Phobias are a dime a dozen. Name something, and there is probably a person out there with a phobia regarding it. While some phobias are better known then others, the results on a person are usually the same. As a phobia can cause disabling behavior, they can be dangerous to our health if we are caught in a situation where we have to react quickly. This is why it is a good idea to approach, expose, and move beyond the phobia.
One phobia in particular can be more of a challenge for people to face. This is Seismophobia, or a fear of earthquakes. Lets take a look at what causes this phobia, as well as what you can do to deal with and overcome it.
Causes of Seismophobia
The most common cause of Seismophobia is living through an earthquake. Unlike other natural earthquakes, Seismophobia can occur without warning. In one moment, everything is ok. In the next moment, the entire world can be moving. This unpredictable aspect of earthquakes lead many to develop a phobia regarding it. The chance of getting Seismophobia increases if the person experienced something terrible while the earthquake was happening. From witnessing destruction to being injured or seeing someone else injured, the end result is the phobia.
Do I Have Seismophobia?
Does watching footage of an earthquake cause an intense emotional response? Do you become on edge every time the ground shakes because of a truck or the wind? These may all be signs of Seismophobia.
How Can I Overcome Seismophobia?
A phobia of earthquakes represents a challenge, as exposure therapy is the most common way of dealing with phobias. The only problem is that unlike a phobia of spiders, you cannot create a full-blown earthquake just to desensitize the person.
As a result, it is more common to target the root of this fear along with ways to coup with the phobia if the person finds themselves in an earthquake. Many phobias have a root fear in something like a fear of death or permanent injury. By approaching these underlying fears, the phobia of earthquakes may go away on their own. Along with targeting the root fear, talking about and watching earthquakes is a common technique to make people less phobic. Through repeated exposure, there is a greater chance that the phobia will be at least partially dealt with.