A phobia is an extreme fear of certain specific stimuli . Those people who suffer from any type of phobia recognize that it is irrational , and exaggerated , and that they cannot control it. In most cases, the phobia of any stimulus does not have to do with a trauma (although it may be the case), it simply produces that uncontrollable fear that does not understand any reason. To avoid having a bad time, people who suffer from this type of disorder do not consider how to overcome it , rather they move away because it is something they cannot control themselves. Sometimes certain phobiasThey can be a real obstacle in daily life, that is why it is more than advisable to ask for help, in order to improve the quality of life and not suffer that extreme irrational fear.

Most phobias start in childhood or adolescence . Situations such as, for example, that a family member or friend of this fear or phobia can be transmitted to children, and they already grow up with that phobia and make it their own . When the phobia appears, the person feels cornered before the stimulus that causes it and a true severe anxiety appears that manifests itself with both physical and psychological symptoms. If there is something that should not be done when a person has a phobia of something, it is to force it .

What is Katasaridaphobia

The katasaridafobia is an excessive fear of cockroaches , and possibly similar insects . It is classified as a specific phobia that affects millions of people around the world. This irrational fear of cockroaches is related to our ancestors’ attempts to survive when threatened by animals.

However, in this case, katasaridaphobia is related to the fear of stimuli that generate disgust. Therefore, although cockroaches are the main phobia and the one that can cause the greatest harm to those who suffer from them, the safest thing is that if they see another type of similar insect they will produce the same sensation , although to a lesser extent than the cockroaches.

Despite the fact that cockroaches are harmless insects because they are small and not dangerous at all, those who suffer from this phobia feel an inordinate sensation of disgust at the presence of this type of insect that can cause panic the moment they see them or be close. However, katasaridaphobia goes beyond disgust, since this rejection is produced by the fear of contracting some type of disease, and that is why it is called katasaridaphobia. Discover some of the symptoms of Katasaridaphobia that are the following:

Symptoms of katasaridaphobia

Extreme fear or anxiety

Without a doubt, one of the symptoms that appears most clearly is that fear or anxiety at the moment a cockroach is present. The body begins to paralyze and feel a blockage of not knowing what to do for the first few moments.

2 Stimulus avoidance

Once it is aware that the stimulus (the cockroach) is present, the person will not hesitate to flee and get as far away as possible in order to avoid feeling that irrational fear that causes such discomfort. That happens this way, because for that person who suffers from the phobia it is “impossible” to bear that fear or anxiety in the face of the cockroach, since they lose control .

Disproportionate fear

Another symptom is feeling out of control fear , and that the cockroach is a real problem. That is, that fear becomes an unreal danger that the person is not able to understand, since terror takes over its coherence.

4 Persistent anxiety

In the event that this fear of cockroaches persists over time , about six months, it is enough to diagnose the person suffering from Katasaridaphobia , and you should ask a professional for help to avoid this situation in the future .

Bad general physical condition

On the other hand, despite the fact that this fear is in the mind , the person may have nightmares, which causes a poor quality of sleep and poor energy the next day. In addition, it can interfere with your day-to-day life and live with the fear that a cockroach will appear again and will not be able to flee.

Overcome the fear of cockroaches

In order to overcome the fear of cockroaches, the most important thing is to recognize and accept it, and that of course, no one pressures to make this decision because it could aggravate the problem and cause the person suffering from the phobia to be in a state of anxiety persistent. Therefore, in order to overcome katasaridaphobia, it is essential to attend psychological therapy so that the psychologist can give some guidelines to overcome the phobia.

Being a specific phobia , techniques of exposure to the phobic stimulus are usually used , together with cognitive restructuring techniques, in addition to systematic desensitization techniques. It is the only way to overcome the irrational fear of cockroaches. The patient must be clear that the performance of these techniques will not be aggressive, that is, little by little they will put him before the stimulus . In this case, the psychologist will first choose to put images of cockroaches to see how the patient reacts and how he copes with that stimulus that causes said phobia.

Later, you can expose a dead cockroach since by not moving the fear that it will “attack” the person is nil. And finally you must touch it to see that nothing happens. It is very important to be aware that the path to improvement requires a lot of patience, because it is not something that is achieved quickly but on the contrary, it is a slow process so that the person suffering from the phobia feels as calm as possible and relaxed possible at all times. When the previous steps are overcome, the patient must be in the same room with the stimulus that causes this phobia, in order to terminate the treatment . However, the psychologist will be the one who determines what type of procedure will be performed with each patient.

Elle Mcdonald

I am Elle Mcdonald Specializations in Psychology . Graduated in psychology from the University of Tennessee in 2000. Diploma of Advanced Studies in the Department of Personality, Evaluation and psychological treatments with excellent results.

First Level of Master in Clinical Psychology at the Center for Behavioral Therapists (recognized with a scientific-professional nature by the College of Psychologists)

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