Fear is an adaptive emotion whose objective is the protection of the organism against possible danger, which is why it can be activated in unknown or uncertain situations. The fear of change is based on a sense of self-preservation, of survival. That is why it usually appears when faced with new stimuli such as a job, people, moving to another city, etc. However, sometimes this fear of novelty can be excessive and limiting, so if you want to know more about it, continue reading this Psychology-Online article: Fear of the new: causes and how to overcome it.
We all experience certain fear of changes, such as fear of changing jobs, fear of moving house or fear of doing new things. However, sometimes this fear becomes excessive and disproportionate.
What is the fear of the new and unknown called?
The fear of the new and unknown is called neophobia. This word derives from Greek so neos means new and phobos fear. Neophobia is a type of specific phobia in which there is an uncontrollable, persistent, irrational and disproportionate fear towards everything that implies novelty, is essentially the fear of doing new things.
In this phobia, unlike other specific phobias, there is a wide variety of phobic stimuli, since both material things, situations and activities can be feared, as long as novelty qualities are attributed to them. One of the most researched areas within this phobia is food neophobia, which has a high incidence, especially in childhood, when new foods and dishes are intensely rejected. However, neophobia can manifest itself in any area of daily life and at any time in the life cycle, in the same way that it can be due to the fear of failing, the fear of uncertainty or the feeling of lack of control.
Symptoms of neophobia
The symptoms of this specific phobia are the following:
- Physical symptoms: symptoms of activation of the nervous system when exposed or the idea of being exposed to something new such as tachycardia, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, stomach pain, muscle tension, etc.
- Cognitive symptoms: distorted beliefs, irrational and catastrophic thoughts, fear of not being able to control the new situation if exposed to it, and intrusive ideas about the novelty.
- Emotional symptoms: anxiety, anguish, feeling of helplessness due to the inability to control disproportionate reactions, sadness, personal dissatisfaction, boredom,…
- Behavioral symptoms: avoidance or escape behaviors when faced with something new and resistance to change which can lead to progressive isolation. There is a limitation and damage to the quality of life of the person with neophobia, just as these people usually lead a totally monotonous and routine lifestyle that restricts the amount of rewarding elements that the person can access.
Regarding the etiology of neophobia, no single cause has been identified that is capable of explaining the origin of this irrational fear; rather, a series of factors that interrelate with each other have been recognized, which can lead to the development of this phobia. :
- Comfort zone: why are we afraid of change? Excessive fear and resistance to leaving this area of control, comfort and stability may be due to fear of uncertainty and inability to manage change. This terror may be due to the person projecting themselves into the panic zone when thinking about leaving the comfort zone, so they believe that the situation or stimulus is going to overwhelm and overwhelm them. There is, therefore, a feeling of incompetence and lack of coping resources.
- Personality traits: There are certain personal characteristics that could be predisposing to neophobia, such as neuroticism, lack of self-esteem, self-efficacy and confidence, or . It can also be related to an avoidant personality style, in which there is a generalized pattern of inhibition.
- Anxious/ambivalent childhood attachment: The bonds established in childhood with the main care figures can exert an influence on exploratory behaviors in general, as well as on mental representations about the person themselves and the world. An insecure attachment style can lead to the development of a fear of the new due to a negative unconscious interpretation of both the characteristics and competencies of the person themselves, and of the outside, which is perceived as an uncontrollable place full of dangers that generates distrust. In the following article you will find more information about the.
- Traumatic situations: Experiencing a situation that represents trauma for a person can lead to the development of mental schemas and models through which the world is conceived as threatening and dangerous, which is why everything that is unknown is rejected.
- Parenting styles: An educational style that transmits an excessive sense of responsibility and perfectionism can generate a fear in the person of disappointing the parenting figures, so all situations that are not controlled and for which there is no certainty are avoided. success. On the other hand, an educational style that conveys a rejection of innovation and exploration, as well as attributes a sense of danger to novelty, can condition this fear.
- Cognitive styles: The thinking patterns and distortions typical of an anxious and neurotic style could also contribute to neophobia. These cognitions are characterized by catastrophic thoughts, attentional biases towards threats, generalized pessimistic vision, etc.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.