There are people who love speed, since that gives them a great adrenaline that they enjoy. However, there are people who have an intense fear of situations that involve moving at a certain speed since they consider it dangerous. Maybe you are familiar or know someone who is afraid of driving. This is a psychological phobia called tachophobia that usually manifests itself when the person in question is on the road or is about to get into a car and feels in danger.
In order to overcome this fear of speed and all the difficulties generated by the feeling of danger when driving, it is necessary to have information that can provide us with data and tools to lose the fear of these situations, in order to cure tachophobia and overcome it. . Do you want to know more about this? In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about the Tacophobia: symptoms, causes and treatment.
Symptoms of tachophobia
To understand the symptoms of tachophobia, it is first necessary to resolve what it is in psychological terms. The meaning of tachophobia refers to irrational fear characteristic of psychological phobias, which arises as a result of situations in which the person perceives a excessive speed.
It should be noted that thoughts about possible fatalities or accidents that arise from this type of situation come into play here, which generate a fear of speed, getting into a car or being on the road.
How to know if I have tacophobia
Next, we describe the main symptoms of tachophobia so you can identify them:
- Excessive sweating.
- Elevation of blood pressure.
- Respiratory difficulties.
- Rapid heart rate.
- Sensation of body paralysis.
- Tremors.
- Avoidance of situations that are related to boarding a means of transportation.
- Isolation.
It is important to keep in mind that the presence of any of these symptoms does not necessarily imply that we are dealing with tachophobia. For this reason, the diagnosis must be carried out by a health professionalsince he will be in charge of evaluating the corresponding treatment conditions according to the characteristics of each patient.
Causes of tachophobia
To understand tachophobia in greater depth and know why its symptoms occur for subsequent cure and treatment, it is important to take into account the origins of this fear of speed. This will enable us to act with greater precision when facing treatment and overcoming tachophobia. For these reasons, we will locate here the main causes of why tachophobia occurs:
- Traumatic situations: The symptoms of tachophobia usually develop from an unpleasant event that occurred in the life of the person who suffers from this problem. For example, you may have experienced a high-speed car crash.
- Anxiety: The stress that everyday life can bring can lead to psychological fears and phobias. If you suffer from anxiety, we recommend reading this article so that you can improve your quality of life.
- Personal fears: This can encompass the fear of being in closed spaces, among other fears.
Tacophobia Treatment
Fortunately, it is possible to cure tachophobia and overcome it, losing the fear of speed. Currently, there are treatments that allow an effective approach to tachophobia. Choosing an appropriate treatment provides a better prognosis for the person suffering from tachophobia, because there is a greater chance of improvement. Next, we will explain the different treatments for tachophobia to be able to overcome it.
Psychological therapy
Psychological therapy generates the possibility of solving various aspects of life that produce conflicts. Let’s look at the different types of therapies that are applied to overcome the fear of speed.
- Of short duration: focused on problem solving in limited sessions. The goal is to find other ways to deal with situations that can trigger anxiety, stress, anguish or anger, such as in the case of people with tachophobia, driving or getting into a car or simply being on the road. In this group, we can cite the as one of the most important and effective.
- Long lasting: they try to find the origin of why it occurs, in this case, tachophobia and its symptoms. From this, it is possible to adopt other strategies that are useful in the face of anxiety situations, such as those encountered by a person with tacophobia, to begin their treatment and achieve a cure. Here we will mention the as the most important long therapy.
Meditation
How is tachophobia cured? Meditation is another type of treatment that allows you to downplay certain thoughts that appear in moments of great stress and/or anxiety. In the case of tachophobia, thoughts are possible fatalities or accidents on the road.
In this case, the treatment of tachophobia consists of guided sessions in which the concentration on breathing to achieve effective relaxation. In this way, meditation can have a beneficial effect for people who suffer from tachophobia, and they can even manage and overcome the fear of speed effectively.
We recommend that you read this article about them to learn about different options that you can apply in your daily life to overcome difficult moments.
Psychiatric medication
In more serious cases, taking certain medications may be necessary to overcome tachophobia. However, this treatment must be supervised by a health professionalsince he will be in charge of evaluating the need for a drug that can alter the functioning of neurons linked to emotions.
Furthermore, it is important that psychiatric treatments are combined with therapy to address the causes of tachophobia. In this article you will see what they are so that you know well the treatment that each professional can provide you, as well as the benefits of having both if your case requires it.
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 Tacophobia (fear of speed): symptoms, causes and treatmentwe recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- Kornstaje, M. (2008). Fear of traveling: A state of the art. Critical Journal of Social and Legal Sciences, (1), 1-23.
- Sanchis Fernández, L. (2018). Coping with the fear of death. Education Faculty. Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology.