Tradition says that you have to fear the number 13 by itself or related to some days of the week like Tuesday or Friday. It over time that causes the same problems and the same limitations as any other phobic disorder. If you want to know more about triskaidekaphobia or the fear of the number 13, we will tell you everything.
What is triskaidekaphobia?
Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13. It is not the first time that we have encountered phobic disorders related to numbers, as we saw with the, and in most cases these are problems that fall into a kind of no man’s land between phobia and superstition.
Anyway, you may have a rejection of the number 13 and you do not like to meet him because you think it is bad luck, or you may be terrified of that number. It is then when we talk about a phobia with all its negative consequences and the limitations that it entails.
Symptoms of triskaidekaphobia
It is not the same to try to avoid 13 and feel some discomfort if you fail than to experience all the symptoms of anxiety when you have to face that number in one way or another. Or simply when you see that number on a street, on television or in the calendar.
If you paralyze your life on, if you start to sweat when you see the number 13 on the agenda, if you feel tachycardia because you are 13 invited to that birthday, if your legs and arms fall asleep when you are assigned the number 13 somewhere…. Or even if you suffer a panic attack because of this number, it is because you suffer from triskaidekaphobia.
Origin of triskaidekaphobia
Most phobias find their origin in a traumatic experience in childhood or in an anxiety disorder that leads to irrational and excessive fears. These two options also work for triskaidekaphobia, but another cause is added: superstition.
The power of superstitious thinking should not be underestimated, because it can remain an anecdote, but it can also become a problem like triskaidekaphobia. The origin of the fear of the number can be found in Norse mythology in relation to a banquet of 12 gods to which a thirteenth diner, the terrifying god Loki, was not invited.
Biblical tradition also has a similar event, in this case with the last supper of Jesus Christ, in which there were 12 apostles plus Jesus himself. And we already know that dinner ended in disaster. But do these stories justify the fear of the number 13? Of course not.
Treatment of triskaidekaphobia
However, phobias stand out precisely because of their lack of logic or rational thinking, so it doesn’t matter much whether the fear is justified or not. What matters is seeking psychological help if fear gets in the way of your daily life.
In the case of triskaidekaphobia, it should be noted that it is fed by society in general. If some hotels do not have room number 13, if some airlines do not put that seat number, if even some buses avoid carrying 13 or many athletes avoid this number with a 12+1, it becomes more difficult to distinguish between phobia and superstition.
That is why it is important that a professional determine whether it is a socially endorsed rejection by tradition or phobic that is limiting your life and causing problems at work, in your social and family life, or in your emotional stability. Remember that with proper treatment, all phobias can be overcome.