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Eisoptrophobia:-The Fear of Mirrors
Environmental Phobias

Eisoptrophobia: The Fear of Mirrors

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Decoding Eisoptrophobia: The Fear of Mirrors

Do you hate the idea of looking at yourself in the mirror?

Is the idea of catching your reflection in the mirror or any reflective surface repulsive?

Do you get nervous every time you see any reflective surface, such as kitchen utensils or cutlery pieces—even foil wrap?

You probably don’t have any idea why this happens. Or maybe you’re so used to avoiding mirrors that it’s become part of your daily routine. As long as it doesn’t create any major issue in life, it’s okay to avoid it, right?

This condition is called eisoptrophobia or the phobia of mirrors. With eisoptrophobia, you feel extreme fear or revulsion towards mirrors and seeing your reflection. Though it might sound scary, you can learn to manage it.

 

Eisoptrophobia:-The Fear of Mirrors

What Is Eisoptrophobia?

Derived from the Greek language, eisoptro means “mirror,” and phobia means “fear.” This condition is a fear of reflection where an individual exhibits extreme fear and anxiety over mirrors and self-reflection.

Eisoptrophobia, or the fear of mirrors, is similar to spectrophobia which is the extreme fear of seeing ones own reflection and how it may appear.

Don’t confuse this with a hatred or dislike for mirrors themselves. Eisoptrophobia is a mental health condition where you are unable to control your reaction to your reflection in mirrored surfaces.

Everything You Need to Know about Eisoptrophobia

Just like most phobias, eisoptrophobia, also known as catoptrophobia, is a simple phobia. As phobias are considered anxiety disorders, they’re usually caused by a specific reason. They usually also have a specific trigger, in this case, a mirror.

Most who have phobias are aware of their condition. While they understand that the fear is unreasonable, they cannot control their reactions.

Also, phobias are generally caused by reasons beyond your control. However, once you focus on the cause, you can treat your condition accordingly.

What Causes Eisoptrophobia?

As eisoptrophobia is fear of reflections, eisoptrophobia has something to do with how a person views him or herself. There are many reasons why this happens. However, since it is an anxiety disorder, it could be due to one of the following reasons:

Trauma

A major physical or psychological trauma inflicted on a person may cause this disorder. Sufferers of emotional or physical harassment such as acid attack victims and those who have faced stalking or sexual assault may develop a deep repulsion for their appearance.

If they were targeted for their appearance, they start feeling that must be why they went through such a horrific incident. Seeing themselves in the mirrors reminds them of their painful experiences.

Low Self-Esteem

People with low self-esteem may feel they’re not good enough to look at. Some may also develop a phobia of looking at their own reflection.

Clinical Depression

Those with depression are battling within themselves. Though there could be many reasons for depression, one reason could be how they view themselves.

This affects their confidence and self-esteem, making them incapable of loving themselves. Though not everyone with depression is eisoptrophobic, it can be one of the side effects of depression.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

In this disorder, one starts obsessing over their physical attributes. They may feel their eyes are too big, their face too fat, or their ears too large, etc. These are minor flaws to others. However, to the individual with body dysmorphic disorder, it’s a source of embarrassment.

Though many get embarrassed about such things, they forget about them eventually. However, those who have this disorder obsess over them. Their obsessing can lead to a phobia of reflections.

Head Injury

Being in an accident that causes brain damage can also lead to phobias. Coupled with severe traumatic experiences, these phobias can be specific. The brain works differently for those who have had a head injury. Those with head injury may be aware of how irrational their fears are, yet feel incapable of changing their situation.

Hereditary

This is rare, but if someone in the family has a similar disorder, then one can inherit it. This has nothing to do with personal experiences. It is a genetic disposition toward developing an anxiety disorder or phobia.

Though eisoptrophobia causes are complex and inter-related with many different issues, once you learn about them, it’s easier to find a solution.

Symptoms of Eisoptrophobia

For most phobias the symptoms are similar. The following physical, emotional, and mental symptoms could surface if you have a fear of mirrors or reflective surfaces.

Physical Symptoms

  • Increase in heartrate
  • Panic attacks
  • Sweating
  • Fainting spells
  • Nausea or dizziness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Trembling or muscle spasms

Mental/Emotional  Symptoms

  • Irrational behavior around mirrors
  • Repulsive reaction to mirrors
  • Extreme avoidance of reflective surfaces
  • Screaming or shouting after looking at mirrors
  • The presence of a mirror causes one to feel unwell

These symptoms are minor but clearly indicate a problem. If you or someone you know is exhibiting such symptoms, take them seriously. The phobia is treatable, but left unchecked, it can lead to more serious issues.

How Do You Deal with Eisoptrophobia?

Before seeing an expert for eisoptrophobia treatment, ask yourself how severe your condition is. Many find comfort in learning their fear is a valid condition with treatment options.

Many healthcare professional are of the opinion that phobias should be treated when symptoms begin to disrupt an individual’s daily life. If it’s still in the early stages, there are various methods to cope with them on your own.

Self-Help

If you’re feeling low because you’re wondering why you have a fear of mirrors, try to relax. There are ways you can learn to manage this disorder on your own. The most important thing is knowing what caused your phobia. Knowing the cause will help you determine best treatment methods, either through self-care or with professional help.

These are some methods for self-care:

Relaxation Techniques

Yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises can help you control the flow of thoughts. It also helps with other anxiety disorders. The goal is to train your mind and channel your thoughts positively.

Maintaining a Journal

When you maintain a personal diary, you write about the day, thoughts, and feelings. It helps sort out muddled emotions and gives you a healthy outlet to channel and vent your feelings.

Mental Activities

Games such as sudoku, word games, and puzzles keep your brain working and teach you many new things. This will keep you occupied in a positive way. Mental activities are helpful in mind training.

Learning to Love Yourself

If you have low confidence or self-esteem, it could be due to someone’s negative influence for a prolonged period. Your goal is to understand why you feel this way about yourself and change your perspective. You can do this with the help of activities such as:

  • Make a daily list of the things you love and dislike about yourself
  • Ask others you trust how they feel about you
  • Work on your flaws and appreciate your good qualities

The point of these activities is to learn how to love yourself. This might make it easier for you to see your reflection. These self-learning techniques will take time to show effect. However, you must be willing to practice them regularly.

Professional Help

Professional help is for those who are unable to manage their phobias on their own. Your therapist may suggest one or more types of therapies to help you overcome your fear of reflective surfaces.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

With CBT, your therapist works with you to try to determine the cause of the phobia. Often patients are aware of the cause, but sometimes they’re unsure. With the help of a mental health professional, you might eventually remember an incident from the past which may have triggered your fear. Once that is determined, you can move forward with learning coping skills to better manage your phobia.

Exposure Therapy

Here you’ll be desensitized or exposed to your phobia in small doses. It’s like how we get vaccinated—with a small dose of the antigen to build antibodies. Similarly, to be desensitized, a therapist uses various techniques to help you face your fears gradually in a safe, controlled environment. It’s a very effective method.

Mindfulness Therapy

When you’re aware of a problem, your brain activity changes. Similarly, in the case of a phobia, a heightened sense of awareness about the phobia and the fact that it’s unreasonable can help manage the phobia. Your therapist will work with you in various ways to help you become aware of your emotions and fears.

Learning to Cope with Eisoptrophobia

Most mental health illnesses do not have a bona fide cure. However, there are many different ways to learn to cope with your fear, to better manage it, and in some cases, even overcome it.

Though you might not automatically start admiring yourself in the mirror, you will see improvement in your reactions. You might experience some amount of hesitancy to look at mirrors, but your symptoms will be much more within your control.

Start small and take it one step at a time. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Working on phobias takes time and patience.

Conclusion

Eisoptrophobia isn’t something to feel embarrassed about. You can find a way to cope with your fears. Stay determined that one day you’ll no longer be scared of looking in the mirror. With time and effort, you’ll get there.

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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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