Have you ever felt intense discomfort when faced with large objects? Have you avoided situations where these objects were present? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may be experiencing megalophobia.
Specific phobias are anxiety disorders whose phobic object (what causes you fear) is very delimited. These are fears that are very limited to certain stimuli such as animals, objects or even situations.
Megalophobia is not very common among the population, however, it is possible that at some point we have experienced something similar. In this Psychology-Online article, we talk to you about What is megalophobia, its causes, symptoms and treatment.
What is megalophobia?
The megalophobia consists of the experimentation of a intense fear of large objectsthat is, for example before large buildings such as skyscrapers, large cars such as trucks, large constructions such as ships or even objects such as large sculptures.
, like any emotion, has been crucial in the survival of human beings in particular and the human species in general. Sometimes we feel afraid of situations, objects, animals, etc. that do not pose a real danger, what is known as irrational fear. In certain cases, these fears can be experienced so intensely that interfere with our daily lives.
Megalophobia would fall within the specific phobias, a type included in the main classifications of disorders: DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association) and ICD-11 (World Health Organization). In them, the object that causes intense fear is very delimited.
Diagnosis of megalophobia
The fear of large things can be mild, that is, it can cause us some discomfort but it does not interfere with our daily life. We do not avoid situations in which this danger may appear or we anticipate, accompanied by great discomfort, situations in which we may encounter large objects.
When would we talk about specific phobia disorder? To do this, we turn to the DSM-5 diagnostic classification manuals (American Psychiatric Association)and ICD-11 (World Health Organization), in which we find its main characteristics:
- First of all, of course large objects should always cause intense fear or anxiety.
- Exposure to large objects is avoided. If you resist, you will always experience great discomfort.
- The danger we perceive is disproportionate to reality.
- Fear, anxiety or avoidance lasts at least six months if we look at the DSM-5 or a long period of time (several months) according to the ICD-11.
- Fear, anxiety or avoidance negatively interfere with our daily lives or cause clinically significant discomfort.
- The fear of large objects is not better explained in the context of other disorders (for example, under the influence of substances in which perception may be altered).
Symptoms of megalophobia
The symptomatology that people with megalophobia will show, following Sosa, CD and Capafóns, JI(2014), covers the physiological, cognitive and motor areas. Below we will see the symptoms of this phobia classified:
On a physiological level
The physiological symptoms that may appear in megalophobia are:
- Tachycardia
- Elevation of blood pressure
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Saliva inhibition
At the motor level
The behavioral symptoms of the phobia of big things are:
- Avoidance or flight of places or situations in which there are large constructions or large feared objects.
On a cognitive level
The symptoms of cognitive megalophobia are:
- Negative beliefs in relation to their interaction with large objects and their own coping capacity.
Causes of megalophobia
There are several theories about how the phobia could develop, which we present below.
Cognitive-behavioral theories
Broadly speaking, these theories postulate that the fear response is acquired by , that is, the large object is associated with aversive stimuli. Fear is then maintained by operant conditioning, that is, by avoiding exposure to large objects our anxiety symptoms decrease, which reinforces our avoidance behavior and makes it more likely that we will repeat said behavior in the future.
In addition, irrational thoughts or beliefs regarding the danger that large objects can pose could be involved.
It could also influence the development of the phobia, that is, acquiring the fear of large objects. observing said fear in other people.
Biological theories
Biological hypotheses support the existence of an evolutionary predisposition for the development of phobias. Remember that fear (like the rest of the emotions) has been fundamental for human evolutionary development. In this sense, it is possible that the person can feeling helpless in front of large objects from which, in the face of any adverse circumstance, it would be difficult for us to defend ourselves or escape.
There are also theories that indicate a genetic predisposition for the development of phobias, as studies with families show.
Integrative theories
Finally, we find theories such as Barlow’s (seen in Sosa, CD and Capafóns, JI, 2014), which take into account biological, psychological and social factors to explain the origin of phobias.
Treatment.
It would be indicated for the treatment of specific phobias. Within them, we find the techniques that are presented below and among which the exposure technique stands out.
1. Psychoeducation
Psychoeducation is the first step to overcoming megalophobia. Explaining to the patient what is happening and why it is happening can help her attitude toward treatment be collaborative and increase her commitment.
2. Prolonged exposure to large objects
The anxiety response is not sustained for long. Think that your body is using many resources to survive, so we will not be able to last long in this state. If you expose yourself to large objects for a long time, there will come a time when your anxiety level will decrease.
Of course, we should avoid taking anxiolytics and fleeing during exposure. We will help ourselves, yes, from what we previously learned. You can start practicing relaxation with the guided session that you will find at the end of this video.
The exhibition can be in imagination or live, virtual reality has even been introduced as a tool to implement the technique (although it does not completely replace the live exhibition).
3. Cognitive techniques
These techniques can be used as a complement to the exposure to work on the irrational thoughts and beliefs that the patient may present regarding the danger of large objects.
4. Pharmacology
The pharmacological treatment for specific phobia consists of the administration of anxiolytics, among which are , such as , , and .
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.
If you want to read more articles similar to Megalophobia: what it is, causes, symptoms and treatmentwe recommend that you enter our category.
References
- American Psychiatric Association (2014). DSM-5. Reference guide to the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5-Breviary. Madrid: Panamericana Medical Editorial.
- World Health Organization (WHO) (2018) International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision. Recovered from https://icd.who.int/es
- Sosa, CD and Capafóns, JI (2014) Specific phobia. En Caballo, VE, Salazar, IC and Carrobles, JA (2014) Manual of Psychopathology and Psychological Disorders. Madrid. Pyramid.