophobia has an uncontrollable need to ensure that all doors and windows are closed. They recheck locks and latches every few minutes.

The Fear of Being Robbed

If you’re someone suffering from this condition, you’re likely to experience anxiety at the mere thought of your house being robbed. While people have different reactions to threats, your anxiety may result in a full-blown panic attack.

Being concerned about security is normal, but yours is considered over the top by most people you know. It may have come to a point that this extreme fear is affecting your life and relationships.

Even when everything is fine, you might find it difficult to relax. The worry that someone will break into your home is in a constant loop in your head. You might find it difficult to control your emotions, especially anger.

Do you go to great lengths to keep yourself protected? You’ve probably installed security cameras in all the rooms of your home, even if you live in a safe neighborhood. You may look at other people with distrust, wary that they may attempt to steal from you.

The fear of robbers might make you suspect every other person that comes to your house. You might feel suspicious of cleaning staff, gardeners, or delivery people.

Some phobia sufferers prefer living in isolated areas, far away from the risks of city life. They also never want to leave their residence and possessions unattended. This means they’ve voluntarily given up traveling, especially extended trips.

Having a phobia like this can lead to other health conditions. For example, constantly worrying about thieves might cause you to develop obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Before trying to confront your fear of robbers, it’s important that you understand where this fear comes from.

Harpaxophobia Causes

Past Events

Like other phobias, harpaxophobia is often caused by a traumatic experience. If you’ve been robbed previously, you’re likely to develop this intense condition. A burglar may have tried or succeeded in breaking into your home. You may have returned after an overnight trip to find your home in shambles and your precious belongings gone.

Biological Factors

Sometimes, harpaxophobia can develop without any obvious reason. Some scientists believe that genetic and physiological factors may also lead to this phobia. If you suffer from adrenal insufficiency, you’re likely to develop this condition.

Harpaxophobia Symptoms

If you’re suffering from this fear of being robbed, you’re likely to experience the following:

Physical Symptoms

  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Heart palpitations
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Headaches or muscle pain
  • Dry mouth

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Constantly obsessing over locks
  • Finding it hard to trust people
  • Panic attacks and severe anxiety
  • Obsessive thoughts about being robbed
  • Problems concentrating
  • Constant irritability and a short temper

People with harpaxophobia have no control over these symptoms. This lack of control  might make them feel frustrated, powerless, and trapped.

Harpaxophobia Treatment

While there’s no medication designed specifically to treat this phobia, there are self-help and professional methods you can use to help reduce the symptoms.

Self-Help Methods for Managing Harpaxophobia

Sometimes we do our best work by healing ourselves. And that’s possible with phobias. If you’re not ready to seek the help of a medical professional for your fear of being robbed, why not try working on your phobia through self-help methods. We’ve listed a few below to help get you started, but there are several other options available.

A Healthy Lifestyle

Begin by making some lifestyle changes. Make sure your daily routine is healthy. Start by getting plenty of rest and eating nutritious meals. Get enough physical activity, preferably outdoors. Avoid overloading your schedule so that you have time for self-care. The key is to prepare your mind and body to start the journey of facing your phobia.

All these might seem basic, but the results are undeniable.

Relaxation and Breathing

Some phobia sufferers swear that relaxation and breathing techniques are game-changers. Learn how to control your breathing. Once you’ve mastered this, the next time you feel anxious, you might avoid a panic attack.

Yoga and Meditation

Start practicing yoga and meditating. By doing so, you train your brain to listen to you and handle your anxiety. When your mind is at peace, you don’t have the time to worry about your fears. This enables you to handle your phobia better.

Professional Help for the Fear of Being Robbed

If your phobia symptoms are uncontrollable even after trying self-help methods, it’s time to consult a mental health professional. A professional can provide licensed therapy and unbiased advice.

The goal of therapy is to help you regain your confidence and face your fear boldly. The following are examples of therapies designed to help you better manage or even overcome your fear of being robbed.

Exposure Therapy

Here, the therapist gradually exposes you to your fear over a specific period. This is done in a controlled environment so that your reaction can be observed. Theoretically speaking, the more you are exposed to your fear, the more control you’ll have over it.

Since you can’t safely simulate being robbed, your therapist is likely to expose you to your fear by educating you on the topic.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is another common treatment for people suffering from harpaxophobia. It’s also used in curing anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. This type of therapy works on the root cause of the problem.

Your therapist will help you figure out why it is that you think, feel, and act a certain way. Understanding and tweaking these processes will help you manage the phobia.

How to Avoid the Phobia Altogether

Sadly, you can’t avoid all of the triggers for harpaxophobia. Life is full of risks. There’s no such thing as foolproof security measures or total safety from thieves.

While these methods may not completely cure your phobia, they could still provide some relief. Eventually, you’ll no longer live in constant fear of being the victim of a crime.

The mere fact that you chose to face your fears shows how bold you are. You just need to work on this boldness and enhance it. The techniques mentioned above will help you do just that. They will leave you feeling strong and self-assured. Eventually, you’ll control your phobia instead of letting your fear control you.

In Conclusion

You’ll be surprised how common the fear of being robbed actually is. Hopefully, you’ll take comfort in knowing that you’re not the only one suffering from this. There are millions of others like you out there. If they can make it through their phobias, so can you.

Now that you have a better grasp of harpaxophobia, you can stop feeling helpless and frustrated. Soon, you can watch a movie like Home Alone without being scared of the same thing happening to you. You can laugh as Kevin turns the table on the burglars and successfully defends his family home.

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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