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Mottephobia – Fear of Moths
Animal Phobias

Mottephobia – Fear of Moths

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Fear of Moths: Harmless Flying Insects or Your Nemesis?

Are you afraid of stepping out in the summer months when moths are everywhere? Do you avoid the porch light in summer because it attracts large moths?

Does your heart skip a beat when you hear the fluttering of moth wings? Do you ever picture in your head moths attacking you?

You can’t explain to insect lovers why you can’t stand these amazing, useful, and seemingly harmless creatures. And it’s difficult to tell others how your fear affects your enjoyment of the great outdoors.

If this all sounds too familiar, you may have a moth phobia. Mottephobia is defined as an irrational fear of moths. Basic things like checking your food or clothes for moths is normal behavior. Checking serval times, shaking clothes, banging shoes, staying clear of outdoor lights on a warm summer night, this may be seen as exaggerated anxiety, but for you, it’s no exaggeration.

It’s okay not to be a fan of moths because of their appearance. Some do look like alien creatures from comic books. However, screaming your head off or passing out when you see one is considered extreme. Before you can begin to get a handle on your moth phobia, you need to find its root cause. Education is the key, so lets dig in.

Mottephobia – Fear of Moths

What You Need to Know about Mottephobia

The term mottephobia comes from the German word motte, which means “moth,” and the Greek word phobos, which means “fear.” A closely related excessive fear or phobia is lepidopterophobia or the fear of butterflies (and moths). However, many who are scared of moths have no problem with butterflies.

The fear of moths falls under specific animal anxiety phobias. It’s not as common as other animal phobias, such as arachnophobia, the fear of spiders. This, however, doesn’t mean it’s not widespread.

QUICK FACT:

Moths are known as accidental pollinators and are very useful insects in the natural world.

Fearing moths goes beyond disliking their dustlike appearance. It has more to do with intense and uncontrolled anxiety that can lead to panic attacks.

In some communities, moths hold particular spiritual meanings. To be specific, it’s widely believed someone will die if a moth appears in your home.

What Causes Fear of Moths

We may need to juggle your memory to understand where your fear of moths comes from. Can you remember a specific traumatic experience with a moth when you were young? Were you ever stuck in a room with moths at one point? Like many phobias, being scared of moths could stem from an unpleasant childhood experience.

QUICK FACT:

There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth across the world.

Many of us are afraid of moths for their appearance. To the eye, a moth doesn’t appear as beautiful as a butterfly. Let’s face it—if a moth flies into your hair, which it often does because they’re highly unpredictable, you’ll probably consider it an unpleasant experience.

Another possible reason why you may be so scared of moths is lack of exposure. You may have grown up where moths were uncommon. You may have never visited the woodlands. If you saw moths for the first time while on a school field trip, it’s possible you reacted and maybe even got in trouble. This later developed into a bonafide fear.

Symptoms of Moth Phobia

On encountering moths, you may experience intense anxiety. The anxiety will grow into more anxious physical, mental, and emotional reactions. It may even become a panic attack in the worst case.

You’ll need to visit your mental health professional to determine if you indeed have a phobia of moths. However, if you’ve struggled with moth anxiety for at least six months, it’s a strong likelihood you do indeed have mottephobia.

Physical Symptoms

  • Increased heartbeat
  • Standing still in one spot because you are unable to move
  • Shaking and trembling
  • Running away from the scene
  • Screaming
  • Migraines
  • Difficulty in breathing

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Extreme anxiety when exposed to moths
  • Extreme nervousness just thinking about moths
  • Heating up of the body due to fear
  • Inability to control the anxiety in public

Mottephobia Treatment

Like other phobias, there’s no designated treatment for moth fear. Professionals administer therapy to treat the fear while medications are sometimes used to ease physical symptoms.

Self-Help Treatment for Fear of Moths

You can try and unlearn some of the acquired beliefs about moths. If you fear moths because of their spiritual meaning, for instance, tell yourself that’s a superstitious belief. You don’t have to pass out every time you spot a moth because you were made to believe that someone will die.

Work to train your mind to stop fearing moths. Replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts as a way to curb fear. The best way to address fear is to face it and not run away from it. Reprogramming your mind isn’t easy, as it requires practice. Tell yourself repeatedly that moths won’t hurt you.

Emotions are the driving engines of our lives, and they’re determined by what thoughts we allow into our minds. Think positive to be happy.

Professional Help

Therapy administered by professionals is the standard treatment for this fear. Exposure therapy has been found to be effective in treating the phobia of moths. A combination of therapies may help you get over your anxiety.

Augmented Reality Exposure Therapy (ARET)

Augmented reality exposure therapy or simply ARET involves exposure to moths. As a sufferer, it will be uncomfortable at first, but gradually, you’ll adjust. You’ll first be shown pictures and images of moths. After this, you’ll be introduced to real-life moths. You may move from watching them from a distance to actually holding them.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

In CBT, a therapist will work with you to exchange your irrational fear of moths with more rational thoughts. An analysis is conducted on your thoughts, and then you’ll work with your therapist to find an alternate, more pleasant thought pattern.

Talk Therapy

As the name suggests, in talk therapy you can talk about your fears with a professional. From what you share in these sessions, your therapist will decide on the best approach to help you deal with your fears.

Your therapist will work to establish the severity of the fear and the possible ways in which it can be reduced. In the early stages, you’ll help your therapist understand your problem by presenting it in your own words. Be willing to cooperate so they may establish your school of thought and help you deal with your fear.

Talk therapy may also involve group therapy. In group therapy, you’ll share your fears with others who are going through similar challenges. It is always comforting to know you’re not going through something alone. In group, you’ll also be able to pick up tips from others on how to deal with your anxiety.

How to Cope with the Phobia of Moths

Coping with moth phobia isn’t easy. However, with the right therapy and desensitization you’ll learn to overcome your fear. It’s okay not to be comfortable while in a room full of moths, but it’s a cause for concern when a single moth may make you pass out.

Unfortunately, it may be common for those around you to laugh at your reaction to an insect. Don’t let this intimidate you. Do all it takes to learn to better manage your fear. While the fear may never go away completely, therapy will help you reduce your anxiety and symptoms, therefore reducing your reactions as well.

Conclusion

Moths may look frightening, but they are harmless. The statement “looks are deceiving” applies well to these creatures. Avoiding moths is an easy way out that works fine until you spot another one. In the long run, not treating your fear will affect your normal, daily life. The best approach to recovery is to seek professional help.

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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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