Megalophobia: what does it consist of?

Do you feel very anxious when you are near a large object, like a building or a truck? You may be experiencing megalophobia, a rare type of specific phobia.

People who suffer from this alteration present intense discomfort when they approach objects with these qualities. Therefore, this is a serious problem that should not be ignored and requires professional attention.

There are different theories that offer an explanation for this irrational fear. The consensus is that there are various factors that could participate in the pathology. Thus, the treatment alternatives can also be various.

What is megalophobia?

In an etymological sense, this term has the Greek root “mega” which means ‘big’ and ‘phobia’ which means ‘fear’. Therefore, it would be “big fear” and the word would describe a psychological condition that is not well known.

Patients who suffer from it feel intense anxiety in situations that involve large objects.. For example, someone with megalophobia might feel terrified when passing a skyscraper or crane. The same could happen if she encountered a large animal, such as an elephant or giraffe.

Inside of the DSM-5, this alteration focuses on specific phobias, a type of anxiety disorder. According to the manual, in order to diagnose it, the patient must present a condition with several of the following characteristics:

Fear or intense anxiety in the presence of very large objects. Anxiety or fear almost always occurs immediately. The person actively avoids situations involving large objects. The fear lasts for at least six months. Clinically significant discomfort is experienced. that interferes with everyday life (work, studies, friends, etc.). The condition cannot be better explained based on another illness, such as panic disorder or the like.

Research by Eaton, Bienvenu and Miloyan (2018) indicates that specific phobias affect between 3% and 15% of the world’s population. However, the most common are those related to animals and fear of heights. As a result, we could affirm that megalophobia is a not very common disorder.

Causes

As with the rest of mental disorders, there is no single factor that generates the phobia.. On the one hand, psychological models, such as cognitive-behavioral, understand it as a learned behavior. That is, the person would learn that large objects are somehow dangerous and that is why they would have those reactions.

On the other hand, there are those who suggest that this fear could have a biological component. It is important to remember that our species is the product of millions of years of evolution. Even today, we preserve many instincts from our ancestors that once served survival. Thus, it is said that this phobia could be related to a genetic instinct to avoid big things because they are a potential danger.

But, as we know, gene expression can be altered by environmental factors. In this way, it is said that megalophobia It could be a combination of this innate instinct and each person’s learning.

Treatment

To develop an appropriate treatment plan, you must first obtain a diagnosis from a qualified professional. Once this is done, the next steps may be different depending on how the picture is expressed in the case. Let us not forget that mental disorders tend to manifest differently in each person.

In severe cases, anxiolytics may be prescribed to regulate anxiety symptoms, such as tachycardia, sweating, tremors, etc. So that the person can function better in their environment and benefit from other interventions, such as psychotherapy. Following this line, psychological therapy would have two purposes: one would be to educate the patient so that they better understand their problems. The other focus has to do with reducing and eliminating irrational fear through different techniques.

One of the most common alternatives is exposure techniques to the feared stimulus.. For example, systematic desensitization consists of gradually exposing the patient to what causes fear. The psychologist or psychiatrist could start imagination exercises, then with photos of large objects and finally with real things. The idea is to increase the level of exposure as the sessions progress.

Treatments based on exposure techniques have a fairly high success rate. A Wolizsky-Taylor meta-analysis et al. (2008) points out that this type of therapies are more effective than placebo and other options. When several sessions were carried out, the positive effects were even greater and stronger.

What to do if I think I have megalophobia?

If you suspect the existence of this alteration in you or someone in your circle, it is necessary to intervene. This phobia can prevent the person from living their life peacefully. For example, you might have trouble getting to work if the office was in a very large building.

Megalophobia is a condition that must be treated with professional help. In addition to interfering with normal functioning, it is a condition that is comorbid with other psychological disorders. Therefore, The best option is to get treatment to relieve the discomfort and overcome it..

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