About:
Entomophobia is the irrational fear of insects, also known as Acarophobia. The origin of the word of Entomophobia is Greek. 'Entomos' means insects and 'phobos', means to dread or to fear in Greek. A person suffering from Entomophobia cannot stand insects however this might not mean all insects. Often a person with Entomophobia will have a fear based around a specific type of insect like for instance bees, (Apiphobia) wasps, (spheksophobia) or cockroaches (Katsaridaphobia). It is a fairly common phobia
Interesting Fact:
People with Entomophobia can even be surprisingly afraid of very gentle and even beautiful insects. There are specific phobias of butterflies (Lepidopterophobia) and moths (Mottephobia). This is usually because of the fluttery motion that these insects make with their wings.
Causes:
Because insects look so alien compared to other animals (multiple legs, eyes, hard skeletal bodies, etc) they can be perceived as 'disgusting' or scary. Many monsters in horror films, especially aliens, take on an insect like appearance, so this can feed into the fear.
Another cause is when People had a traumatic experience such as being stung by a bee or wasp. This could have been made worse if they were allergic to a bee's sting. Or a trigger can develop for this sort of phobia if a child is frightened by an insect. For example, a cockroach appearing somewhere unexpectedly or a beetle flying into their face.
If a parent has Entomophobia and acts fearful around insects in front of their children, the phobia can be learned and passed down.
Other non-insect related trauma can also strangely result into a person developing Entomophobia. Big life changing events like divorce, loss of a friend, family or a beloved pet, loss of employment, being in an accident or witnessing a traumatic one can trigger the phobia.
Entomophobia can cross over with other phobias like Mysophobia, (the fear of germs) as insects like cockroaches and flies are associated with being dirty and spreading disease. Agoraphobics (fear of crowded spaces) also commonly have Entomophobia as well.
Entomophobia also has a lot of associations with other physical and mental health conditions. Medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism, syphilis, meningitis, fluoride poisoning, folate or thiamine deficiencies, adrenal insufficiency and general anxiety disorders are all documented to have a link with people with Entomophobia. Schizophrenics very commonly have Entomophobia. Unexplained skin irritations and dermatitis can also be causes as people suffering with these feel like insects are crawling on or under their skin.
Another cause is when People had a traumatic experience such as being stung by a bee or wasp. This could have been made worse if they were allergic to a bee's sting. Or a trigger can develop for this sort of phobia if a child is frightened by an insect. For example, a cockroach appearing somewhere unexpectedly or a beetle flying into their face.
If a parent has Entomophobia and acts fearful around insects in front of their children, the phobia can be learned and passed down.
Other non-insect related trauma can also strangely result into a person developing Entomophobia. Big life changing events like divorce, loss of a friend, family or a beloved pet, loss of employment, being in an accident or witnessing a traumatic one can trigger the phobia.
Entomophobia can cross over with other phobias like Mysophobia, (the fear of germs) as insects like cockroaches and flies are associated with being dirty and spreading disease. Agoraphobics (fear of crowded spaces) also commonly have Entomophobia as well.
Entomophobia also has a lot of associations with other physical and mental health conditions. Medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism, syphilis, meningitis, fluoride poisoning, folate or thiamine deficiencies, adrenal insufficiency and general anxiety disorders are all documented to have a link with people with Entomophobia. Schizophrenics very commonly have Entomophobia. Unexplained skin irritations and dermatitis can also be causes as people suffering with these feel like insects are crawling on or under their skin.
Symptoms:
If someone has Entomophobia and see an insect they are afraid of, they will often burst into tears or scream in terror and feel extremely panicked.
The primary symptoms for Entomophobia can include:
Someone who has a fear of insects will always be looking out for bugs and might blame any skin irritation on insects. They might be scratching at their skin constantly, which could cause scars and bleeding.
The primary symptoms for Entomophobia can include:
- Scratching skin
- Excessive cleaning
- Hysteria
- Trembling and/or Sweating
- Increased heart rate
- Dizziness
- Hot or cold flashes
- Chest pains
- Nausea or other gastrointestinal distress
- Feeling of choking
Someone who has a fear of insects will always be looking out for bugs and might blame any skin irritation on insects. They might be scratching at their skin constantly, which could cause scars and bleeding.
Why You Should Get Treated:
Due to the variety of ways this phobia can really affect your life, it is imperative to seek help, especially because overcoming the phobia might help address other phobias and mental health conditions.
Insects are absolutely everywhere and can really appear at anytime and anyplace. This means the brain is always subconsciously under fear and stress with it. A person might avoid leaving the house because of this phobia and the isolation will only make any mental health conditions even worse. People with this fear might never go out into nature or travel to certain holiday destinations. It is an extremely limiting phobia to have. It can even be dangerous. If someone who has Entomophobia is driving and an insect appears, the results could be tragic.
Insects are absolutely everywhere and can really appear at anytime and anyplace. This means the brain is always subconsciously under fear and stress with it. A person might avoid leaving the house because of this phobia and the isolation will only make any mental health conditions even worse. People with this fear might never go out into nature or travel to certain holiday destinations. It is an extremely limiting phobia to have. It can even be dangerous. If someone who has Entomophobia is driving and an insect appears, the results could be tragic.
Why See The Phobia Guru For Treatment:
I am often able to help people break free of their phobia in just one session with the scientifically proven power of hypnotherapy, combined with NLP and an immersive therapy option. My therapy skillfully combines these techniques uniquely to create the most powerful, effective and quickest way to beat a phobia. You will be in the hands of a trained phobia expert who will help you transform your mind and liberate yourself from even the most extreme fears.
Hypnotherapy is so effective with phobias because it tackles the underlying trigger of the phobia within the subconscious. Once a person has access to their subconscious they can eliminate their conditioned response to the stimulus. So instead of treating just the symptoms, hypnotherapy can heal the source for a lasting result. The best part about hypnotherapy and phobias is that often it only takes one session to completely get over the phobia so you do not have to spend a lot of money on continual treatment. The NHS also promotes hypnotherapy as an effective treatment for phobias.
Hypnotherapy is so effective with phobias because it tackles the underlying trigger of the phobia within the subconscious. Once a person has access to their subconscious they can eliminate their conditioned response to the stimulus. So instead of treating just the symptoms, hypnotherapy can heal the source for a lasting result. The best part about hypnotherapy and phobias is that often it only takes one session to completely get over the phobia so you do not have to spend a lot of money on continual treatment. The NHS also promotes hypnotherapy as an effective treatment for phobias.