Eisoptrophobia, the fear of seeing oneself reflected in a mirror

Mirrors reflect our body image, but let’s not forget that their perception and assessment go far beyond what they objectively return. In this experience, some may see themselves as pleasant; others, not being so kind to themselves and Some see things that are not in the reality of the world, but are in their psychic reality. The latter is the reference point of this article, because thanks to it we will be able to explain what eisoptrophobia is and what its characteristics are.

It is an irrational and intense fear that a person experiences when seeing their own image in a mirror or something that causes them panic or terror. Regardless of the object that causes the intense fear, anxiety is the common factor and the epicenter of eisoptrophobia..

Superstition is another aspect of this phobia that the person links to their own destiny and the years of bad luck that would accompany damage to a mirror; It would also be in his imagination that a reflection of the mirror would come out of it to harm him, which would intensify his irrational ideas.

The person who suffers from eisoptrophobia knows that the fear he suffers is absurd, but he cannot avoid it due to its close relationship with cultural beliefs. When you see yourself in a mirror, you believe that something bad can happen to you, as if it were a sentence.

In some way, in the observation of our own reflection, the gaze of others is also at play, that is, we keep in mind the perception that we believe the other has of us, of our corporeality and actions, without realizing that this image does not It is the absolute representation of what one really is and can become.

Characteristics of eisoptrophobia

Eisoptrophobia can occur suddenly from a state of calm or anxiety. As it is a specific phobia, the DSM 5 exposes some of the most common symptoms:

Acceleration of heart rate.Sweating. Nausea and dizziness.Feeling difficult to breathe.Loss of sense of reality. Feeling outside of oneself. Avoidance of mirrors.Increased anxiety.Intense fear.

The previous symptoms do not offer the diagnosis to identify that the person suffering from them has this phobia; maybe just his features. Therefore, it is important that any diagnosis be made by a specialist with training and experience.

Phobias are at the mercy of whoever can learn or acquire them. In addition, there are people who are more vulnerable to developing one, so they will seek to avoid objects that are possibly feared; In this case, the mirror or what it represents in relation to the reflection that it is capable of projecting.

The role of avoidance

Avoidance is an inherent, normal behavior that distances us from possible danger to avoid a distressing situation, and plays a crucial role in the consolidation of phobias. As a last resort, It is this behavior that feeds the fear and makes it bigger and bigger..

The causes of eisoptrophobia can be sought in traumatic events, whose emotions and feelings will move to the mirror, marked as an object of phobia, and in self-love and self-concept, since irrational ideas have a lot of power to change and condition perception and feelings. feelings about the reflection that the mirror presents to us.

Intervention in eisoptrophobia

One of the most effective interventions to alleviate the traits of eisoptrophobia is gradual exposure to the feared object. The exposure duration It will depend on variables such as the intensity of the fear or its degree of generalization. The result of this type of therapy will be positive depending on how the therapist explains and proposes the exercise.

The psychologist must have the patient’s commitment to remain faced with the phobic stimulus so that he or she does not escape from it, with the firm intention that the anxiety disappears. Encourage him to interact with stimuli, in this case, the mirror, as much as possible, to reduce his anxiety, until it has been considerably reduced or disappears completely.

The steps to follow to make the phobia subside are as follows:

Exposure to real stimulus, virtual stimulus and imagined stimulus.Stimulus exposure modeling.Relaxation in the face of the phobic stimulus.Cognitive restructuring.Desensitization of the phobic stimulus.

It is recommended that the intervention be planned taking into account the rhythm and perseverance of each patient, with the purpose of restoring self-esteem and gaining self-confidence.

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