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Fear of Being Buried Alive
Environmental Phobias

Fear of Being Buried Alive – Taphophobia

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The Fear of Being Buried Alive Is a Common Phobia

Do you wake up screaming after nightmares about being buried alive? Does the thought of seeing someone else being buried alive give you sleepless nights?

If your answer to these questions is yes, then you are most likely suffering from taphophobia, the fear of being buried alive.

While watching movies, do scenes involving funerals make you sweat? Do you worry about instances of people being buried alive? Perhaps you start to feel breathless, dizzy, or have headaches that can last for days. Experiencing these problems might have you wondering, Why am I scared of being buried alive? or How do you get rid of the fear of being buried alive?

 

Fear of Being Buried Alive

 

What Is Taphophobia?

The word “taphophobia” was derived from the Greek term taphos meaning “tombs or graves” and phobos meaning “deep dread or fear.” Taphophobia or taphephobia is described as the extreme fear of being buried alive.

While knowing this might not make you feel better, consider this: Several well-known personalities, such as Edgar Allan Poe, Hans Christian Andersen, George Washington, and Frederic Chopin, a Polish composer, were known to suffer from taphophobia.

Taphophobia is closely related to other phobias such as thanatophobia (fear of death) or placophobia (fear of tombstones). Experts have also noted that taphophobics may also be afraid of cemeteries (coimetrophobia) as well as enclosed or tight spaces (claustrophobia).

Although it is not unusual to be scared of being buried alive, a taphophobic is so fearful they avoid certain places and situations.

Individuals who have taphophobia may request elaborate arrangements for their funeral, such as putting heart stimulators, air tubes, and oxygen tanks in their caskets. Some may even ask that they not be buried for at least three days after their death.

Why Do People Have Taphophobia?

As with many other types of phobias, there is no single cause for taphophobia. However, the most common reasons why some may have taphophobia are listed below:

  • Having been trapped in a tight, enclosed space at some point in the past
  • Looking at or reading about people being buried alive
  • Substance abuse
  • Mental disorders such as depression and anxiety
  • Genetics and a family history of taphophobia

People with taphophobia may avoid closed buildings fearing they may collapse. Taphophobics might choose not to undergo medical surgeries that include anesthesia because they worry they may be mistaken for dead and be buried alive. They may even refuse to view tombstones or visit graveyards and may become hysterical when witnessing a funeral.

 

What Are the Symptoms of Taphophobia?

Let us take a look at taphophobia symptoms, the mental, emotional, and physical.

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Difficulties in concentrating
  • Panic attacks
  • Inability to relax
  • Losing temper easily
  • Irritability
  • An impending sense of dread

Physical Symptoms

  • Dizziness
  • Prickly sensation all over the body
  • Palpitations
  • Body aches
  • Dryness in mouth
  • Excessive sweating
  • Breathlessness
  • Frequent headaches
  • Poor sleeping patterns
  • Irregular heartbeat

Since the symptoms of taphophobia are generally overwhelming and uncontrollable, they can take over an individual’s thought process completely. This may cause them to take extreme measures to avoid dealing with their fear. Though taphophobics lead normal lives, the anxiety can interfere with their day-to-day activities in severe cases. If you think you may have taphophobia, it’s important to seek help.

If you’re wondering how to get rid of the fear of being buried alive, read on for tips on self-help and professional methods.

 

What Can I Do to Help Myself for Taphophobia?

Taphophobia is a fear that, in many cases, can be overcome. But first, you need to acknowledge your fear. Acceptance is the first step towards recovery.

If you’d like to try to tackle taphophobia on your own, here is a list of lifestyle changes you can make:

  • Engage in physical activity, especially something calming, such as yoga or Tai Chi
  • Practice meditation including deep breathing and mindfulness techniques that can help to relax the mind and eliminate thoughts related to death
  • Take part in charities and voluntary work
  • Try to expose yourself to cemeteries and graves, either by visiting them or looking at photos, videos, and movies

 

Professional Help

If you feel you simply cannot overcome taphophobia on your own, seek professional help. A therapist can help you with your fear using various therapies such as neuro-linguistic programming, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and hypnotherapy. Let us take a look at each of these methods in detail.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

Under NLP, your mind is re-oriented to view your phobia more positively. Since taphophobia is the fear of being buried alive, you may detest visiting cemeteries and graveyards because you view these places with dread. With NLP, however, you may begin to see burial grounds as positive and acceptable rather than as something that terrifies you.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

In CBT, your therapist will help you replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

As part of the process, therapists will help you identify the root cause of your negative thoughts and develop coping mechanisms to overcome them. You might be asked to weigh the pros and cons of each solution and then choose the solution that you can implement. You might also be asked to keep track of your behavior and understand the things and situations that trigger your negative thoughts.

Hypnotherapy

As the name suggests, hypnotherapy uses hypnosis to treat the phobia. Individuals are induced into a hypnotic state which helps them detach from their external surroundings and focus on their inner selves. The therapist may then ask you to picture yourself in a state of complete relaxation, then suggest behavioral changes and coping techniques to help you overcome your fear.

Others with Excessive Fear of Being Buried Alive

 

How to Avoid Taphophobia Altogether?

If you wish to avoid taphophobia altogether, then you shouldn’t visit cemeteries, graveyards, or tombstones at all. You might also avoid reading about or looking at photos, videos, movies, and TV shows centered around death or burials. Skip over the scenes that include death and funerals.

In addition, try and limit your interactions with those who are near death or those who are preparing for a funeral.

This may sound doable, but remember: death is an inevitable part of life. Eventually, you’ll have to attend a funeral or comfort a friend or loved one. Therefore, learning how to control your anxiety is more practical than avoidance.

 

Conclusion

A taphophobic person often feels left out and isolated because they believe their fear will be misunderstood and that others will mock them. However, like several other phobias, taphophobia is entirely curable and can be overcome with the correct treatment. It’s important to accept your fears and get help, to begin living a normal, healthy life.

 

SOURCES:

http://www.wolverhamptonhypnotherapy.co.uk/phobias/taphophobia.html
https://www.tranceformpsychology.com/mental-health-problems/phobias/taphophobia.html
https://www.allaboutcounseling.com/library/taphophobia/
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-behavior-therapy-2795747

 

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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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