Have you ever met someone who is terribly afraid of spiders? What about flying? Chances are, the person you met may have a phobia. A phobia is a fear bordering on the irrational of a particular thing, or event. The list of phobias out there is almost as long as the list of things out there. That is to say, we as human beings are capable of creating a phobia out of pretty much anything.
One phobia that people rarely hear about, but which still effects thousands of people every day is a fear of moths. Lets take a moment to define this fear, as well as to discuss how you or someone you love can get over the phobia and move on with their life.
Mottephobia
A phobia of moths is known as Mottephobia. When someone with Mottephobia sees a moth, they may become incredibly emotional, and do whatever possible to escape the situation as quickly as possible. Depending on the situation, this may be dangerous for the person involved. While Mottephobia includes a fear of moths, it does not mean that the person will have a phobia of other things that are similar, like butterflies.
Ridding Yourself of Mottephobia
1. Reading About Moths
The first thing many people do when ridding themselves of Mottephobia is to slowly expose themselves to moths. The easiest way to do this is to learn about them from text. By getting an idea of them before seeing them, you can learn and help rationalize some of the phobia away.
2. Looking at Pictures of Moths
The next step involves looking at pictures of moths. While deeply unsettling for someone with Mottephobia, it is a great way to slowly chip away at the irrational aspects of the phobia.
3. Exposure Therapy
Using a therapist who is well versed in this particular technique, exposure therapy is the best way to break the Phobia. This can include being around moths and learning that they are in fact harmless.
4. An Analysis of the Underlying Fear of Moths
Along with getting better around moths comes a need to target what the root fear is in the phobia. While for some people the root fear may not exist, for others their phobia is created through a deep and only partially related fear. As a result, the moth may symbolize this greater fear, meaning that when you approach the fear, the phobia of moths will go away.