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

Staurophobia/Staurophobia – The Fear of Crosses or the Crucifix

Share This Article
Share Post

Staurophobia: The Fear of Crosses or the Crucifix

Trivia time!
Question: Which mythical creature has staurophobia?
Answer: A vampire. (Hiss)

Kidding aside, the fear of crosses, or staurophobia, has a historical basis. Crucifixion was an especially gruesome form of execution by the Romans. Over 2,000 years later, some still fear crosses.

Do you avert your eyes when you pass by a building with a cross? Are you terrified by movies or paintings depicting the Crucifixion? Chances are you have staurophobia.

Overcoming a phobia begins when you learn about its causes, symptoms, and treatments. Let’s dive in.

What Is Staurophobia?

Staurophobia refers to the fear of crosses or the fear of a crucifix. This term is derived from the Greek language. The term stauro means “cross-shaped” while phobos means “fear.” Staurophobia is sometimes associated with:

  • Theophobia: Fear of the Lord or fear of God
  • Ecclesiophobia: Fear of churches
  • Iconophobia: Fear of icons or fear of religious images and statues

Those with staurophobia don’t feel disgusted or offended by a cross. Instead, they feel so terrified upon seeing a crucifix that they end up running away. Merely thinking about a cross could trigger an extreme response.

Truth be told, no two people experience the same symptoms. This is because the severity of the phobia varies from individual to individual. One person might be so affected that they have full-fledged panic attacks. Another person could simply feel mild discomfort.

Nevertheless, having a phobia is no cakewalk. Some phobia suffers report feeling disconnected from everyone. You might feel like you’re alone in this experience. You may feel embarrassed by your phobia and fear that others will make fun of you, thus making it difficult to seek help.

Why Are Crosses So Terrifying?

Not everyone feels the same way when they look at a cross. Some may view the cross as a sign of God or a sign of hope, while others may consider it a symbol of death and suffering. During the time of the Romans, a crucifixion was the most painful form of execution. Originally invented by the Persians, the Roman Empire adopted and refined it to execute criminals and rebels. Back then, it made sense to be terrified of the cross. But why is this fear still present thousands of years later?

Crosses become a focal point for Christians during Holy Week, especially during Easter. They believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to save the world from sin. However, the way this is shown in religious images and statues can be quite gory. Traditional depictions of the crucifixion are graphic, from the nail-pierced hands to the bloody crown of thorns. Movies and TV specials also emphasize this by recreating the scourging and other punishments associated with the cross. Examples are Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. It’s no wonder some people feel scared.

Other Staurophobia Causes

Genetics might play an important role in your phobia of crosses. While phobias aren’t necessarily something you can inherit, the tendency to develop it can be passed on. If you have a family history of anxiety or similar conditions, you are more likely to develop phobias. Combine this with seeing a scary cross in church or watching one of the movies mentioned here, and it’s a recipe for staurophobia.

You can also be influenced by your parents or loved ones. Maybe you lived with someone in childhood who was terrified by crosses. That fear may have been instilled in your mind ever since.

Staurophobia Symptoms

Some of the symptoms one with staurophobia might experience are as follows:

Physical Symptoms

  • Sweating and trembling
  • Hot flashes or chills
  • Shortness of breath
  • A choking sensation
  • Pain in chest
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness and headaches
  • Fainting
  • Feeling numb
  • Having a dry mouth
  • A rise in blood pressure
  • Hyperventilation

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Losing control
  • Anxiety
  • Guilt, shame, and self-blaming
  • Feeling distraught
  • Disconnected from everyone
  • Frightened
  • Stressed
  • Confused
  • Having trouble concentrating

Most of the time, these symptoms happen without any warning. One second, you’re fine. The next second, you’re breathless and sweating like mad.

Self-Help Tips for Staurophobia

Before consulting a therapist, here are a few methods you can try on your own.

Define Your Phobia

The first and the most important step is to convince yourself that phobias are nothing but irrational fears. Work to convince your mind that your fear is based on something irrelevant which has no way of causing you any harm. Repeating positive affirmations might go a long way in this process. Who knows, if you tell yourself often enough that you’re not scared of crosses, your brain might very well believe it.

Control Your Breathing

In case your brain doesn’t fall for affirmations, you can try some relaxation techniques. Breathing techniques are extremely helpful when it comes to phobias. As one of the most common symptoms of phobias is anxiety, if you control your breathing, you might be able to calm your anxiety. You can try meditation and yoga as well. These techniques work to keep you in a healthy state both physically and mentally.

Write in a Diary

Start keeping a diary where you document your reactions to crosses. Writing things down will help you identify your triggers. As a result, you’ll get a better understanding of your phobia as well as keep track of your progress. It may also help you figure out how to manage your reactions effectively.

Change Your Lifestyle

Now is the time to make necessary lifestyle changes.

  • Set a regular time to go to sleep each night so your body gets proper rest
  • Eat a balanced diet so you feed your body the nutrients it needs
  • Start exercising regularly, especially cardio routines

You need to be physically and mentally healthy to be able to combat this phobia.

But what if these tips don’t work?

Getting Professional Help

Are you looking for professional staurophobia treatment methods? In case you still have trouble despite trying self-help techniques, consult a mental health professional. There are several different therapy methods available to your therapist. We’ll cover just two of those below.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Also known as CBT, this is a common form of treatment when it comes to phobias and anxiety disorders. CBT works on the concept of you fully understanding your phobia. It helps you see why you think, feel, or behave a certain way when crosses are brought up.

Exposure Therapy

In this form of therapy, the therapist slowly but steadily exposes you to your phobia. Initially, you might view pictures of the cross. Eventually, you’ll move on to touching a cross. Your therapist will note how you react to it and work with you to manage your symptoms. This repeated exposure is meant to desensitize you to your fear.

Coping with Staurophobia

Some stuggling with staurophobia cope by completely avoiding all triggers. This means you’ll have to make sure to avoid seeing churches, religious movies, or anything that resembles a cross. Sound impossible? That’s because avoidance can only get you so far. Self-help techniques or professional therapy will go a long way toward managing your staurophobia symptoms.

There is no guarantee you’ll completely overcome your phobia of the cross, but you can alleviate your excessive reactions to it. One way is to share your experience with someone you trust. Dealing with a phobia alone can be exhausting. Seeking help and support from loved ones can turn things for the better.

Conclusion

We all view the cross in our own way. While some are scared of it, others believe it to be holy and a symbol of hope. Hopefully, we’ve helped you find ways to lead a productive life despite having staurophobia.

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