The world of phobias encompasses all imaginable and unimaginable aspects. There are phobias that seem extremely rare to us and others with which we feel more identified. This is the case of controltophobia or fear of sexual abuse. A fear that is common, but that in the form of a phobia can complicate your life quite a bit.
What is controltophobia?
It is called contreltophobia and also agoraphobia (not to be confused with agorabofia) and is the fear of being sexually abused, assaulted or raped. This fear is quite common in women when they find themselves in certain situations, but when it comes to phobia, both men and can suffer from it and the danger is that they see any everyday situation as potentially dangerous.
Who hasn’t been a bit scared to walk alone down the street in the middle of the night? Regardless of social considerations, fearing a sexual assault is not so strange or harmful, since fear is a mechanism that keeps us alert and helps us respond to possible danger.
But, what happens when you are afraid of sexual abuse in your own home? When you have to hire a security alarm or with the blinds down, phone in hand because you fear something bad could happen to you? Fear of sexual abuse can manifest itself anywhere and in any situation, on the bus, in the elevator, in a park, in the supermarket, at work, or in English class.
Contralto phobia symptoms
And like all phobias, what you do is avoid those situations that seem dangerous to you and that make you feel so bad. The symptoms of controltophobia or agoraphobia are the usual ones, dizziness, tachycardia, sweating, palpitations and even a panic attack if a situation is perceived as dangerous enough.
That in terms of the physical symptoms, because the psychological symptoms are anxiety, fear, confusion, blockage and can even go as far as momentary paralysis. In any case, anguish takes the reins of a person with contralto phobia and treatment must be sought as soon as possible.
Why the fear of sexual abuse arises?
These phobias by having suffered an episode of sexual abuse in childhood or having witnessed a sexual assault. In the case of victims of recent abuse, the behavior and fear is the same, but it is not considered a phobia, but post-traumatic shock.
Sometimes it is not necessary to have suffered sexual abuse, but rather panic reactions are triggered by seeing such a situation on the news or in a movie. Anxiety is triggered by these images and the person immediately puts himself in the victim’s place de Ella thinking that it can happen to her de Ella too.
Treatment of controltophobia
The possibility of suffering sexual abuse is certainly horrible, so the environment of the person suffering from contralto phobia must practice empathy and not underestimate the. However, psychological therapy is necessary to overcome this phobia.
Contralto phobia has some aspects that must be treated, such as the distortion of reality, the disproportion of situations that are considered dangerous or the uncontrollable nature of fear. Like all phobias, it is an irrational fear and the reason alone cannot be the cure.
That is why it is important to put yourself in the hands of professionals who help that person with cognitive behavioral therapy to modify their reactions to the situation. Exposure therapy is not something that should be done on your own and in the case of a phobia such as contralto phobia, it is best to seek professional help.