It is true that some phobias are more limiting while others may go a little more unnoticed or have less impact on our lives. In the case of ambulophobia or the fear or anguish of walking, we cannot let it go since walking is an essential act in our day to day. And if you are terrified of walking? We tell you everything about ambulophobia.
What is ambulophobia?
Ambulophobia is the fear of walking. People with ambulophobia feel a lot of anguish before an act as daily and as necessary as walking to work, to the store or looking for bread. It can be confused with agoraphobia, since they tend to lock themselves up at home as long as they can to avoid walking.
It is a rare and very limiting phobia. And it should be noted that the fear of walking hides another deeper fear such as the fear of falling and getting hurt. That is why people with ambulophobia walk down the street with a lot of tension, taking good care of where they step and fearing that an accident could happen to them at any moment.
Ambulophobia symptoms
There are different degrees of this phobia of walking and the symptoms depend a lot on the stage of the disorder. We have already warned that it can be a very serious problem when the person isolates himself completely so as not to go out and avoid walking. He quits his job, he quits his social life, and he quits everything because he can’t walk.
People with ambulophobia experience the same symptoms of anxiety when they have to walk. It is not just about crossing the street as in agoraphobia, but about walking. And if they notice some risks according to the paving of the street, the symptoms worsen.
Dizziness, palpitations, excessive sweating, difficulty breathing… And that irrational thought that leads them to the certainty that walking is exposing them to immense danger. In addition to the symptoms they have to endure each time they are faced with the stimulus of their phobia, people with ambulophobia have to deal with the obvious limitations that their own fear imposes.
Causes of Ambulophobia
Ambulophobia is a frequent disorder in the little ones when they are starting to walk, but it passes very quickly. It is also a characteristic phobia of the elderly, who fear falling and not being able to walk again, but in reality it can be suffered at any age.
The most common cause for ambulophobia to develop is having lived through a traumatic experience. A fall in the middle of the street that ended with hospitalization and a long period of immobility and pain is more than enough reason for the most logical fear to become irrational and excessive.
People who suffer from vertigo or frequent dizziness can also end up developing this phobia of walking, as well as those who already suffer from an anxiety disorder in which fears arise for no apparent specific reason.
Ambulophobia treatment
To overcome the fear of walking, you have to walk. It is what is called gradual exposure and must be done by a professional and accompanied by some psychological therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy. The person with ambulophobia needs help to transform that distorted thought that considers the act of walking as a real danger.
Once thought is transformed, behavior can be changed. Without fear there is no need to avoid it, but the process of walking must be done step by step and checking that nothing bad happens when you go out into the street. Step by step, this is how you can overcome all your phobias.