Initiative | Phobias: The Invisible Prison ⛓️👮

Fear is an instinctive emotion that arises in moments of danger, in situations that may pose a risk to us. It is an emotion that basically helps us survive as a species. But what happens when that fear gets out of control and, instead of helping us, paralyzes us? 🤔

This is where phobias come into play. What are phobias? If we search for the meaning on Google, the results show the following:

“A phobia occurs when something causes you such severe fear or anxiety that it constantly and overwhelmingly disrupts your life. Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder, and there is a diagnosis for almost all of them.”

The difference is that phobias cause us to feel a much more intense fear, but one that is irrational, toward an object, situation, or living being that does not pose a real threat. Those of us who have experienced it feel so much terror that we trigger physical symptoms because our nervous system becomes overstimulated.

And that overstimulation puts us on constant alert for whatever triggers that phobia, taking various measures to avoid, at all costs, coming into contact with the “subject,” which in turn can limit our lives based on that fear, depending on how severe it is.

Phobias can prevent someone from using public transportation, going to high places, leaving the house, bathing, watching television, or using social media, among other things. The person becomes trapped in a kind of invisible prison, built by their own fear.

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The initiative brought to us by @charjaim this time reminded me of countless anecdotes about a phobia I've always had and which, from what he wrote, we have in common: the unspeakable cockroaches 🤢.

“The phobia of cockroaches, blatofobia or katsaridafobia, is a type of entomophobia (fear of insects) that refers to an irrational and disproportionate fear of cockroaches.”

It should be noted that this fear has diminished over the years, I don't know why because I haven't worked on it in any way. Perhaps it was the anger I felt at having to leave a place just because I found one, which gave me the strength to face it 🤣.

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Or, as I mentioned earlier, it bothered me that it controlled and imprisoned me when I know that I am bigger than them and a good stomp is more than enough (although I haven't reached that level yet, it still makes me cringe 🤢).

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When I was a child and teenager, I couldn't even look at them. My fear was enormous, and there was always someone there to make fun of me. I would run away, leaving wherever I was without caring about anything or anyone. I would feel an unpleasant sensation in my chest, I would sweat, and my whole body would start to itch.

One of those funny stories happened to me with some friends. We were gathered at one of their houses to watch a movie when I heard the typical fluttering sound of flying cockroaches, which is a very distinctive and disgusting sound. I immediately became alert to try to locate it, while hugging the cushion I had on my legs.

Everyone was silent, and I let out a scream (my screams are like something out of a horror movie), which was heard throughout the building, when I saw the cockroach fluttering around the room and bouncing off the wall with a thud. They jumped up and screamed too, but it was because of me 🤣, then they laughed and told me I was completely crazy.

In my defense, it was one of those “mutant” cockroaches, the ones that are black and bigger than the ones that are already big. It had really long hairy legs, and from a distance it looked like a big, dark spider. One of my friends hit it with a broom and flushed it down the toilet.

Two neighbors rang the doorbell because they thought something bad was happening, “Did that horrible scream come from here?” 😂. I felt embarrassed for them and didn't say another word until the movie was over. I felt ridiculous; at that time, I couldn't control my reaction, and my fear was much greater than it is now.

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One fear that I did manage to overcome, although I'm still a little awkward, is public speaking. You have no idea how traumatic my school days were for that reason, considering that I had a couple of mean teachers in elementary school who constantly made me feel bad for being so shy.

At the same time, they forced me to speak, complained to my parents all the time, and used to call on me in class when I hadn't asked to speak 😒, all with the aim of getting me to “come out of my shell.” I am still the same person, the difference is that adulthood gave me “what I was missing,” some tact, I suppose, or more “sociability.”

In any case, forcing a person to do something, especially when it comes to a child, is counterproductive. Some of my anxiety problems started there. That pressure of “today they're going to force me to participate,” “I have to talk more, otherwise they'll scold me,” or “they're going to sit me in the middle of the classroom again” 💀.

Although I only remember one of my teachers with resentment (she used to humiliate me in class), I understand that the education system is very backward in certain respects and that children who are seen as different, instead of being allowed to be themselves, are often “repaired” so that they fit in with the majority of the group.

This is especially true for those with different personalities or behaviors that do not conform to the norm. A child who is quiet is not necessarily disconnected, nor does it mean that they are not paying attention in class.

If any of my readers are teachers or work with children, avoid doing this; nothing positive comes of it, I assure you. These actions, which were supposedly for my “own good,” increased my stage fright 🙏.

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Ultimately, a phobia does not define the person who suffers from it. It is not a sign of weakness, nor is it a choice. In severe cases, it becomes a mental health condition that requires a great deal of understanding and empathy. I know people with phobias that are very difficult to treat and who have struggled greatly to lead a normal life. I know how debilitating it can be.

Fear should not be underestimated when it gets out of control, and mockery should be avoided. You don't know how severe the person's phobia is or the extra stress you could cause them, which they don't need.

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Well, that's all for today. See you in the next post 🤗. I invite @germanandradeg and @cajiro, who always leave excellent reflections here, to discuss this topic. A big hug to the entire wellness community 🙌.