Testophobia: symptoms, causes and treatment

Term composed of the words test, which comes from English and means test, and phobia, whose origin is the Greek word phobos, which means fear. Therefore, its meaning is clear, It is an irrational, persistent and very intense fear of exams/evaluation. Do you suffer from it or do you know someone who suffers from it? We tell you everything about testophobia, including its symptoms and the most common forms of intervention.

Although it does not have its own clinical category, since it is a specific phobia, it is of great importance, since in many cases prevents the subject from advancing in his personal life and professional career. Its onset usually occurs at the beginning of adulthood, but it can also affect children.

It does not only affect students, but it also affects opponents, athletes when they have to compete, students who take the driver’s license exam, actors, professionals who have to teach a class or give a conference, etc. That is, it can affect all those who anticipate a external evaluation. Let’s get to know her better to know how to act when faced with this phobia.

Symptoms of testophobia

The reaction that is triggered before or at the time of the evaluation is typical of an anxiety attack, which can even be severe. Hence The symptoms of testophobia are those of an anxious crisis, even triggering a panic attack. It is because the sympathetic nervous system is activated, which causes involuntary motor reactions.

The most common and characteristic are: dizziness, tachycardia, sweating, feeling of suffocation, palpitations, increased blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems, intense discomfort that can lead the person to think that they are suffering from a stroke or heart attack, or even that is going to die. It is also performing acts to avoid having to face the test.

These symptoms are not only triggered at the site of the examination, but any element related to it can cause them to appear. The environment of the place where the test is going to be carried out, the preparation site, people who participate, material to be used, etc.

Causes of testophobia

A phobia is an intense fear that responds to the anticipation of danger., although this is unlikely or negligible in objective terms. In this case, the failure or continued failures in similar evaluation situations can act as fear reinforcers.

Also It may be because the person is afraid of failure., or that expectations in your environment are very high. It usually manifests itself when adulthood begins, even if it comes from childhood, and some cases can even occur at this stage.

Treatment of testophobia

Phobias have treatment. This is done using various strategies that help the person reduce the fear, anxiety and discomfort that these trigger every time they have to face the situation that causes it.

The most used method The exhibition: repeatedly confront the feared stimulus, in a controlled manner, until the intensity of the fear decreases and the person suffering from it can control it.

Usually this exposure is gradual, seeking to break the associations that are at the base of fear. One of these stimuli could be, for example, the classroom in which the exams are taken or the exam sheets themselves if they are special.

Just like fear, anxiety also plays an important role in phobias. Therefore, if we learn to relax, we will achieve lower tension peaks. Therefore, the exhibition will focus on the exhibition, but it will be good to incorporate tools that help the person work with elements associated with their own phobia.

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