Do you like Halloween? Because it is a party that generates its likes and phobias. And never better said, since Samhainophobia or the fear of Halloween is more than a rejection of the celebration itself, it is a real panic of this party and everything that surrounds it. We tell you everything about Samhainophobia in our phobia.
What is Samhainophobia?
Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween. It is a situational phobia in which the person who suffers from it experiences an irrational and excessive fear of any object or situation related to this celebration. Its name refers to Samhain, the ancient Celtic celebration from which the festival we all know derives.
But being afraid of the dead, of witches, of the night, of owls, of pumpkins or even of cat sit’s not something that’s difficult for us to understand, right? After all, it is an event that plays precisely with that world of the afterlife and with certain situations of terror.
Symptoms of Samhainophobia
A person with Samhainophobia is not that they do not want to celebrate Halloween, it is that they may have to stay locked up at home that day and the days before so as not to encounter any of the stimuli that cause their irrational fear. And we already know that the streets are decorated for Halloween a few days before.
Seeing a pumpkin or a shop decorated with spiders and witches can cause the person with Samhainophobia to have an anxiety attack with all the usual symptoms and can even lead to a panic attack. But also, the emotional exhaustion is immense because the person who has this phobia is aware that her fear of it is irrational and excessive, but she finds herself unable to face it.
Causes of Samhainophobia or fear of Halloween
If it is not difficult for us to understand this phobia, it is not difficult to find its origin in a traumatic experience related to the context of the night of the dead. In principle it is a fun party for children, but situations of real fear can occur.
The cultural context is also important when developing this phobia, since everything related to death; Cemeteries and the night usually produce a certain fear, sometimes deliberately provoked. An anxiety disorder is all it takes for that fear to become a phobic disorder.
Samhainophobia treatment
Although the fear of Halloween does not condition your life, since it is a specific time and you may be able to avoid it without major problems, you need treatment for your phobia. Phobias, although they are not limiting, must be overcome to avoid other more serious disorders.
A psychological treatment such as cognitive will help you transform the distorted thinking that makes you consider Halloween a danger. And it will also help you to modify your behavior in the face of the situation, to stop being afraid of it. If you accompany the therapy with the usual practice of relaxation techniques, you will see how anxiety is reduced.