Psychological imbalances are the order of the day. With the stress in which we live and our emotional balance hanging by a thread, it is normal for phobias to arise in the most varied situations. And it is that the world of irrational fears is immense and sometimes we are surprised by some that we do not even imagine. But there are other phobias that are better known and, sometimes, to a certain extent understandable, such as the case of nomophobia or the fear of insects.
Entomophobia is a common fear
The rejection that most people feel towards insects is quite normal, because they are generally small animals that jump, fly or run quickly, suddenly appearing in the most unexpected place. The fact that they are so unpredictable to us and that we immediately associate them with what is dirty does not help the image we form of them. In addition, its appearance is not exactly pleasant.
At least, that’s how we see it from this part of the world, because the rejection we feel towards insects is still subject to a cultural factor. In those cultures where insects are edible, we assume that they will not have so many qualms about coming across one of them.
But while the rejection, revulsion and suspicion towards insects are understandable, the terror that some people feel, which comes to condition their lives, is not so understandable. It is precisely this line that separates a simple fear. When you have respect for fear of bugs, you can live with them in a safe space. However, a person suffering from nomophobia feels great anxiety in the presence or simple imagination of an insect.
And it is that when panic seizes them at the sight of an insect, when they cancel a vacation for fear of meeting them or when they change their home out of fear, we are already talking about a serious psychological problem.
Symptoms of fear of insects
Entomophobia can develop in any of its variants. In some cases, there is a fear of insects in general, but in others it is a slightly more specific terror, that is, it is limited to certain types of bugs. This is the case, for example, of apiphobia, which is related to the fear of bees. Arachnophobia, another of the most common phobias, occurs when you have an uncontrollable fear of spiders. On the other hand, there is mote phobia, which is the fear of moths, and blat phobia, which is the terror of cockroaches.
In any case, all these phobias present a series of similar symptoms that occur in the presence or imagination of the insect. These are the most frequent.
- Anxiety and nervousness.
- Distorted thoughts.
- Increased sweating.
- Panic attacks.
- Redness of the skin.
- Accelerated breathing and increased heart rate.
- Tremors and chills.
- Nausea and dizziness.
As we explained before, in the most serious cases, the affected person tries to avoid the stimulus he fears so as not to suffer. In an attempt not to have to deal with any kind of insect, he. Social isolation is dangerous, since it can lead to other types of problems. Social relationships are greatly affected, friendships are lost, and problems are caused at work… The sooner you begin to treat yourself properly, the sooner you will learn to control the symptoms.
Why does this phobia develop?
Experts are very interested in knowing the true cause that motivates phobias, but studies conclude that there is no single motivation. Understanding the secrets of the mind is complicated and even more so when you suffer from some, since it does not pay attention to logic.
People who suffer from nomophobia develop an irrational fear of bugs. They are aware that a fly cannot inflict serious damage on them, not even a bee, which in normal situations would only cause a sting. However, even if they are not able to support their fear in logical arguments, they cannot help but fear the bugs.
Behind nomophobia there may be a traumatic experience that has involved bugs. It is possible that a very painful bite or a fright during childhood ends up causing a trauma that leads to a phobia. However, it must be taken into account that phobias are also learned by observation, so if the suffering has been experienced by a loved one, it can be internalized as their own.
However, there are studies that indicate that a phobia like this could also have a genetic component. In this case, a child with parents who are afraid of insects is more likely to develop with these characteristics. However, it cannot be ignored that there is a cultural factor that makes us perceive insects as unpleasant creatures, as we mentioned before.
Overcome Emtomophobia
It should be noted that nomophobia, like most phobias, requires psychological treatment, and few people can overcome this fear on their own. But you yourself can determine if the fear you feel when you see an insect near you is something normal or affects your daily life.
If you think you might suffer from this type of irrational fear, you should see a mental health specialist to evaluate your case. This, who can be a psychologist, a psychiatrist or another type of expert, will ask you some questions in order to draw up a reliable and realistic diagnosis. From there, he will recommend a treatment so that you stop suffering so much when you are in front of the insects.
Therapy to be proposed to end this phobia. In this, the influences of various currents come together to overcome this or any other type of irrational fear. The objective is that the patient stops developing negative thoughts before the stimulus that causes the phobia, that is, before the bugs. It seeks to change thoughts such as “it’s going to bite me” or “it’s going to infect me with a disease” for “each one for him”.
One of the most used strategies is gradual exposure techniques. This tries to approach in a controlled way and under the supervision of an expert what the patient is afraid of. It is a tough technique but it can be very effective. You can start, for example, using images of bugs or suggesting that they imagine different scenes with these creatures. Little by little, the patient will be able to face the insects in person.
On the other hand, in the case of some phobias, support groups are also often very useful to overcome them. Learning certain relaxation techniques is essential in order to better control anxiety in panic attacks. There are some simple exercises and progressive relaxation techniques that help manage nerves in stressful situations.