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Aurophobia – Fear of Gold

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The Golden Rule: Aurophobia, a Serious Phobia

While everyone loves the sparkle and many uses of gold, a few people cringe at the sight of it. Does gold make you shiver, but not in a good way?

Do you turn away when you notice the cups in a café have gold rim designs? Does the golden-hued cutlery prevent you from eating?

As the anxiety starts to kick in, are you breathless and unable to think straight? Maybe a nice meal out becomes a nightmare. Sure, other people may be blinded by gold, but you become immobile not because of awe but rather by the cold sweat enveloping your body.

Those who fear anything gold can have a hard time understanding themselves, and those around them might have trouble understanding what’s happening as well. It’s difficult to explain why the sight of a gold ring or a neck with gold chains can send you into a frenzy.

But your fear is valid, and the good news is that you are not alone.

Aurophobia Meaning

Aurophobia is a fear of gold. This irrational fear causes you to feel anxious at the mention of gold, at seeing gold things, touching gold things, or simply being in the presence of anything gold.

Aurophobia is not just the fear of gold objects like a necklace or statue but also the fear of what gold represents, like power, success, wealth, or position.

When a person has aurophobia, they tend to avoid people wearing gold jewelry, distance themselves from places that might have gold, and even stop whatever they’re doing when they spot something gold near them.

Many people won’t understand this irrational fear because gold, for most, is inviting and desirable. But people with aurophobia miss plenty of experiences because of the presence or sight of a gold watch, a gold ring, or a harmless gold-plated statue. Aurophobia can negatively impact relationships and quality of life in general.

Aurophobia Causes

So, why are people scared of gold? There is no definitive cause for this phobia. Though, like other fears, this phobia may be influenced by genetics and the environment.

For instance, if someone in the family has a history of anxiety disorders, mental illness, or even a specific phobia, there is an increased risk that the new generation may develop a related fear, including aurophobia.

Experience may also play a role in the development of the phobia. If a person encounters something traumatic or emotionally upsetting linked to gold, it may cause them to fear it and form a negative connection.

What Are the Symptoms of Aurophobia?

Like most other phobias, if you have aurophobia, your top symptom is anxiety. You may experience just one symptom at the sight of gold, or it can have a ripple effect and cause many symptoms varying in severity. And when a symptom strikes, even if you know it’s irrational, it can get the better of you.

Someone who has aurophobia may experience these common physical and psychological symptoms:

Physical Symptoms:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Dizziness
  • Dry mouth
  • Gastrointestinal distress
  • Hot flashes
  • Hyperventilation
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Nausea
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Sweaty palms

Psychological Symptoms:

  • Confusion
  • Paranoia
  • Loss of control over your feelings and thinking
  • Inability to speak or make decisions rationally
  • Irrational thoughts and assuming something terrible is about to happen
  • Wishing to flee or cry

Aurophobia Treatment

If your fear of gold causes you to miss out on opportunities, maybe it’s time to learn how to manage it. Yes, you can manage any phobia, including aurophobia, so that you can lead a more normal life.

You don’t need to let your irrational fear get the best of you because there are numerous treatments available.

Though there’s no cure for phobia, with help, you will find yourself able to better cope with your symptoms.

Aurophobia Self-Help

Being more in tune with yourself is critical to getting better. Most of the time, people with aurophobia tend to brush off their fear, knowing that most people around them won’t understand what they’re going through. After all, a gold bracelet or a gold statue appears harmless to most people.

The first step in self-treatment, however, is to admit your fear. And this is a tough pill to swallow, because you accept that you are afraid and that your anxiety in this instance is illogical. The next step is to share your fear, how you feel when it triggers, and to be vulnerable in front of people you trust.

Let people know how you’re feeling, so they can support and understand you better. These steps are the most critical ones and may take time for you to process.

You can also try these other self-treatments:

  • Journal to describe your specific triggers and reactions to seeing gold or being near anything gold, and what you can do about it.
  • Meditate or do yoga to help attune your energy and ease the negative feelings inside you.
  • Learn anything you can about gold—its origin, purpose, and representations because knowing your enemy is essential. And it will reinforce the fact that there is nothing to be scared of.

 

Aurophobia Professional Treatment

Just as the definitive cause of aurophobia has not been identified, there is also no definite professional treatment for aurophobia. But several treatment plans can improve your symptoms and help you manage your fear better.

Here are some possible treatment options that your healthcare professional may recommend. Note that you may need one or more of these management plans, depending on your situation.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most common forms of therapy to address anxiety and fears. The therapist encourages you to look at your feelings from a different perspective so that you can respond and react to the stimulus in a more positive way.

Exposure Therapy

As the name suggests, exposure therapy involves being exposed to the source of fear. If you have aurophobia, the therapist may ask you to look at and touch gold objects to gradually confront and overcome your fear.

Hypnotherapy

A hypnotherapist would guide you to tap into your inner self, understand your fear, and influence your perception of gold.

This can make you more confident in dealing with and overcoming your fear of gold. Be easy on yourself because one session is not enough. Expect a long process and keep an open mind. This will also have an effect on the effectiveness of the therapy.

How to Cope with Aurophobia?

Coping with aurophobia will require you to be clear on the goal of overcoming your fear. Remember that this is a battle against yourself. And yes, mind over matter is true, but be prepared for setbacks.

Keep in mind what you want to achieve. Take control of your life. And be aware of what you can enjoy without anxiety at the sight of gold. It can change everything.

Conclusion

A speck of gold can’t hurt you. Don’t let your fear take away what’s more precious than gold—a life that is lived to the fullest and a life that is lived without any regrets.

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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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