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Rare Phobias

Fear of White People

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Excessive Fear of Caucasian/White People

Do you have a sudden urge to walk in the opposite direction any time you see a Caucasian or white person coming your way?

Does being in close proximity to a white person send you into a state of panic? Do you find yourself avoiding any social interactions involving white people?

If you’ve been nodding along to all these questions, then you most likely have a fear of white people.

Is that even possible? Yes! While it may seem like a racist notion, this is, in fact, a very real phobia many suffer from. White people cause them to feel anxious, uncomfortable, or even panicked.

Living with this fear daily can impact your life and social relations. And many tend to misunderstand your fear, adding pressure and stress to your already anxious life.

This may come as a surprise, but you’re not alone. There are others like you who share this same fear. And fortunately, there are many possible solutions and interventions that can help you control and manage your phobia or perhaps even get rid of it completely!

 

Understanding the Fear of White People

So, what is the fear of white people called?

Well, there is no specific name for this phobia, but this fear is real. Someone suffering from this phobia may feel gripping, uncontrollable terror at the mere thought of interacting with white people.

This phobia may even be related to racial anxiety and other specific phobias like leukophobia, the abnormal fear of the color white, and xenophobia, the fear and hatred of foreigners or anything strange.

Fear of white people is also not an officially recognized phobia, and you won’t find it on the list of phobia names. The problem with this phobia is that it can easily come across as being racist, which also makes it more challenging for sufferers of this fear to speak up and get the necessary intervention. However, once the fear is properly diagnosed and its symptoms are recognized, treatment can help the individual suffering from this phobia.

Fear of White People Causes

Like all phobias, the exact cause of the fear of white people is unknown. However, typically both genetics and environmental factors can be contributors to someone developing this fear.

This phobia may develop because of a childhood trauma where you had a bad interaction with a white person. You may have been hurt, either physically or emotionally, by someone of the white race or have witnessed a loved one getting into a confrontation with a white person.

It is also possible that social media and the current news about white people and their unprovoked attacks on other races planted the root of your fear of white people. While this phobia is unlikely to develop when you are an adult, it can still happen.

A history of mental illness, such as anxiety, can also put one at a greater risk of developing this phobia.

 

Fear of White People Symptoms

The symptoms of this fear of white people phobia can vary depending on the severity of the phobia.

Physical Symptoms

  • Body pains
  • Chills
  • Excessive sweating
  • Dry mouth
  • Headache
  • Increased heart rate
  • Nausea
  • Shallow breathing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Vomiting

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Anti-social behavior
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Mood swings
  • Morbid thoughts
  • Poor concentration
  • Shame

 

Fear of White People Treatment

There are two main approaches to treating the phobia of white people — self-help and professional help. While self-help is great for understanding one’s own triggers and developing healthy coping mechanisms, professional help offers tried-and-tested ways to overcome this fear.

Self-Help Options

As previously stated, self-help is one of the best solutions to getting over a phobia. And there are many different strategies you can try to see which one delivers the best results. Don’t expect a change overnight, but with consistency and self-confidence, you’ll reach a place where you can control how you react to white people.

1. Recognize Your Triggers

Try to understand what your phobia triggers are. Is the mere sight of a white person causing you to panic? Or is it when you have to engage with them? Learn what triggers you and then be aware of how you react to it.

By noting your triggers and reactions, you’ll have a better understanding of how your fear impacts you. This can help you make gradual changes when faced with the same situation.

2. Practice Relaxing Techniques

Meditation, mindfulness, and yoga are all great ways to calm your anxieties and keep you grounded. Rhythmic breathing can also help you deal with a trigger in real time.

For example, if you know your triggers and can identify when you’re going to have a problem, you can practice your breathing to keep yourself calm instead of reacting immediately. It’ll allow you to have a few seconds to pause and clear your mind.

3. Do Daily Affirmations

Daily affirmations boost your self-worth and can help you feel confident that you can overcome your fear. When you wake up, tell yourself you are strong, beautiful, and loved. Remind yourself how worthy you are of all the good things in life. And when you feel like your anxiousness is getting out of control, remind yourself of your strength and value.

Professional Help

Changing your lifestyle and mindset is a massive leap toward managing your phobia, but getting professional help can also give you more structured ways to deal with your fear.

Your therapist may introduce several treatment options based on the severity of your phobia. Some treatments can work simultaneously with other therapies, while others may be used individually.

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Talking therapy
  • Exposure therapy
  • Mindfulness training
  • Use of medications

 

Learning to Live with the Fear of White People

Along with getting treatment, always remember to be kind to yourself. Your fear—no matter how severe or mild it may be—is valid and should be taken seriously.

Take it one step at a time and expect to deal with some setbacks, because working on a phobia is a long process. Talk to trusted friends and family and share your fears with them. Having a strong support system is crucial when overcoming a phobia.

 

Conclusion

The fear of white people may seem like an unlikely phobia, but it’s one that many suffer from. Fortunately, there are several treatment options that can help you deal with and even overcome your fear completely, so you can live a happy, healthy 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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