What is Paraskevidekatriaphobia?
Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the acute and irrational fear of Friday the 13th. The origin of the name comes from the Greek ‘Pareskevi’ which means Friday and 'phobos' meaning to dread or to fear.
This phobia is an extension of Triskaidekaphobia which is a phobia of the number 13, and is often a reason for fear of Friday the 13th. Lots of people have a fear of the number 13, as it is seen as an ‘incomplete’ number for reasons such as it follows 12, and there are 12 months of the year and 12 signs of the zodiac. There are many connotations of having bad luck associated with the number 13, including many urban myths such as the launch of a Royal Navy ship which was launched on Friday the 13th and was never seen again. Statistics show that around 8% of the US population suffer from a phobia of Friday the 13th.
This phobia is an extension of Triskaidekaphobia which is a phobia of the number 13, and is often a reason for fear of Friday the 13th. Lots of people have a fear of the number 13, as it is seen as an ‘incomplete’ number for reasons such as it follows 12, and there are 12 months of the year and 12 signs of the zodiac. There are many connotations of having bad luck associated with the number 13, including many urban myths such as the launch of a Royal Navy ship which was launched on Friday the 13th and was never seen again. Statistics show that around 8% of the US population suffer from a phobia of Friday the 13th.
Interesting Fact:
Fear of the number 13 is so widespread that many aeroplanes do not have a Row 13 and often hotels do not have a thirteenth floor.
Causes:
The primary reason behind fears surrounding Friday the 13th is that it is associated with negative events which occurred on this date. Associations include: the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and in Roman culture the number 13 is associated with tribes of witches. Furthermore, historically Friday the 13th as this was a day of torture during the middle ages. In British culture, this is particularly associated with capital punishments, as many public hangings took place on this date. In popular culture, various horror movies, such as The Friday the 13th franchise, use this date as a time when sinister events take place thus further instilling fear in viewers.
Symptoms:
For sufferers of this phobia, it can cause much difficulty when Friday the 13th occurs. Although it is not likely that they will encounter daily anxieties around this phobia, it can have a debilitating impact every time it occurs and can even experience incapacitating feelings of anxiety in the lead up to the date. It can prevent sufferers from leaving the home on this date, or even participating in any activities for fear that it could be bad luck and something negative could occur. This can include travelling on this date or going to the doctors, as sufferers experience a feeling of dread or panic that something bad will happen.
Sufferers of Paraskevidekatriaphobia are likely to encounter physical symptoms such as: increased heart rate, rapid breathing, faintness or panic attacks. This phobia can cause sufferers to partake in compulsive behaviours around the number 13, for example having to do something 13 times before they go to bed or something bad will happen on this date. This can also be linked to a fear of death, Thanatophobia, as many sufferers associate Friday the 13th with dying.
Sufferers of Paraskevidekatriaphobia are likely to encounter physical symptoms such as: increased heart rate, rapid breathing, faintness or panic attacks. This phobia can cause sufferers to partake in compulsive behaviours around the number 13, for example having to do something 13 times before they go to bed or something bad will happen on this date. This can also be linked to a fear of death, Thanatophobia, as many sufferers associate Friday the 13th with dying.
Why Should I Get Treated:
This phobia can cause much undue stress and anxiety to sufferers, which proves highly detrimental to one’s overall mental health and wellbeing. This can develop in other areas of one’s life, and can affect careers and relationships with others. Having fears of the date Friday the 13th can actually cause sufferers to experience more negative events of this day that others experience, this is as a result of their anxiety causing them to make more mistakes on this day.
Why I should See The Phobia Guru For Treatment:
I am often able to help people break free of their phobia in just one session, using 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.