Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer
3K
3K
740
3K
Menu
Menu
static-img
Situational Phobias

Febriphobia – The Fear of Fever

Share This Article
Share Post

Decoding Febriphobia: The Fear of Fever

Do you sometimes find yourself crying when a close one suffers with a mild fever? Do you constantly check Google for the possible symptoms associated with fever while the results send a shiver down your spine?

If the thought of a close one suffering from fever leaves you feeling nervous and fearful, you could be struggling with febriophobia, the fear of fever.

Also known as fibriphobia or fibriophobia, this extreme fear of fever can affect people at any age, gender, or social class. So, let’s try and understand febriphobia, and learn about febriphobia treatment to help those who might be suffering from it.

What Is Febriphobia?

Fever is a common medical issue that most children and even some adults encounter. What is not so common is the fear of fever that some caregivers show upon seeing their children suffer with even the most mild of fevers.

No matter how hysterical and exaggerated the phobia may seem to you, it does exist. It is unlikely for a person to develop a fear of fevers, but the few that do suffer from it go through sleepless nights. Although uncommon, it’s helpful to be informed about febriphobia, its causes, symptoms, and treatments, and ways to cope with it.

Fever, which in itself is a symptom of various illnesses and diseases, can evoke anxiety, fear, and other signs of mental agony.

Before we move ahead, it’s important to realize that fever is a sign or a symptom of an infection or a disease that the body may contract, not a disease itself. It is not the fever that disturbs the person suffering from febriphobia, but the complications that accompany it.

If you or a loved one suffers from febriophobia, you will see yourself, or them, experiencing a deep, unpleasant state of restlessness and panic at the mere mention of the term “fever”.

Although considered irrational and exaggerated, this phobia can distract you from doing even the most basic house chores, keep you from concentrating on simple tasks, and become an obstacle. It can take over a better part of you, mentally and physically.

Febriphobia Meaning

The term febriphobia is derived from the Latin word febri, meaning “fever”, and the Greek word Phobia, meaning “fear”.

Febriphobia Causes

Because phobias like febriophobia are rare and not encountered as often as other commonly faced phobias, it’s considered an irrational and unrealistic phobia. That said, just like any other phobia, febriphobia can be caused by multiple factors, some of which are as follows:

Genetic Predisposition

Genetic predisposition is considered one possible and common cause for this phobia. If any of your ancestors had the fear of fever or other phobia, they could have passed it down to you. Heredity, genetics, and body chemistry is a major contributing factor to developing phobias.

Environmental Causes

Environmental causes are also a possibility. Those who grew up in an environment where others around them were susceptible to the horrors of fever are prone to develop febriphobia themselves. Your phobias get rooted into your belief system if you grow up absorbing similar patterns.

Past Traumatic Experiences

Past traumatic experiences happen to be one of the most commonly occurring reasons for developing a phobia. A traumatic childhood event can have a deep-rooted impact on you. It subconsciously remains in the back of your mind. If you’ve had a bad experience with fever, it may become a phobic stimulus for you.

Symptoms of Febriphobia

The severity of a phobia varies from person to person. It’s unlikely for a fear to cause harm, but when you develop a fear, you’re subjected to various symptoms—physical, mental, and emotional—that may reveal the presence of the fear in your mind.

If you suspect you may have developed a fear of fever, keep your eyes peeled for the following symptoms:

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Anxiety
  • Emotional meltdowns
  • Panic attacks
  • Mood swings
  • Irritability

Physical Symptoms

  • Excessive trembling and sweating
  • Constant shivers and jitters at the mention of “fever”
  • Choking sensation
  • Nausea and shortness of breath
  • Fast heartbeats
  • High blood pressure
  • Dry mouth and a feeling of numbness
  • Trouble in concentrating
  • Constant urge to visit the toilet
  • Severe headaches.
  • Dizziness

How Do You Deal with Febriphobia?

Before you begin your journey of dealing with febriphobia, defeating it, and emerging fear-free, you need to understand the difference between disgust and fear. Disgust is your emotional response to a stimulus in the form of rejection and repulsiveness. Anything that is considered improper, unpleasant, contaminated, or offensive, can trigger your aversion towards it.

Fear, on the other hand, is the emotion that is evoked when you feel a sense of threat, pain, or danger from an object or situation.

If you think you suffer from the latter when it comes to fevers, you may, unfortunately, be suffering from febriphobia. However, it is nothing to be ashamed of. There are plenty of ways of dealing with it, treating it, and conquering it.

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

Begin by talking about your phobia with someone you trust. Confiding your fears, no matter how irrational they may seem to you, can help you deal with them. You can also write down your fears and triggers in a journal each time you experience your phobia.

Exercising can also help. No matter how severe or mild your mental and physical agonies are, exercising always helps by fighting off the symptoms, making your body stronger, and your mind healthier.

Professional Help for the Fear of Fever: Options Available

The most accepted, popular, and effective treatment methods for febriphobia are talking treatments. A simple session of counseling with a professional who can identify your behavioral changes and hold a one-on-one session recognizing your fears can help diminish your phobia.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a leading form of treatment for phobias, including febriphobia. Your therapist identifies the negative thinking patterns that persist in your mind. These patterns can affect your perception of things and situations that can amplify your fears.

Exposure therapy is another common phobia treatment. In exposure therapy, you’re exposed to your fears. You’re encouraged to face your fears each day, little by little, until you are no longer sensitive to the fear of fevers.

How to Cope with Febriphobia?

Practicing something as simple and basic as breathing can help calm you when faced with triggers of febriphobia. Meditation can be helpful as well in treating anxiety induced by the fear of fever. Write in a journal. Talk to friends. See a therapist. Pick a hobby. Expose yourself to your fears.

These are some of the best ways to overcome your fear of fevers. Including such practices in your daily routine will help you to ease the symptoms associated with your phobia and help you lead a better, healthier life.

Final Words

As much as you need to cope with your traumas, try not to be too hard on yourself. Give yourself time to undergo the treatment you need to cope with your fears. Remember, even though your phobia may not be completely cured, it can be diminished to a degree that doesn’t adversely affect you anymore. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.

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.
0LikesShare Post

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.
This Pop-up Is Included in the Theme
Best Choice for Creatives
Purchase Now