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Environmental Phobias

Cheimaphobia – Fear of Cold

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Excessive Fear of Cold

We all want to cuddle up in the cold winter. Nothing feels better than to sit by the fire when the cold creeps in. It’s normal for us to long for warmth when the weather turns cold. What’s not normal is to clench our teeth and feel terrified when the weather report calls for snow.

If you feel intense fear when the weather forecast says it’s going to be a cold day, you may have cheimaphobia. This phobia might be unheard of to some, but it’s very real. People do suffer from cheimaphobia. Like all other phobias, it’s based in irrational fear.

You may avoid cold cities and retreat to warmer places because of this fear. You adjust your dreams and social life to what your phobia dictates. It is a phobia that can alter dreams, aspirations, and put a dent in your social life.

Cheimaphobia can also spring up from seeing images of cold. Watching Game of Thrones can be very frightening for people suffering from cheimaphobia. You’ll be gripped by fear seeing not only the white walkers, but also the bulk of snow at the wall. Becoming a member of the Night’s Watch is completely out of the question.

Indeed, cold weather can be dangerous and can cause severe health issues. Extended exposure to cold weather carries many risks. But simple, protective measures can be added to reduce these risks. Still, people suffering from cheimaphobia may feel distraught and overestimate that risk.

 

What Is Cheimaphobia?

Cheimaphobia is the abnormal and persistent fear of the cold. The fear includes cold objects and temperatures. When you suffer from this kind of fear, you feel excess anxiety. As a sufferer, you’re well aware that the fear is irrational. Still, extreme fear traps you in whenever you sense cold or see cold things. So, you prefer warm locations and dress in a way that protects you from the cold.

The phobia can have a major impact on one’s daily life. For instance, as you restrict yourself to warmer places, you may miss out on experiences that might occur in a cooler climate.

Causes of Cheimaphobia

Genetics could be potential cheimaphobia causes. You have increased risk of developing this phobia if you have a parent, family member, or close relative suffering from this same phobia. Research has established genetic factors to contribute to this phobia’s development.

Past experiences can also lead to the development of cheimaphobia. Traumatic events in particular contribute to triggering the phobia. Merely remembering such events can overwhelm a phobia sufferer with fear and helplessness. Several unique experiences involving a cold object or environment can develop into a phobia. For example, a person who has been in a snowboarding accident could develop a fear of cold things. Another scenario could be an avalanche that left someone trapped under a pile of snow. These experiences are indeed scary and emotionally scarring.

Many develop phobias after a traumatic experience, but witnessing another person experience the dangers of cold could also cause cheimaphobia. Particularly if that person is someone close. Seeing the experience firsthand may have instilled fear and anxiety in the individual with phobia. The fear that you almost lost someone dear to you because of the cold could have caused you to be afraid.

Cheimaphobia Symptoms

Symptoms of cheimaphobia are similar to that of most phobias and those exhibited by people with anxiety disorders. The symptoms become active when there’s a feeling of cold, information about imminent cold, or an outlook of cold. The mere idea of cold things could also cause fear.

Physical Symptoms of Cheimaphobia

Some of the symptoms experienced include:

● Stomach Ache
Stomach upsets are common when you’re afraid. If you’re a phobia sufferer and are exposed to cold, you might develop an ache in your stomach.
● Tense Muscles
Tension in the muscles is a common symptom when it comes to anxieties. This is a common reaction when in fear. The muscles become tense when people are anxious and fearful about something. In people with cheimaphobia, the muscles become stiff and they are not completely in your control anymore when the condition is triggered.
● Sweating
When it comes to phobia sufferers, increased perspiration is not uncommon. Sweating is something most people do when they’re panicking. Sweating during a cold is uncommon, but in people with this phobia, breaking into a sweat is possible when the condition is triggered.
● Shortness of Breath
Some people find it hard to breathe when they are feeling extreme fear.
● Headache
It is possible to develop a headache when there is intense fear. Phobia sufferers, even if they were completely well before, could suddenly develop a massive headache on top of feeling severe anxiety after getting exposed to a cold environment.

Psychological Symptoms of Cheimaphobia

● Concentration
Concentration is impossible when the phobia sets in. The sufferer would find it hard to concentrate on a particular thing. The emotion takes over, and the thoughts revolve around the dangers of being in a cold environment. Nothing else can occupy the mind at that point.

Cheimaphobia Treatment

The mind is the center of phobia, including cheimaphobia. One approach for treating this condition is to find a way for the mind to understand how the phobia works.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you manage your cheimaphobia. This approach teaches you that fear is a result of environmental influences. There are no facts that make fear rational. You’ll begin to understand that you’re not in any physical danger. The therapist will strive to help address your thoughts toward cold objects and environments. Using a structured approach, you’ll share your thoughts about the object of your fear, and learn ways to deal with the condition productively. Cognitive behavioral therapy is usually combined with exposure therapy for the best results.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is another method of treatment. This method involves gradually exposing you to cold environments. The aim is to help you get used to them until you can manage your reaction. The therapist may start by having you visualize a cold place or coldness in general. Then later on, expose you to cold things.

Fear can be conquered. With determination and appropriate support, the time will come when you won’t have to retreat at the slightest feeling of cold. You’ll come to realize that cold can be fun too.

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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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