There are phobias that seems more logical to us than others, although some are very curious and we didn’t even know they existed. This is the case of vicaphobia or fear of witches, a fear that has certain logic until it becomes a phobic disorder that complicates your life.
What is vicaphobia?
Vicaphobia is the fear of witches, witchcraft, and by extension, magic. With the mystery that has always surrounded witches, this phobia can seem quite logical to us. After all, what if a witch puts an evil spell on you? But how likely is that to happen, and more importantly, why would such a thing happen?
We ask these questions to make you aware of the irrational thoughts that phobias generate. Thinking that you have an evil when you are going through a difficult season is one thing, but taking it to the extreme of imagining that there may be evil witches around you is a problem that must be dealt with as soon as possible.
Symptoms of a phobia like this
In most phobias the symptoms appear when the stimulus is presented. So how many witches have you seen in your life? Probably none, but don’t let that make you think that vicaphobia is not a problem because people who suffer from it just by imagining a witch can experience all the
Imagining a witch, seeing a drawing of a witch, having thoughts about witchcraft, or hearing a conversation about magic are enough stimuli to trigger all the symptoms of anxiety. Dizziness, nausea, palpitations, headache, shortness of breath or even a panic attack are the most frequent reactions.
Causes of fear of witches
Throughout history, witches have been feared by people, but that is not exactly a phobia. However, the cultural factor is important in the development of some phobias, such as eremophobia or fear of loneliness or ophidiophobia or fear of snakes.
Nor is conditioning ruled out for having lived a traumatic experience with a witch, even if it was not true. A child can experience very strong emotions on a Halloween night and be marked by some specific circumstance.
Vicaphobia treatment
Taking into account that witches are not seen very often in our day to day, overcoming vicaphobia involves a transformation of those distorted and unreal thoughts about witches. And this is done through cognitive, in which thinking is treated first and behavior later.
Any treatment for a phobia must be supervised by a professional and they all recommend the practice of some relaxation techniques due to the close relationship between phobia and anxiety. In some cases, overcoming a phobic disorder also requires drug treatment.