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Other Phobias

Fear of Machines – Mechanophobia

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Working through Mechanophobia – The Fear of Machines

Do you find it difficult to be around or operate machinery? Do you feel terror when you encounter a machine? Do you prefer living a more simplified life without a mobile phone, laptop, microwave, or dishwasher?

Your loved ones don’t understand why you live such a modest life or don’t accompany them on shopping trips or dinners. How do you explain to them you’re afraid you might encounter a computer or a cash register?

If you can relate to these scenarios, you may have mechanophobia, an intense, irrational fear of machines.

However, you can overcome your fear with proper guidance and therapy. You can lead a normal life with a bit of help from your therapist and self-help methods.

 

Mechanophobia Causes

Like most phobias, the exact cause of mechanophobia is unknown. However, it may have formed due to an accident with a machine or an industrial accident you learned about that left a lasting impact.

For some, it may be because they cannot understand machines in general. Or maybe they’ve heard of conspiracy theories where machines will take over the world.

You may have inherited the tendency from your parents or grandparents. Or you may have developed the phobia if you grew up around someone who dreaded machinery.

Everything You Need to Know about Mechanophobia

Phobias are fear reactions. They are irrational and excessive. The source of the fear causes a sense of dread for the person with the phobia. The source can be an object, a situation, or even a place.

The term mechanophobia comes from mechano meaning machine and phobia meaning fear. People with a phobia of machines go to great lengths to avoid encountering a machine. They will lead a simple life even if that means hard labor.

The phobia stems from their fear of being overpowered by machines or meeting with a terrible accident when operating one.

Mechanophobia Symptoms

All phobias are specific to a particular thing or object. However, most phobias share similar physical and psychological symptoms. Depending on the severity of the phobia, individuals may experience some or many of the symptoms.

Physical Symptoms

  • Breathlessness
  • Palpitations
  • Prickly sensations of needles and pins
  • Aches and pains
  • Sweating excessively
  • Dry and sticky mouth
  • Increased heartbeat
  • Feeling dizzy

Psychological Symptoms

  • Fear of impending doom
  • Limiting anxiety
  • Feeling out of control and helpless
  • Withdrawing from others

If you’ve been experiencing these symptoms for a while, it may be time to explore some treatment options.

Mechanophobia Treatment

The treatment for different kinds of phobias is often similar. Like most specific phobias, there is no exclusive treatment for mechanophobia. However, you can overcome it with proper guidance, counseling, and, if the need arises, medication.

With an early diagnosis, you will see quicker progress. Self-help and meditation can help a lot. But if the phobia has advanced to the stage where it interferes with your normal functioning, you’ll need to consult a therapist or doctor.

Self-Help

Most people with mechanophobia realize that their fear is irrational. Self-help methods can help better manage this fear.

Relaxation Techniques

Training your mind to stay calm when in the presence of machinery will help you gradually overcome your fear.

To deal with panic and anxiety, you can try relaxation techniques like deep breathing and counting numbers forward and backward.

You can follow a more systematic approach by maintaining a diary. Write down your thoughts, fears, and experiences associated with the fear.

Next, try countering the negative thoughts about machines with positive ones to help overcome your fear.

Yoga and Meditation

Many people use yoga, a popular relaxation method, to deal with the stress of day-to-day life. Yoga is one of the earliest treatment options for people suffering from anxiety and specific phobias.

When practiced regularly, yoga tends to bring about a meditative state of mind. This helps transform a chaotic mind filled with irrational thoughts and anxiety into one that is calm and productive.

Yoga is considered a form of meditation in motion. It involves a range of poses, each aiming at a unique mind-body benefit.

Of the many types of yoga, hot yoga or hatha yoga is most beneficial for a person with mechanophobia. If you have never practiced yoga before, you can view YouTube videos to get started on some basic poses. Eventually, graduate to more challenging poses for better results.

The more frequently you practice yoga, the greater the advantages, so stay consistent. Also, besides easing your mechanophobia symptoms, yoga will help increase flexibility and strength.

Professional Treatment

Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis helps treat many specific phobias. The therapist induces a hypnotic state of mind that allows the patient to achieve a high level of focus and attention.

Individuals tend to accept and respond to suggestions in this trance-like state readily. The therapist offers guidance to help them modify irrational thoughts and address unhealthy behavior.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is one of the most widely used treatment options for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders. It operates on the premise that our thoughts and emotions influence our behavior. It replaces the irrational thoughts with more adaptive ones to alleviate the distress caused by the phobia.

In the case of a patient with mechanophobia, the therapist will tackle illogical fears like machines overpowering humans. They will attempt to replace them with rational thoughts like how useful they are and how far humans have come with the help of machines.

They also help patients analyze their reactions to the machines and train them to have a more calm and positive response.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is another widely used method. In this therapy, the therapist gradually exposes the person to the object of their fear. They do this in a safe and controlled environment.

Being exposed to the fear repeatedly over time helps the patients gain control over their reactions. In this case, they are desensitized to machines and realize they do not pose a real threat.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Mindfulness-based stress reduction is a program that involves mindfulness training. It is often an eight-week program during which the therapist guides the patient in personal or group sessions.

The patient learns many skills that can help relieve the anxiety they feel because of mechanophobia. They encourage the individual to focus on the present instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

MBSR techniques reduce stress by shifting the patient’s attention away from the fear toward something soothing or neutral.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy. DBT helps patients live in the moment, modify their thought patterns, develop healthy coping methods, regulate their emotions, and reduce destructive behavior.

The program may last six months and involve private and group sessions. Therapists teach patients CBT techniques like half-smiling, mindfulness, and distress tolerance skills.

Psychiatric Medications for Mechanophobia

The doctor may prescribe medication in severe cases to help deal with the symptoms like depression and anxiety.  They may use them in conjunction with other treatment options.

Learning to Cope with Mechanophobia

Machines today are more of a necessity than a luxury. For a person who has mechanophobia, going about their day-to-day life can be quite difficult. The person may even try to isolate oneself to avoid encountering machines.

If you face this fear, try the self-help techniques and therapies available to help you cope with your phobia. Although they may not eliminate the fear entirely, they will enable you to lead a more normal life.

Conclusion

If you have a phobia, everyday activities that most people take for granted may be challenging. However, with the right support system, self-help, and professional care, it is possible to lead a fulfilling life.

 

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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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