Decoding Peladophobia or The Fear of Bald People
Do you panic and feel disoriented from spotting a bald head in a public place? Do you live in absolute fear of becoming bald? Do you sweat or tremble when a bald person shows up in a room?
If you find yourself avoiding bald people or experience nervousness at the thought of encountering bald people in your day
to day life, chances are you have Peladophobia.
Like any other phobia, people living with Peladophobia live in a different world. To them, bald people are out to attack and to hurt. For this reason, they are scared of bald people. Really? Is there a phobia of baldness? Very much so. It may sound unrealistic, but this is the reality of people living with peladophobia. Like other irrational fears, peladophobia is treatable. How do you go about treatment? You have to face the fear.
What is Peladophobia All About?
What is the phobia of baldness called? Peladophobia. It is defined as the irrational phobia of bald people and baldness. Peladophobia comes from two terms, ‘pelado’, Spanish for bald, and ‘phobos’ meaning fear. People living with Peladophobia constantly imagine becoming bald themselves.
The thought sends them into panic mode. Peladophobes may tend to believe that bald people will turn into zombies. Even with the knowledge that the fear of bald people is irrational, sufferers become incredibly helpless. More people suffer from the fear of bald people than the world recognizes.
Peladophobia Causes
The fear of bald people and baldness did not just stem from nowhere. Nobody is born with fear. Fears and anxiety develop from a specific cause. The most prevalent of the causes are negative experiences. Where did your fear of bald people originate? Past traumatic experiences are a huge reason why you would develop any phobia. If you have ever been injured or hurt by a bald person, that’s exactly where your fear came from.
Children tend not to forget negative experiences with older people. You probably didn’t outgrow the emotional and physical trauma suffered back then. Is there any history of mental illnesses or social anxiety disorders in your family? You can easily take whatever is in your bloodline. Parents also transfer fears to their children.
When exposed to a trigger, you can quickly develop Peladophobia even with no history in your family. This is because you are predisposed genetically. What is the fear of bald heads? Where does it come from? What was your growing up like? What social environment did you grow up in or live in? If they don’t wash too well with balds in your immediate environment, it can greatly provoke Peladophobia. For instance, your older siblings could always be talking ill of bald people. This negative light powerfully shapes how you view baldness. Eventually, it grows into a phobia.
Symptoms of Peladophobia
Someone with Peladophobia may experience anxiety as the main symptom. The symptoms you will experience will all depend on the severity of the phobia. In very extreme cases, some patients may require hospitalization. Symptoms are either physical or psychological, as outlined below.
Psychological Symptoms
● A dreadful feeling
● Unexplained fear
● Unimaginable anxiety
● Full-blown panic attacks
● Fainting
Physical Symptoms
● Shaking and trembling
● Sweating
● Muscle tension
● Chest pains
● High blood pressure
● Avoiding bald people
● Shortness of breath
● Dry mouth
● Nausea
● Inability to speak
● Upset stomach
● Hot and cold flashes
Self-care Treatment for Peladophobia
You need to take care of yourself. After all, it is you who best understands the nature and severity of what you go through. Before reaching out to health experts, why don’t you look into how you can heal all by yourself?
Speak Out
Why don’t you reach out to a friend or close relative? This close person may not offer any medical advice, but being heard is therapy on its own. Don’t keep your problem to yourself. The more you become open about it, the more you are likely to heal. Speaking out means that you have accepted that there is a problem and it needs a solution.
Apply Relaxation Techniques
Simple relaxation techniques like breathing in and out go a long way in helping you cope. Meditation also helps a great deal. While these techniques may not alleviate the problem altogether, they help you manage it. It is vital to exercise controlled breathing every day. Before leaving the house, breathe in and out for some time until you can feel calm. When you spot a bald person, apply the same breathing technique. You will find that breathing has a way of calming a nervous person down.
Knowledge Is Power
There are myths and misconceptions about your fear. Your beliefs about bald people and baldness do not have to be true. For this reason, get all the information you can. Get reading materials about Peladophobia. Acquire knowledge about baldness. Where it stems from and why it is harmless. With the proper knowledge, you will be one step into recovery.
Professional Treatment for Peladophobia
Health professionals can help you deal with your Peladophobia treatment. Counseling and therapy are the most prevalent treatment methods. Let’s explore.
Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy incorporates exactly what the name suggests; exposure. This treatment method is not exactly what you would prefer as a patient, but it works. How better to heal than to face a fear head-on? In the right and healthy environment, you will be introduced to bald people by a therapist. Photos and videos of bald people will precede real-life bald people. The more you get used to something theoretically, the more you get over your fear of it.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or simply CBT, is another effective treatment method for Peladophobia. A therapist will walk you down a path of self-discovery. Through what you tell your therapist, he will uncover why you think and feel the way you do. The knowledge you will acquire from CBT will enable you to face your fear with brevity.
Talk Therapy
In talk therapy, you will express yourself to a therapist. The therapist will be there to help and not to judge. They will therefore offer a very safe space for you to open up. Being heard is a pathway to recovery on its own. Talk therapy is built on talking to be understood and not criticized. Having someone understand your fear is enough therapy.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Peladophobia
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a standard form of treatment for anxiety disorders patients. In MBSR, a patient will be put through 8 weeks of training for mindfulness therapy. MBSR also incorporates group sessions. This treatment procedure is built on distractions. The more you are distracted from something, the less you will think about that thing. A therapist will go as far as giving you homework where you will focus on something else. In the next session, you will explain your findings on the specific thing.
How to Avoid Peladophobia Altogether
Dealing with a phobia can be a monumental task. The first step to recovery is admitting that the fear is there and it is irrational. As a patient, you may be unable to control yourself even with the knowledge that your anxiety is unrealistic.
You Can Deal with Peladophobia
The end goal here is to get better. If you can come from panic attacks to a bit of discomfort while around bald people, that’s a battle won. In treatment, be fierce, brave, and put up a fighting spirit. Worry not. With the proper treatment procedure, you should get over the fear of bald people soon. If you can go from taking off when you see a bald person to a bit of discomfort, that’s a battle won.
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