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Other Phobias

Bibliophobia – The Fear of Books

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Excessive Fear of Books

Did the book review you had to write in English class terrify you? And not just because of the reading? Did you struggle to even browse through books for the assignment? Did you stash that book out of sight? Maybe you hid it in a drawer or beneath your bed. If your answer is yes, then you may have bibliophobia.

A lot of people, especially active readers, will never understand the impact of bibliophobia. They may never be gripped with a sense of dread at the mere thought of reading a book.

To others, bibliophobia may seem like no big deal. Afterall, who gets scared of books, right? But the anxiety, panic attacks, and hyperventilation that comes with the phobia are all too real to those who struggle with it.

If you want to keep this fear of books from taking over your life, why not first gain a better understanding of it?

What Causes Bibliophobia

Like most phobias, bibliophobia may be caused by several different factors. And these factors differ from person to person. It’s thought one of the major causes could be genetics. If someone in your family, a parent perhaps, has grown up with bibliophobia, you may inherit or adapt this fear from them.

The cause could even be something as trivial as a bad book-reading experience. Perhaps you mispronounced a word in front of an audience and were scarred for life. It’s a possibility. Reading a horror book in childhood can also lead to developing bibliophobia later in life.

Other factors such as learning disabilities are known to be related to bibliophobia. This is especially true for those whose disabilities are undiagnosed, including dyslexia and phobias such as the fear of long words (hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia).

Everything You Need to Know about Bibliophobia

The term bibliophobia is derived from the Greek word biblion meaning books and Phobos meaning fear. Bibliophobia is not a word to be thrown around lightly just because you don’t like reading. The fear is very real and can be traumatizing for those who experience it.

Although this phobia of books is not dangerous or harmful, it can have an adverse impact on your daily life if it gets out of control. The fear of books is unusual and like other phobias, it’s considered an irrational fear. But saying that out loud hasn’t helped you yet, has it?

Those with bibliophobia often do not feel like they need help. They believe they can simply avoid books, which gives them a false sense of control over their fear. Although this may seem like a quick fix for the problem, avoiding the issue or leaving it unresolved can eventually begin to limit your life.

Symptoms of Bibliophobia

The severity of the symptoms of bibliophobia depends on the intensity of the phobia itself. Bibliophobia may be an irrational fear, but the symptoms one experiences are real.

Individuals with bibliophobia may experience physical as well as mental and emotional symptoms. These symptoms can range from mild to disabling. Anxiety and panic attacks are commonly observed in almost all types of phobias, including bibliophobia, where the very thought of a library can trigger the fear. Let’s take a look below at some of the known symptoms of bibliophobia.

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Anxiety and fear when confronted by books
  • Avoiding being around books
  • Feeling nervous or ashamed of the fear
  • Feeling panicked and wanting to run away when around books
  • Constantly worrying about dealing with books
  • Blaming oneself and feeling guilty
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Feelings of confusion

Physical Symptoms

  • Excessive sweating
  • Nausea
  • Tightness in chest or chest pain
  • Dry throat
  • Trembling
  • Clammy hands
  • Increased heart rate
  • Feeling dizzy
  • Lightheadedness
  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Hyperventilation
  • Chills or hot flushes

An individual with bibliophobia may experience some or all of these symptoms. It’s important that you are aware of and can recognize these as they may worsen if not addressed in time.

How to Overcome Bibliophobia

Just because you have bibliophobia, doesn’t mean you have to suffer with it for the rest of your life. Bibliophobia can be overcome with some effort, and there are numerous ways to do it. Maybe you can’t change the past that caused your fear, but you can change the future and the nature of the fear itself. All you need to do is give yourself a nudge in the right direction.

Can Self Help Work?

While most people would say therapy is the best way to overcome any phobia, before you consider seeking out a therapist, you may first want to try some self-help methods to overcome your fear.

Like other phobias, treating the symptoms of bibliophobia can go a long way. Anxiety is the primary and most visible effect of this phobia, and there are ways to deal with anxiety on your own.

Breathing exercises are a great way to calm yourself. Controlled breathing, taking deep breaths, and rhythmic breathing is known to reduce anxiety.

Another proven method to address anxiety is to meditate or practice yoga. Yoga is known to have a calming effect on our minds. Regular practice helps the mind divert to more self-assuring and positive thoughts, away from the fear and distress of the phobia.

You can even try journaling to help identify your triggers, so you can better deal with them.

Professional Help for Bibliophobia

If you aren’t quite as successful in helping yourself as you had hoped, you may want to look into seeking outside help. Mental health professionals are familiar with the ins and outs of phobias and are better equipped to help you overcome them.

Depending on the severity of your phobia, your therapist may apply different methods. Some of the effective treatment methods are as follows.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widely used technique to address various disorders. It involves replacing the irrational thoughts of bibliophobia with rational thoughts through analysis and logical thinking.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) involves teaching coping skills such as developing a positive reaction (e.g., smiling) to the phobia or learning to calm oneself.

Exposure therapy, as the name suggests, exposes the person to their fear, starting with the least triggering stimuli (looking at a picture of books) and eventually moving on to holding a book.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a stress-reduction therapy that uses meditation and yoga to teach you how to calm yourself.

Medication may also be prescribed in extreme cases. But remember, self-medication is never a good idea. Always talk to your therapist if you feel you need more help.

Coping with Bibliophobia

Acknowledging that your phobia is real and not something that will just go away on its own is the first step to overcoming it. Arming yourself with a better understanding of your fears will help you deal with them more effectively.

Even though many phobias can be cured, there is no guarantee of that. No single treatment is known to be effective for all. The effectiveness of the coping mechanisms and therapies described here depends largely on the severity of the problem.

However, you can use this information to lessen the anxiety that comes with bibliophobia. Deep breaths, meditative thoughts, and relaxation techniques can be helpful in addressing this problem.

Overcoming your fear of books will go a long way in changing your lifestyle and your understanding of the world. The world of books is beautiful and filled with poetry, art, magic, and infinite imaginings. So the next time your friend tells you about an interesting book, take a deep breath and tell yourself you’ll be fine. Who knows? You just might find yourself curled up with that book, letting its magic introduce you to whole new worlds.

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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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