Friday, lucky or not
In pagan times Friday was the luckiest day of the week because it was ruled by the planet Venus, the symbol of love and fortune. In fact, Friday is named in honor of Freya, goddess of Love. But for Christians, Friday has not been a good day. Adam and Eve is said to have eaten the forbidden fruit on a Friday and died on a Friday. Jesus was crucified on a Friday.
For centuries sailors refused to set sail on a Friday. It is told that when the reluctance of seamen to set sail on a Friday had reached such proportions that it interfered with naval operations, the British Admiralty decided to prove once and for all that it is a fallacy. They laid the keel of a new vessel on a Friday, named her H.M.S. Friday, and launched her on a Friday. On her first voyage, setting sail on a Friday, she was commanded by Captain James Friday. She left the harbor and nothing has since been heard of her or her crew. The identical story has also found its place in American lore. But – fear not – it is a myth.
The fear for traveling on a Friday continued until the early 20th century where in Europe bus and train travel was lowest on a Friday. But before you say “Thank Goodness, it’s Friday!” consider that, FBI statistics show, most robberies take place on a Friday.
The number 13
It is believed that the fear for the number 13 stems from primitive man being unable to count past 12. Numbers beyond 12 do now have an individual and independent name but are a combination of the first 12 numbers. With 12 being the end of the line, 13 was moving into unknown territory.
In Norse mythology the 13th number led to the death of Baldur, the beloved of the gods. When the 12 gods gathered for a banquet in Valhalla, Loki gatecrashed the party, increasing the number to 13, which led to the death of Baldur. It also happens that in Tarot cards, 13 is called “Death.”
The baker’s dozen
The “unlucky 13″ is the reason why the thirteen loaves that bakers once supplied were never called by the number, but described as “a baker’s dozen.” The thirteenth loaf was regarded as a special bribe for the devil not to spoil the sale or the bread.
The lucky number 13
But 13 is not unlucky for all. The Mayas worshiped the 13 gods of the upper world. The Aztecs climbed 13 steps to their sacred places. Buddhists paid homage to 13 Buddhas. In Jewish faith, God revealed Himself by 13 attributes of bountiful mercy (Exodus 34: 6-7). The orthodox Jewish prayer book hold the Thirteen Principles of Faith. Jewish boys celebrate their Bar Mitzvah at age 13.
The number 13 in Greek is triskaideka and the fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia.
Fear is an important basic human emotion that alerts us to a perceived danger. In normal situations, we regain self-control after a while once the fear is triggered, but when fears start to control us our lives may be under constant stress.
Phobias are generally underreported
Fear is an important basic human emotion that alerts us to a perceived danger. In normal situations, we regain self-control after a while once the fear is triggered, but when fears start to control us as that seen in patients suffering from phobias, anxieties or panic attacks, our lives may be under constant stress. Akin to all other emotions, fear can be mild, moderate, or intense, depending on the individual and the circumstances in which the emotion is brought out.
A phobia is an unreasonable, intense and persistent fear of particular situations, activities, people, things, or animals, which actually has little or no real danger. Phobias are generally underreported, as many sufferers may not usually seek medical help or manage to find ways to avoid the situations or things to which they are afraid. Although statistics estimating prevalence of phobias vary widely, this illness has been reported to affect up to 7 to 13% of the population in western countries. Phobias can limit workefficiency, reduce self-esteem, disrupt daily routines, and place a strain on relationships because people will do whatever they can to avoid the often-terrifying feelings of phobic anxiety.
Usually people suffering from phobias try to avoid what they are afraid of. When this is not possible, they may experience the following symptoms:
• Rapid heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Tremors
• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Nausea or stomach discomfort
• An overwhelming urge to escape the situation
• Fear of fainting or losing control
• Shortness of breath
• Tremors
• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Nausea or stomach discomfort
• An overwhelming urge to escape the situation
• Fear of fainting or losing control
Phobias Causes and Risk Factors
There is no one specific known cause for phobias. However, it is thought to run in families, may be influenced by culture, and can be triggered by life events which had occurred in the past. Immediate family members of phobic individuals are more likely to suffer from phobias than those without similar family history. Although some phobias develop in childhood, most seem to happen during adolescence or early adulthood.
Phobias may affect people of all the ages, income levels and walks of the life. Nevertheless, women seem to be twice as likely to be diagnosed with a phobia compared to men. Alcoholics are up to ten times more likely to suffer from phobias than those who are not alcoholics, and people suffering from phobias can be twice more likely to be addicted to alcohol than those who have never been phobic.
The following are common risk factors for phobias:
• Female gender
• Having experienced traumatic life events such as childhood sexual or physical abuse
• Having a tendency to be anxious
• Alcohol or substance abuse disorder
• Having panic disorder
• Having experienced traumatic life events such as childhood sexual or physical abuse
• Having a tendency to be anxious
• Alcohol or substance abuse disorder
• Having panic disorder
Types of Phobias
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), there are 3 kinds of phobias:
• Social phobia - fears involving other individuals or social situations such as fear of public speaking, meeting new people, performance anxiety or fears of being scrutinized by others. Social phobia may be further categorized into the following:
o Generalized social phobia – this is also known as social anxiety disorder
o Specific social phobia – this type of anxiety is triggered only in specific situations.
• Agoraphobia - Generalized fear of leaving home or a familiar area. Commonly feared places and situations are bridges, elevators, public transportation, shopping malls and driving.
• Specific phobias - fear of single items or specific situations such as lizards, spiders, snakes, heights, flying, contagious illness, etc.
Some of the commonly experienced phobias are:
• Nyctophobia – fear of dark
• Glossophobia – fear of public speaking
• Aviophobia – fear of flying
• Acrophobia – fear of heights
• Hydrophobia – fear of water
• Atychiphobia – fear of failure
• Claustrophobia – fear of closed spaces
• Monophobia – fear of being alone
• Ophidiophobia – fear of snakes
• Dhanatophobia – fear of death
• Glossophobia – fear of public speaking
• Aviophobia – fear of flying
• Acrophobia – fear of heights
• Hydrophobia – fear of water
• Atychiphobia – fear of failure
• Claustrophobia – fear of closed spaces
• Monophobia – fear of being alone
• Ophidiophobia – fear of snakes
• Dhanatophobia – fear of death
Management of Phobias with cognitive behavioral therapy, medications and alternative therapies
An effective and most frequently used treatment for phobias is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) called systematic desensitization or exposure therapy. This method helps phobic individuals by supportively and gradually exposing them, first in the imagination and then in reality, to circumstances that are similar to the one they are phobic about. With each exposure, there’s an increasing sense of control over the phobia.
Cognitive behavioral therapy has been found to significantly decrease phobic symptoms by helping the individual with phobia understand the cycle of negative thought patterns, and ways to change his or her way of thinking. This is accomplished through three techniques:
• Didactic component - helps to set up positive reinforcement for therapy.
• Cognitive component - helps to identify the thoughts that influence the person's behavior and predisposes him or her to being phobic.
• Behavioral component - uses behavior-modifying techniques to teach the phobic person effective strategies for dealing with problems.
Medications
Sometimes antidepressant medications are used to treat phobias, particularly when CBT and desensitization are inadequate. Medications are prescribed to balance the chemicals in the brain and these include prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and paroxetine (Paxil); and benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium), and alprazolam (Xanax). Many phobias are best treated with a combination of medications and CBT.
Alternative Therapies
Hypnotherapy along with neuro-linguistic programming can also be used to help remove the triggers of a phobic reaction. Hypnotherapy is based in the principle that phobias exist in the subconscious mind and when the phobic individual is put into a hypnotic state, the subconscious mind can be accessed directly and made open to suggestions, without the interference of the conscious mind.
In addition, relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, visualization techniques and progressive muscle relaxation are other effective measures to overcome mild anxiety, panic and fear, when practiced regularly.
Fear is an enemy that takes away the joy of living and paralyzes action. Prevents the person to enjoy a good travel, change jobs, start a new relationship. Take peace of mind and does not allow to enjoy everyday life without worries.
Understand the masks of fear. The fear disguises himself behind the insecurity, anxiety, worry. But this cannot be a domestic company for all our days.
I’m not talking about the natural fear of humans, which helps us to avoid dangerous situations. Like, for example, fear warns us of danger, and so we can flee or protect us.
Understand the masks of fear. The fear disguises himself behind the insecurity, anxiety, worry. But this cannot be a domestic company for all our days.
I’m not talking about the natural fear of humans, which helps us to avoid dangerous situations. Like, for example, fear warns us of danger, and so we can flee or protect us.
Understanding Your Fears
The natural emotion of fear is useful for our survival. But in today’s world, people are living afraid of everything. And so, they allowed their minds to make negative emotions accumulate with imaginary fears that destroy the inner peace.
The mind creates negative imaginary fears that are fed and raised by the negative thoughts on the news, violent movies and reading. And without realizing it, this fear is taking account of our lives.
The mind creates negative imaginary fears that are fed and raised by the negative thoughts on the news, violent movies and reading. And without realizing it, this fear is taking account of our lives.
The problems of the past and the losses can not define your future. Learn and draw lessons. Transcend, with inner strength and patience, the heartaches and physical pain. Change what you need and are open again to a life full of achievements and love.
Redevelop trust is a big step to get rid of fears. Trust in God, yourself and the people are positive forces that dissolve the negative emotions of fear.
Redevelop trust is a big step to get rid of fears. Trust in God, yourself and the people are positive forces that dissolve the negative emotions of fear.
Fear
Do not let your past decide your present, nor that your insecurity in this decide your future. Understand that you have choices and can choose the best for you.
You can choose to be happy, believe in yourself and in life. You can make a comeback, overcoming the difficulties with great inner strength and fearlessness.
Instead of tormenting that will not pass in a contest or a race, it is important to develop confidence in yourself. When we know the content of the matter is easier to have confidence. So if you go to a meeting at work, or test, you first need to study and apply without laziness.
One of the guises of fear is also lazy, which is also a great enemy. It generates apathy, discouragement, depression. The person, lazy, hiding behind fear for not studying, not to strive, not to change what needs to be changed.
You can choose to be happy, believe in yourself and in life. You can make a comeback, overcoming the difficulties with great inner strength and fearlessness.
Instead of tormenting that will not pass in a contest or a race, it is important to develop confidence in yourself. When we know the content of the matter is easier to have confidence. So if you go to a meeting at work, or test, you first need to study and apply without laziness.
One of the guises of fear is also lazy, which is also a great enemy. It generates apathy, discouragement, depression. The person, lazy, hiding behind fear for not studying, not to strive, not to change what needs to be changed.
Understand that having that confidence is not being irresponsible and does not come by chance. It is built consciously, through the proper attitude, act with precision and insight to make better decisions.
Discover the masks of fear and be conscious of how you let fear imprison this is an effective therapy to begin to be free from this inner prison.
Discover the masks of fear and be conscious of how you let fear imprison this is an effective therapy to begin to be free from this inner prison.
Look Fear
Understand the Types of Fear
According to psychiatrists, the emotions are divided into two categories: authentic and false.
The fear is real when it is a natural emotion and arises from a threat or a real threat, and then goes away.
Fear is a “false emotion” when the imagination is negative, increases and remains in the mind, if we nurture through our thoughts.
Understand that the fear that paralyzes not in real danger, but in lack of confidence in yourself and in God. When you purify your mind, making it more quiet and silent.
So, have patience and trust. Face, with faith and serenity in difficult times. Overcome the challenges with courage, doing the best you can.
The fear is real when it is a natural emotion and arises from a threat or a real threat, and then goes away.
Fear is a “false emotion” when the imagination is negative, increases and remains in the mind, if we nurture through our thoughts.
Understand that the fear that paralyzes not in real danger, but in lack of confidence in yourself and in God. When you purify your mind, making it more quiet and silent.
So, have patience and trust. Face, with faith and serenity in difficult times. Overcome the challenges with courage, doing the best you can.
Specific Phobia
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Acrophobia: Fear of Heights |
Look into the topic of specific phobias as such we will have to go through the various phobias that occur in humans. The phobias that we are talking about are various traits in human beings that keep them from acting as normal people. They create a fear in some of the persons regarding some specific things in general. Suppose some people may have a fear of heights.
They fear altitudes, whenever they are placed on some higher planes with an unusual distance between them and the ground level, they fear losing their mind. They act strange. In other circumstances, they may act very well but at times when they are placed on higher planes they act strangely. This specific phobia of heights is called Acrophobia. There may also occur fear of water among people. They may be afraid of washing and bathing themselves. This particular phobia is called Ablutophobia. There may occur some fear of noise among some people such as when they are placed under some loud music as such. They may fear losing it in the midst of all the doldrums of noises as such. This particular phobia relates to the acoustics, so it is called Acousticophobia. There are some really unusual phobias that actually occur in persons in this particular world. There may occur in persons some phobias such as fear of riding. This riding phobia may come in various forms such as they may fear riding in a car or a bus. Others may fear riding a horse even. The fear of riding a car in some people may be termed as Amaxophobia. In this way we can list down various terms which may be considered as a phobia and has been assigned a particular name in medical science.
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Claustrophobia: Fear of Closed Spaces |
Claustrophobia (from Latin claustrum "a shut in place" and Greek φόβος, phóbos, "fear") is the fear of having no escape and being closed in small spaces or rooms (opposite: claustrophilia). It is typically classified as an anxiety disorder and often results in panic attack, and can be the result of many situations orstimuli, including elevators crowded to capacity, windowless rooms, and even tight-necked clothing. The onset of claustrophobia has been attributed to many factors, including a reduction in the size of the amygdala, classical conditioning, or a genetic predisposition to fear small spaces.
One study indicates that anywhere from 5–7% of the world population is affected by severe claustrophobia, but only a small percentage of these people receive some kind of treatment for the disorder.
Basic symptoms of claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is typically thought to have two key symptoms: fear of restriction and fear of suffocation. A typical claustrophobic will fear restriction in at least one, if not several, of the following areas: small rooms, locked rooms, cars, tunnels, cellars, elevators, subway trains, caves, airplanes and crowded areas. Additionally, the fear of restriction can cause some claustrophobics to fear trivial matters such as sitting in a barber’s chair or waiting in line at a grocery store simply out of a fear of confinement to a single space.
However, claustrophobics are not necessarily afraid of these areas themselves, but, rather, they fear what could happen to them should they become confined to an area. Often, when confined to an area, claustrophobics begin to fear suffocation, believing that there may be a lack of air in the area to which they are confined.
Many claustrophobics remove clothing during attacks, believing it will relieve the symptoms. Any combination of the above symptoms can lead to severe panic attacks. However, most claustrophobics do everything in their power to avoid these situations.
Diagnosis
Claustrophobia develops as the mind makes the association that small spaces psychologically translate to some imminent danger. This typically occurs as a result of a traumatic past experience (such as being trapped in a dark, small space and thinking that there is no way out because the mind is not fully developed enough to realize there is a way out) or from another unpleasant experience occurring later on in life involving confined spaces. These two causes of claustrophobia both reject the common misconception that claustrophobia is a genetic disorder.Claustrophobia is the fear of having no escape, and being closed in. It is typically classified as an anxiety disorder and often results in a rather severe panic attack. One study conducted by University of Wisconsin-Madison’s neurology department revealed that anywhere from 2-5% of the world population is affected by severe claustrophobia, but only a small percentage of these people receive some kind of treatment for the disorder.
In fact claustrophobia is a conditioned response to a stimulus. It results from when an individual associates a tremendous amount of anxiety and a panic attack with a confined space. That event, the confined space, serves as a trigger or the stimulus, which is programmed into the brain. Because that stimulus is programmed into the brain, so is the response, which in this case, is a tremendous amount of anxiety. As a result, the confined space consistently triggers the same anxious response.
Claustrophobia scale
This method was developed in 1979 by interpreting the files of patients diagnosed with claustrophobia and by reading various scientific articles about the diagnosis of the disorder. Once an initial scale was developed, it was tested and sharpened by several experts in the field. Today, it consists of 20 questions that determine anxiety levels and desire to avoid certain situations. Several studies have proved this scale to be effective in claustrophobia diagnosis.
Claustrophobia questionnaire
This method was developed by Rachman and Taylor, two experts in the field, in 1993. This method is effective in distinguishing symptoms stemming from fear of suffocation and fear of restriction. In 2001, it was modified from 36 to 24 items by another group of field experts. This study has also been proved very effective by various studies.
Causes of claustrophobia
The fear of enclosed spaces is an irrational fear. Most claustrophobic people who find themselves in a room without windows consciously know that they aren’t in danger, yet these same people will be afraid, possibly terrified to the point of incapacitation, and many do not know why. The exact cause of claustrophobia is unknown, but there are many theories.
Amygdala
The amygdala is one of the smallest structures in the brain, but by far one of the most powerful. The amygdala is needed for the conditioning of fear, or the creation of a fight-or-flight response. A fight-or-flight response is created, when a stimulus is associated with a grievous situation.Cheng A phobia’s roots are in this fight-or-flight response.
In generating a fight-or-flight response, the amygdala acts in the following way: The amygdala’s anterior nuclei associated with fear communicate with each other. Nuclei send out impulses to other nuclei, which influence respiratory rate, physical arousal, the release of adrenaline, blood pressure, heart rate, behavioral fear response, and defensive responses, which may include freezing up. These reactions constitute an ‘autonomic failure’ in a panic attack.
A study done by Fumi Hayano found that the right amygdala was smaller in patients who suffered from panic disorders. The reduction of size occurred in a structure known as the corticomedial nuclear group which the CE nucleus belongs to. This causes interference, which in turn causes abnormal reactions to aversive stimuli in those with panic disorders. In claustrophobic people, this translates as panicking or overreacting to a situation in which the person finds themselves physically confined.
Classical Conditioning
“Claustrophobia develops as the mind makes the association that small spaces psychologically translate to some imminent danger.” It often comes as a consequence of a traumatic childhood experience, although the onset can come at any point in an individual’s life. Such an experience can occur multiple times, or only once, to make a permanent impression on the mind. The majority of claustrophobic participants in an experiment done by Lars-Göran Öst reported that their phobia had been “acquired as a result of a conditioning experience." In most cases, claustrophobia seems to be the result of past experiences.
Conditioning experiences
A few examples of common experiences that could result in the onset of claustrophobia in children (or adults) are as follows:
- A child (or, less commonly, an adult) is shut into a pitch-black room and cannot find the door or the light-switch.
- A child gets shut into a box.
- A child falls into a deep pool and cannot swim.
- A child gets separated from their parents in a large crowd and gets lost.
- A child sticks their head between the bars of a fence and then cannot get back out.
- A child crawls into a hole and gets stuck, or cannot find their way back.
- A child is left in their parent's car, truck, or van.
The term ‘past experiences,’ according to one author, can extend to the moment of birth. In John A. Speyrer’s ‘’Claustrophobia and the Fear of Death and Dying,’’ the reader is brought to the conclusion that claustrophobia’s high frequency is due to birth trauma, about which he says is “one of the most horrendous experiences we can have during our lifetime,” and it is in this helpless moment that the infant develops claustrophobia.
Magnetic resonance imaging, or the MRI, has been attributed to the onset of claustrophobia. Since a patient has to be put into the center of a magnet to optimize imaging, the patient finds themselves in a narrow tube for an extended period of time. In a study involving claustrophobia and the MRI, it was reported that 13% of patients experienced a panic attack during the procedure. The procedure has been linked not only to the triggering of ‘preexisting’ claustrophobia, but also to the onset in some people. These panic attacks during the procedure make it so the patient is unable to adjust to the situation, and therefore the fear remains.
S.J. Rachman tells of an extreme example is found in the experience of 21 miners in the Claustrophobia section of ‘’Phobias: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Treatment.’’ These miners were trapped underground for 14 days, during which six of the miners died of suffocation. After their rescue, ten of the miners were studied for ten years. All but one were greatly changed by the experience, and six of those developed phobias, phobias that involved “confining or limiting situations.” The only miner who did not develop any noticeable symptoms was the one who acted as leader.
Another factor that could cause the onset of claustrophobia is “information received.” As Aureau Walding states in ‘’Causes of Claustrophobia,’’ many people, especially children, learn who and what to fear by watching parents or peers. This method does not only apply to observing a teacher, but also observing victims. Vicarious classical conditioning also includes when a person sees another person exposed directly to an especially unpleasant situation. This would be analogous to observing someone getting stuck in a tight space, suffocated, or any of the other examples that were listed above.
Prepared phobia
There is research that suggests that claustrophobia isn’t entirely a classically conditioned or learned phobia. It is not necessarily an inborn fear, but it is very likely what is called a 'prepared phobia.' As Erin Gersley says in ‘’Phobias: Causes and Treatments,’’ humans are genetically predisposed to become afraid of things that are dangerous to them. Claustrophobia may fall under this category because of its “wide distribution… early onset and seeming easy acquisition, and its non-cognitive features.” The acquisition of claustrophobia may be part of a vestigial evolutionary survival mechanism, a dormant fear of entrapment and/or suffocation that was once important for the survival of humanity and could be easily awakened at any time. Hostile environments in the past would have made this kind of pre-programmed fear necessary, and so the human mind developed the capacity for “efficient fear conditioning to certain classes of dangerous stimuli.”
Rachman provides a very strong argument for this theory in his article: ‘’Phobias.’’ He agrees with the statement that phobias generally concern objects that constitute a direct threat to human survival, and that many of these phobias are quickly acquired because of an “inherited biological preparedness.” This brings about a prepared phobia, which is not quite innate, but is widely and easily learned. As Rachman explains in the article: “The main features of prepared phobias are that they are very easily acquired, selective, stable, biologically significant, and probably [non-cognitive].” ‘Selective’ and ‘biologically significant’ mean that they only relate to things that directly threaten the health, safety, or survival of an individual. ‘Non-cognitive’ suggests that these fears are acquired unconsciously. Both factors point to the theory that claustrophobia is a prepared phobia that is already pre-programmed into the mind of a human being.
