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Environmental Phobias

Ataxophobia – Fear or Dislike of Messiness

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Ataxophobia Is Messy Business

The sight of a dirty environment whether at home or work can be irritating. It is not exactly a sight most people look forward to seeing. Typical reactions to a messy home or workspace can range from irritation and disgust to downright fury. However, when a dirty or disorganized environment gives you anxiety or palpitations or leaves you scared and uneasy, it’s  time to consider whether you are suffering from a phobia. The Fear of cluttered spaces also falls under this issue.

A racing heart or heavy perspiration over a messy place can most likely be a symptom of ataxophobia—the fear and dislike of messiness In the everyday scheme of things, most people may have an issue with messy spaces. A messy area can also be dirty, unhygienic, and filled with germs that could make you sick. This is something to be mindful of but becoming excessively afraid of such situations is a clear indication that you have ataxophobia.

A Phobia of Fear or Disgust?

When a little bit of disorganization causes this irrational fear, it can affect your daily life, both personal and social. Even walking into a slightly disorganized office could trigger symptoms of this irrational fear. This could, in turn, lead to awkwardness in interaction. Opportunities could be lost and relationships could fail.

Like most phobias, people who suffer from ataxophobia do not understand why they do. They try to stop themselves from freaking out about a messy desk or a crooked picture on the wall, but they can’t. The phobia can throw a wrench in the running of their daily lives.

Fortunately, it’s treatable. With the right treatment methods and a tremendous amount of willpower, you can overcome fear—even irrational ones like ataxophobia. Identifying the problem is the first step. When dealing with fear, facing it head-on is the best way.

Causes of the Fear of Messiness

When it comes to phobias the cause can be hard to determine because there may be several of them. Ataxophobia, like most other phobias, has many causes. There may have been many things one must have been exposed to, to develop the irrational fear of messiness.

You might have been conditioned classically to hate everything messy and disorganized. Most parents are stern when it comes to disorderliness or messiness. This could build up over time in a child, especially when he or she has been exposed to this kind of environment for a long time. The child keeps running away from all that isn’t organized and slowly a fear builds up.

Ataxophobia in Depth

Say for instance, during the first years in a child’s life, a clear preference is expressed by the parents for orderly environments over disorderly ones. Constantly being educated about the cons of a disorderly environment can create anxiety and fear. A messy environment is visualized as a dangerous environment. All the negatives of a disorderly environment are replayed in the mind. This influences the creation of the phobia. The continual supply of information builds fear gradually.

The exaggerated perception of danger associated with a messy area also helps to maintain ataxophobia. Though it might not be what started the disorder, it plays a strong part in making sure the phobia remains active.

Unrealistic beliefs held by some about the harm a messy area could bring helps strengthen the phobia. The dangers associated with a messy place are blown out of proportion. The fear then escalates, maintained by these beliefs.

What Exactly Is Ataxophobia?

A phobia is an irrational fear of something. In the case of ataxophobia, it is the irrational fear of disorder. It is a disorder characterized by the fear of disorder. The understanding of the disorder, in this case, is clutter. Hence ataxophobia could also be called clutter phobia.

If you’re suffering from ataxophobia, you’ll become excessively uncomfortable and fearful when exposed to a messy or cluttered area. The level of anxiety experienced during this time is severe. This disorder does not go away unless there is a proper and timely intervention.

Ataxophobia is different from an obsession for order. They might seem similar but differ greatly. Obsessing over order does not automatically equate to fear disorder.

When it comes to ataxophobia, you fear the messy situation rather than crave a more orderly situation. A disorderly place does not pose any harm to a person hence making the excessive fear phobic.

The fear is uncontrollable. You try to fight it, but it just seems impossible to overcome. A person suffering from ataxophobia starts avoiding places that are disorderly and messy in their mind. It is also important to remember that what’s messy for one, may not be for another. So, even a seemingly organized place might appear overly messy for the person with ataxophobia.

What Are the Symptoms of the Fear of Messiness?

The most prominent symptom of the phobia is clear anxiety when exposed to a disorderly environment. The fear triggers excessive sweating and an increased heart rate.

Physical Symptoms

Though physical symptoms may differ slightly from person to person, some of the major physical symptoms include:

  • Increase in respiratory rate
  • Increase in heart rate
  • Excessive sweating
  • Dilation of the pupils
  • Headache or stomach upsets
  • Nausea
  • Tense muscles

Psychological Symptoms

Psychological symptoms are not physical but occur in the mind. They are symptoms that cannot be seen but are present in the thoughts. They include:

  • Increased anxiety levels
  • Feeling surreal
  • Panic attacks
  • An unexplained feeling of dread

Thoughts will center around the negative consequences of being in a disorderly area. In some cases, the longer the person is in that disorderly area the worse their thoughts become.

The actions of the person will also be based on these thoughts, and their actions will no longer appear irrational to them. In fact, their actions will be dictated by their emotions.

Treatment for Ataxophobia

Ataxophobia, like all phobias, does take a toll on a person’s personal and social life. Accomplishing even minute tasks could be very hard. This could lead to other disorders as the quality of life could be greatly affected. A person with this phobia will experience great discomfort when moving out of their safe place or comfort zone. To avoid this constant and excessive anxiety, a person with such a phobia might avoid moving around altogether, which could be detrimental to their social wellbeing.

Ataxophobia should be treated as early as possible so that people can go on to lead fulfilling lives. Psychological therapy or psychotherapy is a good way to manage ataxophobia.

Talking with a mental health professional regarding your phobia can also help you identify the root cause of the issue, as well as triggers so you can take preemptive steps to control your reaction to the situation.

Exposure therapy as well as cognitive behavioral therapy are usually considered the most effective treatment methods when it comes to addressing ataxophobia or any other kind of phobia.

Exposure therapy, as its name signifies, focuses on exposing the sufferer to situations they fear with the aim of changing their response to the situation. The therapy needs to be carried out by trained personnel, and the exposure will be gradual. The idea behind this therapy is to train the mind to fight the fear.

It is done in a way that poses no harm or threat to the person. The person faces fear head-on and cannot escape from it. The goal is to become comfortable with being in such situations. The constant exposure to such situations will gradually make the sufferer realize that their fears are irrational.

While using this treatment method, relaxation is imperative. Relaxation exercises during exposure therapy help to reduce anxiety and other physical symptoms.

In Conclusion

Phobias such as ataxophobia can greatly limit your freedom of movement and cause social problems, but it is treatable. Overcoming any kind of fear has to do with facing it head-on. So next time you walk into a dorm room with papers scattered everywhere just remember, it’s not the end of the world.

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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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