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Hyalophobia – The Fear of Glass
Other Phobias

Hyalophobia – The Fear of Glass

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Understanding Hyalophobia – The Fear of Glass

Does the mere sight of glass cause you to feel cold and numb all over?

Would you rather have champagne in a paper cup than touch a slender glass flute?

Do buildings made of glass send chills down your spine?

If the answer is yes,  you likely have hyalophobia.

Hyalophobia, or the fear of glass, can be an overwhelming and stressful experience. People around you may raise eyebrows and be confused with the sudden irrational panic you experience.

All you know is the mere sight of glass, and the idea of being close to glass, causes your heart to pound as if you have run a marathon. You can’t explain the panic that grips you, making it hard to breathe and think rationally.

Having to live with this fear is a constant battle and one that you always end up losing. You feel anxious even talking about it because you can’t understand it yourself. Besides, people can be unforgiving and quick to judge, adding to your anxiety.

But for those with phobias, the fear is also unforgiving and a considerable part of their existence.

You are not alone, and you don’t need to permanently live with unwanted terror. You can manage your distress, and the first step is to have a better understanding of what may have caused it.

What Causes the Fear of Glass?

Your fear of glass may have rooted when you were younger—a memory you might have already forgotten. Perhaps glass shattered, and you were in close proximity when it happened. Or maybe you were the one who broke the glass and got a good scolding for it. Maybe you were involved in a traumatic accident where glass was involved.

Movies that you have watched and real-life situations you’ve witnessed that put glass in a negative light can also attribute to your fear. You might have even injured yourself when you were younger courtesy of some glass shards.

Other contributing hyalophobia causes could be witnessing someone pushed out a window, a car accident or explosion where the windows shattered, hail pummeling your windshield while driving, or even people throwing objects made of glass.

Everything You Need to Know about Hyalophobia

You might be surprised to learn there is actually a name for what you’re going through. The term for your fear is hyalophobia. Hyalophobia is also referred to as hyelophobia, nelophobia, and in some cases crystallophobia. It is an example of a specific phobia and is associated with the fear of glass or the fear of broken glass.

A terrifying aspect of any glass structure is its delicateness. Despite glass structures being a solid material, glass is still best described to be highly fragile. And once it breaks, the slivers and spikes can cause pain and injury.

Most people who have hyalophobia fear more than glass windows and imposing glass structures. A mere shot glass or even a delicate chess piece made of glass may trigger their fear.

Like most phobias, hyaphobia can also stem from learned behavior. If you grew up with someone who also feared glass, then the possibility of this fear being instilled in you is high. It becomes a norm that glass is meant to elicit anxiety and panic. You grow up with this idea, and as you age, the fear escalates.

Hyalophobia can cover anything that’s glass-related. For example, you may avoid entering a building primarily made of glass. Or you might refuse to go to a vineyard because you know wine-tasting would include glass goblets. At home, you might have melamine, plastic, or wooden glasses and kitchenware.

Symptoms of Hyalophobia

The symptoms of hyalophobia are similar to most other phobias. However, there are no unique symptoms that would pinpoint  your fear of glass beyond the presence of glass.

Additionally, the extent of the symptoms is unique for each person. For example, some may feel panicked when they come too close to imposing glass structures. On the other hand, in severe circumstances, the mere possibility of seeing a glass figurine is enough to some into a panic attack.

Physical Symptoms

  • Chills and hot flashes
  • Choking sensation
  • Confusion
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Dizziness
  • Dry mouth
  • Headache
  • Hyperventilation
  • Nausea
  • Numbness
  • Ringing in your ears
  • A rise in blood temperature
  • Sweating
  • Tachycardia or rapid heartbeat
  • The uncontrollable need to go to the bathroom

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Anxiety
  • Fear of getting hurt
  • Fear of dying
  • Fear of losing control
  • Guilt
  • Irritability
  • Mood swings
  • Poor concentration
  • Self-blame
  • Shame
  • Withdrawal from other people

Hyalophobics may experience one or a combination of these symptoms. Most mental and emotional symptoms have a lingering effect which can be draining and unpleasant.

How Do You Deal with Hyalophobia?

You know deep inside that your phobia of broken glass is irrational, but your terror gets the best of you. All phobias should be taken seriously, especially if it stops you from being the best version of yourself. If your fear affects your relationships and prevents you from doing what you love, you owe it to yourself to seek professional help.

True, there is no one dedicated treatment for glass phobia, but several options exist.

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

Nobody knows you better than yourself. Despite not fully understanding what’s happening, you can use your previous panic attacks to determine what triggers your phobia, then learn how to manage it.

Always remind yourself there’s nothing to be afraid of and your fear is illogical. Then, when you determine you’re ready to deal with that fear, you can start changing the way your mind thinks.

Make it part of your self-affirmations and believe in it. Assure yourself that with your strength, your fear can no longer control you.

Assess Yourself: How Were You Handling Your Fear?

Be honest with yourself and create a list of things that trigger your phobia and what you usually do to handle it. Then, indicate what worked and cross off those that were not effective in putting you back in control.

This list can be your starting point. It will help you be more confident in handling your emotions.

Relaxation and Calming Techniques

When you feel like your phobia is creeping in, calm yourself by engaging in breathing exercises, yoga, or meditation. When you have a calm mind, you can think rationally. You can remind yourself that, again, your fear is irrational and there is nothing to be afraid of.

Embrace Your Fear

Start with the smallest glass piece you can tolerate and learn to coexist with that tiny representation of your fear. Then, gradually adjust to larger glass items. Manage your daily life knowing that you’ll be drinking from a glass at dinner.

Professional Help for Fear of Glass

Sometimes, enlisting the help of professionals can provide the guidance you need in handling your fear of glass. Their experience and treatment options may prove to be exactly what you need to manage your hyalophobia.

A mental health professional might recommend a single hyalophobia treatment or a combination of options. Don’t worry. Your health professional will discuss these options, what to expect, and what the next steps are for each treatment.

Learning to Live with Hyalophobia

Unfortunately, no single treatment option is a one-size-fits-all approach. It will take time to fully and confidently manage your fears. Still, you will come to realize that by tapping resources and empowering yourself, you can reduce the anxiety and terror you feel.

Your fear of shattered glass doesn’t define you as a person. It should not limit you from what you can become. This is where asking for help and support from family and friends is important, because this is a complex undertaking.

Expect setbacks. This journey takes time, but you will emerge as a stronger individual with more confidence in yourself and less fear of glass.

In Conclusion

Being stronger than your fear can positively impact your life, and only you can do it. Work hard to manage your hyalophobia, so you can look forward to the day when the natural light kisses your face as you stand at your patio window.

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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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