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Food Phobias

Cibophobia – Fear of Food

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Digesting Cibophobia – The Fear of Food

Do you—without exception—avoid eating or drinking? Does the thought of sitting down for a meal scare the living daylights out of you?

Does your refrigerator sit empty? Are your dishes collecting dust? Do you avoid going out to lunch with friends because the sight of food might trigger a panic attack?

Or perhaps it’s something specific you avoid, like hamburgers or a cheesey pizza. Fast food joints have become your worst nightmare and the thought of a greasy burger sends you running for the hills.

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, it’s possible you may suffer from cibophobia, or a fear of food. This troubling phobia can develop either out of fear or disgust.

Strange as it might seem, fear of food is real. Anxiety over food can evolve into an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Let’s decode this fear of food and learn how to cope with cibophobia.

What Is Cibophobia?

What phobia is the fear of food? Cibophobia is defined as a fear of food. It is a complex phobia that can evolve into an obsession. Those who suffer from cibophobia typically avoid meals, because they are fearful of the food itself. The phobia may be limited to a particular type of food, or it may involve a variety of foods.

People who have this phobia are often misidentified as having anorexia, an eating disorder. However, those suffering from anorexia are anxious about the impact of food on their body while those suffering from cibophobia are scared of the food itself. Some may have both disorders triggered at the same time.

Cibophobia usually follows a pattern. Some are scared of perishable foods like dairy. Others are afraid of undercooked meat or products that are nearing their expiration dates. This might be related to an experience with eating these perishable food products which resulted in food poisoning or digestive problems. When presented with phobic stimuli, the brain recalls those experiences.

Some individuals who suffer from cibophobia are scared to cook, while others refuse to consume food prepared by others.

Cibophobia Causes

Phobia and aversion to food, eating, or consuming fluids can also result from an unpleasant or traumatizing incident. This could include choking, purging, or other bodily functions after eating or drinking. Some people have this phobia even after they reach adulthood. Cibophobia causes are frequently linked to anorexia, bulimia, and other behavioral and eating disorders.

Cibophobia can result in several health problems, mental health disorders, and emotional turmoil.

It can also be caused by anxiety about developing a sensitivity or allergy to certain foods. What starts as a mere aversion combined with other unaddressed mental health issues may, over time, develop into a fear of food phobia causing increased anxiety and disturbances in everyday life.

Symptoms of Cibophobia

As humans, we rely on food to survive. It provides us with the essential nutrients required for our health and well-being. A fear of food can lead to varied issues that impact a person’s life adversely. Cibophobia sufferers experience a wide range of physical and mental health symptoms as a result of their condition. Some of these are listed below:

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Anxiety
  • Body dysmorphia
  • Anorexia
  • Bulimia nervosa
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Depression
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Panic attacks
  • Insomnia
  • Behavioral issues

Physical Symptoms

  • Chest pain
  • Excessive sweating
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Tremors
  • Shivering
  • Stomach cramps
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Unhealthy weight loss
  • Low bone density
  • Malnourishment
  • Memory loss

Coping with Cibophobia

As previously discussed, the major problem with having a fear of food is that it may impact your dietary intake. Consequently, the likelihood of having other mental and physical health issues may increase. That’s why it’s critical to learn how to cope with cibophobia to overcome your fear and live a healthy life.

Self-Help: What Can You Do to Help Yourself?

When it comes to being afraid of food, try some of the following tips to help better manage your phobia:

  • Change your perspective about food
  • Face your aversion to some foods
  • Experiment with new foods
  • Allow yourself to eat out
  • Let someone else prepare your meals
  • Talk to someone about your phobia

In addition to this, you can cope with anxiety caused by cibophobia in many different ways. Certain lifestyle adjustments have been shown to alleviate anxiety symptoms. Practicing meditation, for example, has been found to improve stress management and promote calmness.

Breathing and mindfulness exercises can also help with symptoms of agitation, rage, anxiety, and depression. Regulated and mindful breathing can assist to control your central nervous system and reduce the stress-inducing effects of your phobia.

Seeking Professional Help: Available Options

Dealing with a phobia or any mental health problem can be difficult, but you don’t have to go through it alone. You can always talk with those you trust. Joining support groups for certain mental health problems could also be helpful.

Phobias need to be taken seriously or they may progress into severe anxiety disorders. If you’re unable to cope with your fear of food with self-help methods, it’s important to get cibophobia treatment from a mental health specialist. Treatments may include:

Exposure Therapy

This carefully controlled and progressive therapy gradually exposes you to the foods that scare you. You can learn to control your anxiety and responses in a supportive environment with this therapy.

Treatment may include desensitization, which involves progressively introducing the feared food until the patient is no longer afraid of eating it. The patient may be requested to perform a set of actions, such as touching the food, sitting close to it, bringing it close to their mouth, chewing, and swallowing it.

Hypnotherapy

Another alternative is hypnotherapy. It enables a practitioner to interact with a patient’s subconscious to discover fears and thoughts. They will then work with you to overcome these assumptions.

Your brain is susceptible to reconditioning in this deeply calm state. A hypnotherapist may give recommendations or provide verbal cues to enable you to minimize your unpleasant responses to food.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most commonly used treatment for phobias and other anxiety disorders. This treatment entails discussing your feelings and food experiences with a mental health specialist. Your therapist will work with you to identify and alter any underlying perceptions you have about the foods you fear.

Medication

Your doctor will advise you on which medications are appropriate for you. Specific phobia symptoms may necessitate the use of antidepressants, beta-blockers, and benzodiazepines.

These medications may be able to alleviate the anxiety symptoms linked with your phobia. Your doctor may prescribe something for a short period and then have you taper off the prescription when your anxiety decreases to a reasonable level.

How to Avoid Cibophobia Altogether

Avoiding cibophobia altogether depends on the type of food you fear. However, some of these general tips might help:

  • Avoid keeping dairy products at home
  • Avoid meat and poultry
  • Buy the ingredients yourself
  • Make sure you are buying the freshest of products
  • Check expiry dates carefully
  • Wash and sanitize your fruits and vegetables
  • Never store leftovers in the refrigerator
  • Always keep a close eye on your meal
  • Steer clear from foods that trigger your phobia
  • Avoid eating where you don’t know what goes into the food
  • Bring your own food if you’re eating out
  • Get your food allergies and sensitivities checked by a professional

Wrapping It Up

Several factors contribute to cibophobia. There are also several therapeutic alternatives available to alleviate your symptoms. If you feel cibophobia is interfering with your everyday life—in particular, preventing you from eating and getting proper nourishment—make an appointment with a medical professional immediately.

This is an important first step in receiving diagnosis and effective therapy. It can help you in overcoming your fears and developing a positive attitude towards food. Give yourself the time and help you need to overcome your phobia. Things will improve with time.

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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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