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

Sfairesphobia – Fear of Balls/Round Objects

Share This Article
Share Post

Sfairesphobia: The Fear of Balls

Do you get nervous when you hear the sound of a ball bouncing even from a distance, thinking of its roundness? Does the thought of seeing globes, ornaments or one of the many sports related balls make you really nervous? Round or spherical objects are everywhere, in fact a large percentage of all objects in our day to day lives are round or spherical.  Do you steer clear from these shaped objects? If you do you may be suffering sfairesphobia. Similar to other phobias, the severity of sfairesphobia can vary greatly, potentially disrupting daily life and activities based on its intensity.

Being afraid of a harmless and inanimate object may sound silly and weird to some—maybe even laughable—but it’s a very real phobia that affects many. You know in the back of your mind you have nothing to fear about balls, but the anxiety and fear can become so overwhelming that you lose all sense of rationality.

Browse through our very large and interesting list of very common and strange Phobias A to Z here.

Being scared of balls and the related fear of bouncing objects can negatively impact various aspects of your life, limiting your lifestyle and social interactions.

The good news is that you don’t have to suffer in silence. There are tried-and-tested methods that can help you deal with your sfairesphobia and gradually overcome it!

What Is the Fear of Balls?

The fear of balls, called sfairesphobia, is an irrational fear of balls. This specific phobia is also known as ballophobia. It involves a fear of any spherical object, including objects that bounce, and extends to the fear of playing with balls.

Sfairesphobia is commonly seen in children age six to eleven, and often develops while playing youth baseball. But there are circumstances in which the fear can develop as the child grows and progress into a fear of other round objects. For example, an individual suffering from this phobia may also develop a fear of pearls, marbles, or loose beads.

Causes of Sfairesphobia

Like most phobias, there is no definite cause for the fear of round objects. But the two main factors that often lead to this irrational fear are genetics and the environment.

You may have developed sfairesphobia because you were once hit by a ball as a child, and that traumatic experience caused you to avoid all balls. Or you may have hurt yourself while playing a ball sport and was sent to the hospital. Such associations of the ball with harmful and painful experiences can then develop into a fear of the ball itself.

Another reason you may develop sfairesphobia is if you witness someone you love or know being hurt by a ball. Such incident may elicit fear in you because you connect the injury with the ball.

Also, growing up in an environment where someone is already dealing with this phobia may cause one to develop the phobia themself. Or having any mental illness, such as anxiety or depression, may put you at a greater risk of developing a phobia as well.

Symptoms of Sfairesphobia

The fear of spherical objects can manifest through one or several symptoms at the same time with varying levels of severity. These symptoms are classified as physical and mental/emotional. Symptoms can be momentary and pass quickly or be debilitating.

Physical Symptoms

  • Chills
  • Excessive sweating
  • Dry mouth
  • Headache
  • Hot flashes
  • Hyperventilation
  • Increased heart rate
  • Nausea
  • Shallow breathing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Vomiting

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • The feeling of being detached from what’s real
  • Inability to speak or think rationally
  • Paranoia
  • Panic attacks
  • Wanting to cry or flee from the object

Treatment of Sfairesphobia

When you have an irrational fear of spherical objects, you may constantly worry about your object of fear and deal with crippling symptoms.

And although there is no overnight solution to get rid of this phobia, with society becoming more accepting of the growing list of phobias, several treatment options and interventions are available that can help you manage your anxiety better.

Self-Help Methods

Talking to trusted friends and family about your condition can be a helpful step in your journey to recovery. Having a strong support system of those who understand your condition can ease feelings of being alone or misunderstood.

At home, dedicate some “me time” to learn about your fear. Knowing what your primary triggers are and your typical reactions to them can be helpful.

Additionally, practice breathing and relaxation techniques. You can apply these techniques whenever fear starts to creep in.

Self-affirmations and self-love can also do wonders for your confidence and thoughts. The idea that there is nothing to fear is a thought you might soon come to trust in.

Professional Treatment

Medical professionals like psychiatrists and therapists can provide structural guidance on understanding, coping with, and managing your fear. Plenty of therapies are available today that can offer various methods to deal with and overcome your phobia.

Usually, professional treatment of ballophobia will start with you opening up about your fear with your mental health professional. Your therapist may ask questions to determine what might have caused your trauma. They may then recommend therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy, neurolinguistics programming, exposure therapy, or systematic desensitization rehabilitation to help you overcome these negative thought patterns. In extreme cases, medication may also be prescribed.

Coping with Sfairesphobia

For many who don’t understand or even know that such a phobia exists, it can be challenging to comprehend what you are going through. But with today’s treatment options and your willingness to overcome your fear, you can find better and healthier ways to live.

Remember to supplement your professional therapy with self-help techniques to boost your recovery. You can also try joining support groups where you can find others who share your struggles and better understand your fear.

Final Thoughts

It’s time for you to bounce back and look beyond the fear of balls or anything spherical. Don’t let these harmless objects impact your life and make you miss experiences you might enjoy and love. It’s time to release your fear, be free, have peace of mind, and enjoy what life offers. With time and consistent therapy, you may soon see these rounded objects as harmless tools of fun.

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