Who is not afraid of pain? Some phobias surprise us because they stimulate fear, because we find it curious and because in many cases we don’t see any danger or reason to fear it. This is not the case with algophobia, since we can perfectly understand the fear of pain and, in fact, it is an adaptive fear. However, as we explain in our dictionary of phobias, when the fear is excessive, it must be considered a disorder. This is algophobia or the fear of experiencing pain.
What is algophobia?
Algophobia is the fear of pain, experiencing pain, or the sensation of pain. This may seem more or less logical to us, because nobody likes to experience pain, but in the case of algophobia it becomes a very limiting disorder that can endanger health due to avoidance behavior.
People with algophobia are not necessarily hypochondriacs, nor do they have to be highly sensitive. They are people who at the idea of feeling pain, their body reacts as if they were facing a real danger and opt for avoidance behavior. And to be honest, sometimes you have to experience pain, it can’t always be avoided.
Symptoms of algophobia
People who are afraid of going to the dentist, for example, because sometimes it hurts. Or to any kind of doctor, to an injection or they may also have a phobia of blood. Everything that they can relate to a painful sensation causes a series of reactions and anxiety symptoms that will increase as the situation approaches.
To fear, nervousness, anxiety, dizziness, the feeling of suffocation at the prospect of surgery or a minor medical intervention, a panic attack can be added when the situation is already unavoidable. A simple blood draw for a routine analysis can turn into real torture.
Causes of algophobia
Phobias generally develop as a result of a traumatic experience. An accident, illness or fall with serious consequences in childhood may have been marked in that person’s memory in such a way that they now identify any type of pain with a high emotional charge and also a negative one.
We insist that it is normal to be afraid of pain. But with algophobia the fear is amplified, as well as the sensation of danger and the sensory experience itself. A small prick from an injection is for people who suffer from algophobia unbearable pain to which anxiety, fear and panic are added.
Treatment of algophobia
Algophobia is a disorder that must be treated as soon as possible since the avoidance behavior present in all phobias can cause these people to self-medicate so as not to feel any pain. Or even delay a visit to the doctor for any health problem for fear of an intervention in which they will surely feel some pain.
The fear of pain is not a phobia that can be treated on its own. You have to put yourself in the hands of professionals who will surely use cognitive behavioral therapy to overcome algophobia. The use of gradual exposure therapies to the stimulus of the phobia, in this case pain, is not ruled out. But as we say, everything has to be done by a professional.
Due to the anxious component that all phobic disorders present, there is something that we can do for ourselves: practice meditation or some relaxation techniques to reduce nervousness.