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Environmental Phobias

Cyberphobia – Fear of the Internet/Computers

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Understanding Cyberphobia – The Fear of Computer Technology

Do you find yourself running in the opposite direction when someone asks you to send a simple email or even sit at a computer? Are you afraid that the internet will defraud you no matter how many precautions you take, or that it will get into your soul? If you have a high fear of the internet and all things computer related, you may have cyberphobia.

It’s probably difficult for you to explain to your family and friends about the stark fear you feel when you’re handed an electronic gadget. At times, even making a simple phone call may seem taxing, because you’re afraid to operate the phone.

Living with this fear can be difficult and has probably become the bane of your existence. You may feel unsure about yourself as everyone around you can use these electronic gadgets so freely, yet you are hesitant to do so yourself.

However, there is no need for you to lose hope. There are ways to overcome your fears, but first you need to identify the root cause of it.

What Causes Cyberphobia?

Cyberphobia, like all other phobias, is an irrational fear. It is the fear of or the aversion to computers or any new technology. It is often seen in older people who either missed the revolution of technology or those who are still struggling to adapt to the new age of technology. It is also common for people to have cyberphobia who have low self-confidence. They may feel prone to making mistakes and fear judgment for that.

There are various ways in which you could experience cyberphobia. For example, teachers may experience a form of cyberphobia if they are forced to change their teaching methods. Cyberphobia may leave them feeling incompetent, especially if they lack the skills required in this new age of technology.

Cyberphobia may also occur if one has had negative experiences with technology or computers. For example, if your computer was hacked in the past, you might fear the same happening again.

While some may find cyberphobia ridiculous or silly, those with this phobia can relate to the depth of fear associated with it.

Symptoms of Cyberphobia

Like all other phobias, cyberphobia is a mental disorder and manifests various symptoms in those who suffer from it.

These symptoms can be both mental/emotional and physical.

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

The symptoms of cyberphobia are generally subconscious and uncontrollable. They take over your thoughts, leading you to take extreme measures to avoid your object of fear, in this case, computers. This is known as safety or avoidance behavior.

You may notice that you have trouble concentrating or find it difficult to relax. When the phobia is triggered, you may find yourself sweating excessively.

Physical Symptoms

The physical symptoms of cyberphobia include panic attacks, fatigue, aches, and pains. You may also begin to feel breathless when in contact with computers or other similar electronic gadgets. Headaches may also occur. When confronted with a computer, you may even find yourself getting dizzy.

If you notice that cyberphobia is hindering or interfering with your life’s normal functioning, it’s time to do something about it. You might consider self-help or professional therapy. But keep in mind, there’s not just one particular treatment for cyberphobia. There are various treatment methods you can try.

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

Before you consider other treatment options, you may want to consider trying to help yourself. You can begin by trying to calm yourself when you are faced with your fear. Try to reassure yourself that your fears are nothing more than a manifestation of your mind.

Relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises and meditation can go a long way in calming down the chaotic mind.

Another way to overcome cyberphobia is to expose yourself to that which terrifies you, in this case, computers and other electronic gadgets. You may find that if you are persistent enough, your fears will slowly begin to diminish.

You can start by learning new technologies and software that are most comfortable for you. Along with that, any of the above-mentioned techniques can help you overcome your fears.

Professional Help for Cyberphobia

For many years, even psychologists have ignored the fact that our minds are capable of producing real biological reactions to any given situation or stimuli. That means that, to you, computers appear to pose a threat that feels very real.

The majority of people who have cyberphobia know that their fear is irrational, but still they continue to feel it. That’s when professional therapy may be the best option.

When considering professional therapy, it’s important to seek a mental health specialist. Treatment methods may vary from person to person, depending on symptoms.

Learning to Cope with Cyberphobia

All of the above-mentioned methods, both self-help and professional, can in no way guarantee a full recovery from your phobia. However, they will help you gain some control over it, making sure you’re no longer at the mercy of the phobia. You may not feel the same level of fear, and you’ll be able to better manage the situation if it were to present itself.

Learning to overcome cyberphobia can go a long way in living a normal life. In today’s modern world, you can’t escape electronics, which makes it even more important to have control over your fear of technology.

If you are faced with a situation where you have to use a computer or any new technology, now you can. Remember to assure yourself that you’re okay and that your fears are just temporary. With a little practice, you could be on the path to competing with some of the IT professionals of the world.

FearAZ.com is looking for personal stories of any 'fear of' or phobia. If you have an interesting story you'd like to share, we welcome your submission. If the story fits with our content and guidelines, we'll add it to our site.
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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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