Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer
3K
3K
740
3K
Menu
Menu
static-img
Environmental Phobias

Astraphobia – Fear of Thunderstorms

Share This Article
Share Post

A “Flash Course” in Astraphobia, or the Fear of Thunderstorms and Lightning

Do you tremble with fear when a storm rolls in?

Does the house shaking from thunder force you to take shelter under the covers?

Do you watch the weather reports for news of thunderstorm warnings then start to sweat?

The first move in tackling your fear of thunderstorms is to understand the process. That is what we will try to do here. Read on. . .

From Zeus in Greek mythology to Thor in the Norse pantheon to Indra in Vedic literature, thunder gods echo across the ages and pages of some of our oldest stories. Thunder has always existed, but our understanding of how weather works is comparatively recent. As such, our ancestors knew what thunder was, but didn’t know what caused it, which naturally made it all the more mysterious and terrifying to them.

Today, we can pinpoint the exact cause of thunder, but that doesn’t mean that people haven’t stopped finding it “awesome” in the purest sense of the word. On the contrary, we may no longer believe in Zeus and Thor, but people still suffer from a fear of thunderstorms. Not only that, but now that the skies aren’t the domain of pantheons but airplanes, some people suffer from a fear of flying during thunderstorms.

With that in mind, let’s separate the myth from reality and get to the truth underpinning this fear of thunderstorms phobia.

What Is Astraphobia?

If you have ever wondered to yourself, in between trembling at the roll of thunder, “What is the fear of thunderstorms called?” the answer is astraphobia. It being a phobia, it is not rational, but rather an extreme reaction to both thunder and lightning. As such, while simply explaining the causes of the condition is not necessarily enough to cure oneself of it. A fear of thunder and lightning is still most common when one is uninformed about what causes those things and only sees and feels the raw power.

It should come as no surprise, therefore, that astraphobia is more common among children than adults. Some children outgrow the fear, while others live with it throughout their lives. Anyone who has ever seen a cat or dog start howling or hiding during a thunderstorm (or fireworks show) knows how those loud noises affect them, too, and sure enough, they can likewise suffer from astraphobia.

As it turns out, that compulsion to hide is one of the most characteristic symptoms of the condition. After all, whether you’re a pet today or a human worshipping Zeus more than 2,000 years ago, you know that the raw force unleashed by a thunderbolt is incredible—and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. The natural instinct when faced with such an immense and seemingly impossible-to-stop threat is to hide.

Of course, for most of us, thunder and lightning isn’t a real threat. According to National Geographic, your odds of being struck by lightning are only 1 in 700,00 per year, while your odds of beings struck at any point of your life is 1 in 3,000. That’s tiny, but even tinier is the amount of people who actually die from being struck.

Just 10 percent of people who are struck by lightning die, according to the National Weather Service. From 2009 to 2018, the US averaged around twenty-seven deaths from lightning.

Causes and Symptoms

The impulse to hide is certainly one of the most recognizable symptoms of this condition, but it is far from the only one. As a condition that inspires a lot of anxiety among those suffering from it, astraphobia can cause people to suffer from some of the most common conditions associated with that. Even so, the causes of this condition—the loud noises and flashes associated with thunderstorms as well as the general aura of mysteriousness which can pervade the phenomena in the absence of scientific understanding—is pretty clear.

As a result, a general sense of fear and dread as well as shaking and trembling are common symptoms of this condition.

Symptoms for this condition include:

  • Trembling at any point on your body, or your whole body shaking
  • Chest tightness
  • Nausea
  • Numbness
  • Heart irregularities (an irregular or elevated heart rate or palpitations)
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Excessive sweating
  • Clinging to others, especially among children
  • Uncontrollable crying, especially among children
  • A sense of dread

In the realm of astraphobia-specific conditions, you may find yourself obsessively checking every development with a storm until it passes. You may feel as though this gives you a greater sense of control by giving yourself the sense that you are at least “doing something” about the storm, but of course weather is natural phenomena over which you have no control.

On the other hand, if you fall somewhere on the autism spectrum, storms, thunder, and rain in particular can be especially disconcerting. While many find the sound of rain soothing and even make autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) tracks with it, for those with autistic conditions, it can sometimes feel violent, like “bullets.”

Those with a family history of anxiety may be at a greater risk of suffering from astraphobia.

In addition, if you have suffered a traumatic incident during a storm, it may translate into an acquired phobia of thunderstorms in all shapes and forms. What’s more, if you fly, and especially if you already have a fear of inflight turbulence, a fear of flying during thunderstorms can be a natural result. When considering a fear of thunderstorms in adults, this can be a common reason why the phobia exists and persists past childhood.

 

Self-Help Treatments

All of which begs the natural question of how to get over a fear of thunderstorms. Thankfully, when it comes to overcoming a fear of thunderstorms, there are several options open to you.

First, there is the possibility of controlled exposure therapy. This is just what it sounds like, carefully exposing someone to a thunderstorm in as calm and controlled a fashion as possible to help them conquer their fear. This naturally requires a fair amount of trust and time.

In addition, there is dialectical behavioral therapy, which couples exposure therapy with dialectics and other stress-relieving approaches.

Mindfulness, meditation, and deep breathing exercises are all common tools to combat general anxiety, and can be helpful here.

Others may propose a homeopathic remedy for fear of thunderstorms, though this is more in the realm of placebo-esque personal soothing and relaxation measures than hard science.

Finally, visualization techniques can help you picture brighter, less chaotic weather conditions and soothe yourself in the process.

Professional Treatments

If those don’t help and you are still wondering how to get over a fear of thunderstorms, you may wish to consider turning to professional experts.

Sitting down with a therapist and talking through your fear of thunderstorms and why you have them can help you get to the root of the problem. This, in turn, can make it easier to find a solution that works best for you. As with all forms of therapy, you should not expect results overnight, but with persistence and patience progress is possible.

While there is no “flash” treatment for getting over a fear of thunderstorms and lightning, neither the psychological condition nor the weather behind it is a mythologized mystery. In fact, in a Big Think interview, Stephen Fry compares coping with mental health issues to weather—such struggles are real, valid, and should not be denied while they are occurring. That said, the weather does change, the sun will come out, and so recovery remains a possibility for you.

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.
0LikesShare Post

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.
This Pop-up Is Included in the Theme
Best Choice for Creatives
Purchase Now