The Phobia of cockroaches , Also called katsaridaphobia, is an irrational and persistent fear, being something unjustified and very debilitating for those who suffer from this disorder.
The repulsion to this insect can be due to multiple factors: as its anatomical structure, its capacity to transmit diseases, the fact that they feed on rot or that some are able to fly.
For many people, this phobia can lead to Obsessive compulsive disorder (TOC), causing a constant picture of insecurity for fear of appearing a cockroach at any time.
Avoid basements or dark places, do not rely on summer lodgings or preventative hobbies such as prevent sheets or curtains touch the ground, limit the daily lives of those affected.
"Any movement on the floor gives me chills, sometimes I go to bed and I think that any noise is one of them, I get up and spend the whole night thinking that at any moment I could get between the sheets with me. The problem is that when I am sure there is one in the room, my body does not react and I am unable to get up and kill it."
We believe that with this real quote it is perfectly understood what individuals suffer with horror of cockroaches. Throughout this article we will name the problem, define the symptoms and their probable causes and develop the possible treatments and therapies. If you read to the end you will find a section of curiosities about this insect that so many headaches gives so many people.
Definition
Many people wonder what is the technical name of the fear that cockroaches feel. At the moment the closest thing would be Katsaridaphobia , An Anglo-Saxon term that has not yet been accepted in our language.
Thus, entomophobia could be the most specific name for Spanish. However, it should be emphasized that this term encompasses the fear of all kinds of insects, be it spiders or scorpions ( Arachnophobia ) Moths and butterflies ( Mophobia ) Or bees ( Apiphobia ).
In turn, the Entomophobia Is within a wider group of phobias, which covers all animals and is called zoophobia. This goes from the fear of dogs ( Cynophobia ) To frogs ( Bufophobia ), among others.
symptom
As with other phobias, depending on the degree of affection of the person, the symptoms that are experienced may be of a greater or lesser degree. For this it is necessary to take into account the mental state and other binding characteristics of the individual.
Some of the most common and prominent symptoms for this disorder are:
- Nausea and dizziness
- Shaking chills
- Difficulty breathing
- High heart rate
- Feeling of choking or strangulation
- Pains or chest pains
- Numbness
- Excessive sweating
- Difficulty thinking, reasoning or speaking clearly
- Inability to distinguish between the real and the unreal
- Crying and screaming
- Panic attacks
- Uncontrolled
- Paralysis, inability to move instantaneously and temporally
- Excessive fear
- Anxiety
In this home video you can see some of the symptoms that a girl suffers from being aware that there is a cockroach in one of the rooms in your home.
As we said before, sometimes the individual can develop Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which is reflected when he puts all means to ensure that these insects are outside of their closest circle. For this he constantly uses insecticides or stumps in their homes, carries out constant sweeping or brushing of carpets, rugs, appliances or the bathroom, etc.
Causes
The reasons for fearing cockroaches will depend on the individual, as with the symptoms. The onset of the disorder can come at any time in your life, so no one is free from this phobia.
The reason for this is that, like the majority of phobias, they can develop after suffering a traumatic episode, something that you are exposed for life.
However, the vast majority of these events usually occur during childhood. Very rare are the cases that develop in adult stages.
The evolutionary cause is also very present and is considered by the scientific community. Our prehistoric ancestors were programmed to be alert to potential predators or stolen enemies while sleeping in caves, an ideal spot for cockroaches, who adore the warmth and darkness to live.
Family conditioning is an issue that today does not agree with scientists. While some think that it is linked to genetics and that if you have relatives with cockroach phobia or another insect, this one will develop that fear more likely, others believe that it is simply a conditioned response to what you observe at home (negative experience ).
Treatment
For whatever reason, the fear of cockroaches has some success in his cure fortunately. Psychology and its professionals play and have played an important role and each time the methods are more effective for its repeal.
The first step will undoubtedly be put into the hands of an expert, who will first check if your fear of cockroaches is a phobia or is simply a repulsion towards them. If you really do suffer from the disorder, chances are that you will follow some of the therapies below.
Exposure Therapy
Awareness technique whereby the affected person will be gradually exposed to their fear. It includes looking at cockroach pictures, seeing one of them from afar, touching a dead woman, staying alone with one of them, touching her while she is alive, etc. It is the most common method of overcoming in entomophobia or zoophobia.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
It consists in the restructuring of negative thinking about the element to which you are truly afraid. Thanks to techniques such as biofeedback or certain relaxation techniques, thoughts and behaviors towards cockroaches will be modified by eliminating any trace of terror.
Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)
The NLP Is aimed at getting to the root of why you are afraid of the cockroach. As we mentioned earlier in the causes section, the reasons may be quite different, but if we approach the origin of the trauma, we can manage to turn irrational fear into a situation of calm and relaxation.
For this, a combination of psychotherapy, personal development and communication will be carried out that will modify the behaviors or abilities of the individual suffering the disorder.
Use of virtual reality
Not so long ago, the virtual reality Is occupying much relevance in our society thanks to the high development that is undergoing. But this application is not only used for leisure, but can also be used in the treatment of phobias and other mental illnesses.
Specifically, the Laboratory of Psychology and Technology (LABPSITEC) of the Jaume I University development In 2009 a system for the treatment of fear of spiders and cockroaches through virtual reality.
This would be similar to exposure therapy, where the patient faces fear gradually with a therapist, but with the difference that he feels more secure because everything is virtual.
Medication
This therapy is only used in very extreme cases, which is often rare. If the patient suffers from anxiety, long-term or severe panic attacks and unusual reactions that damage the health of the affected person, Antidepressants (SSRIs), Anxiolytics or Anticonvulsants .
With them, you could improve your panic and produce a sense of calm, but you also risk the possible side effects that are derived from the intake of these drugs.
Curiosities
- There are over 3500 species of cockroaches.
- Roaches measure about 3 cm to 7.5 cm. The most exceptional case is that of a Megaloblatta longipennis Which reached 9.7 cm.
- The earliest fossils date back to the Carboniferous period (354-295 million years). Since then they have changed very little.
- 99% of cockroach species are neither pests nor live in homes, but in nature (leaves, logs or debris). However, most people are left with the remaining 1%.
- In some eastern and oceanic countries children have cockroaches as pets.
- In the United States, 40% of phobias come from fear of 'bugs'. The cockroaches occupy the first positions next to other insects like the spiders,
- Moths, grasshoppers or scorpions.
- Cockroaches can exceed up to 15 times the radiation dose compared to a human.
- They can survive headless for several weeks until they die from starvation.
- Singer-songwriter Liam Payne of the One Direction group has cockroach phobia.
Are you also one of those people who can not stand being in the same place next to a cockroach? Let us know your experiences with these insects!