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Situational Phobias

Necrophobia – Fear of Dead Bodies

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Necrophobia – Fear of Dead Bodies/Dead Things/Dead Bodies in Water

Does the thought of a dead body send chills down your spine? Do you avoid horror movies? Do you wake up in a sweat at night after dreaming of a late family member?

Do you have a hard time dealing with Halloween? Are you terrified of caskets, corpses, and funerals? Do you hate going near rivers or lakes fearing you may see a dead body floating in the water?

If your answer to all these questions is “yes,” you may have necrophobia.

It must be difficult to discuss what you are going through, but you are not alone. About 12.5 percent of the population develop some kind of fear during their lifetime.

Living with necrophobia can be a challenge, as you are bound to come across the object of your fear at some point. Also, the pressure of being mocked and laughed at stops many from discussing it with their loved ones. However, you don’t need to worry; you can manage your fear with proper intervention.

Self-help techniques like meditation and yoga can alleviate your symptoms. Treatments like exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy may be necessary if your fear has gotten out of hand. Read on to find out more.

Necrophobia Definition

Derived from the Greek words nekros for “corpse” and phobia for “fear,” necrophobia is a person’s fear of corpses and dead things. So a person who has necrophobia may experience extreme anxiety at seeing such things as dead bodies, coffins, tombstones, and graveyards.

Necrophobia is categorized as a specific phobia, which is an unreasonable and extreme fear of a particular object or scenario.

Although certain phobias are common, no statistics exist to illustrate the prevalence of necrophobia.

Now that you have understood what necrophobia is, let’s look at the causes and symptoms of necrophobia.

Causes of Necrophobia

Researchers are still not very clear about the causes of specific fears like necrophobia. They believe several factors like genetics, life events, and culture—either singly or in combination—can lead to the development of these fears.

For example, the belief that the dead return to haunt the living is quite prevalent in some cultures, playing a key role in the development of necrophobia for some.

Other causes of necrophobia include experiencing a traumatic event that exposes you to a dead body or witnessing the death of a loved one.

Any such traumatic event that includes a dead body acts as a cue for some, leading to an obsessive fear of death and dead things. Family members may also pass it down since many specific phobias are genetic.

Situations that trigger the development of necrophobia are: coming in contact with a dead body (human or animal); witnessing death; attending a funeral; or even coming across videos or images of the dead through social media and news portals.

Symptoms of Necrophobia

Necrophobia shares many of the same symptoms as other types of specific phobias. Some are aware that their dread is unfounded. However, they still experience severe symptoms and terror.

Physical symptoms include:

  • Dizziness or lightheadedness
  • Sweating
  • Nausea, vomiting, or dry mouth
  • Choking sensation
  • Shortness of breath
  • Shaking or trembling
  • Racing heartbeat
  • Tightness in the chest
  • Rapid breathing
  • Hot and cold flashes
  • Migraines
  • Increased blood pressure

Psychological symptoms include:

  • Strong desire to be in isolation and hiding
  • A feeling of uneasiness and loss of control
  • Feeling like dying
  • Fearing fainting spells
  • Feeling detached from reality

People who have mild necrophobia may experience just one or a combination of a few of these symptoms. However, those with severe necrophobia may experience many or all of the symptoms listed. They may also experience panic attacks.

For these reasons, a person with necrophobia may go to great lengths to avoid experiencing symptoms. For example, if they are en route to their destination, they would not mind walking the extra miles it might take to go around a cemetery or a funeral home.

Necrophobia Diagnosis

Necrophobia is a specific phobia and should be clearly distinguished from generalized fear. Generally, many people do experience a reasonable amount of fear or uneasiness due to death, dying, and dead things. This is a normal response.

People with necrophobia may find their fear of dead things and dead bodies keeping them from going to work, going out to social events, and interfering with their daily lives.

Necrophobia should also not be confused with another specific phobia like thanatophobia, the phobia of death or dying. Necrophobia is fear associated with dead things and dead bodies, whereas thanatophobia is an intense fear of death itself.

People who have thanatophobia are terrified of becoming old, dying, and being cremated. In medical terminology, it’s referred to as death anxiety, and those with thanatophobia will take great measures to stay young and seek ways to become immortal.

So if you suspect yourself or someone close to you is experiencing the symptoms of necrophobia, encourage them to visit a primary health physician or a mental health professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

The diagnosis procedure involves a thorough clinical interview and is based on diagnostic guidelines laid out in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

Self-Help

Self-help is the most accessible treatment for overcoming any kind of specific phobia including necrophobia. Read all you can about the phobia, talk to someone you trust, and manage your anxiety through relaxation techniques.

You can try relaxation methods like meditation, deep breathing, and counting backwards.

Speaking to someone going through the same thing can also be comforting. It can give you insight into how others feel and how they deal with the issue. You can join an in-person or online support group to get in touch with others who have necrophobia.

Treatment for Necrophobia

Like many other specific phobias, necrophobia doesn’t have a specifically designed treatment. However, the treatment methods generally employed for specific phobias are successful in treating necrophobia.

The most widely used treatment options are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, relaxation techniques, and medications. You have many options available to overcome necrophobia.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy targets irrational thoughts and unreasonable behaviors that lead to a phobic reaction. Through this therapy, a person learns to recognize their negative thoughts and alter the thought process. This helps them successfully replace the fear with an anxiety-free, calm response.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is another widely used treatment option. The therapist gradually exposes the individual to the source of their fear in a controlled and safe environment.

This helps the patient realize that their fear is irrational. At times, the therapist uses virtual equipment to provide the stimulus to create the same experience.

In some severe cases, a therapist may prescribe anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications for the treatment of severe symptoms like anxiety. At times, a combination of treatments may help treat the phobia.

Other treatment techniques employed for necrophobia are cognitive restructuring, systemic exposure, virtual therapy, and mindfulness therapy which can be used singly or in combination for more efficiency.

Complications with Necrophobia

Necrophobia, like many other specific phobias, can harm an individual’s social life. It may also impact their ability to cope. In severe and advanced conditions, one may find it difficult to go about their regular routines, including school and work.

People who have necrophobia often avoid situations or places that may trigger a fear response. This may eventually lead to complete social isolation.

People with specific phobias may also develop other medical conditions and disorders like depression and anxiety.

People may also resort to substance use as an attempt at self-medication and to clear their minds of unwanted thoughts and images.

Prognosis and Prevention

With support, therapy, and medication, there is generally a good prognosis for specific phobias, including necrophobia.

Prevention of necrophobia is not possible considering all the factors involved in the development of the phobia. Receiving treatment promptly is vital to avoid developing serious complications associated with necrophobia.

In Conclusion
Necrophobia can impact your social life, isolating you from your loved ones. However, you can explore self-help and other treatment options to regain control of your life.

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.
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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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