Coping with Phasmophobia or The Fear of Ghosts

Coping with Phasmophobia or The Fear of Ghosts: Each one of us feels a kind of sudden thrill while witnessing a talk about any supernatural phenomena or the existence of such creatures. We feel the same while watching any fearful TV show or telling ghost stories to others.

This is because somehow out of nowhere, the belief in the existence of creatures other than the discovery of mankind and science are ingrained in us.

We consciously or unconsciously believe that they are a part of our world.

This belief may take other forms in many of us. One of these forms is Phasmophobia, which if left neglected or untreated might prove to be very dangerous even life-threatening for one’s self.

Here is a detailed summary of this psychological condition, its causes, the reasons behind it, and the way to cope with it.

Phasmophobia in simple words

Any extreme and baseless belief because of which someone fears a few particular things or aspects is called a phobia. The term Phasmophobia has been derived from two Greek words, “phasmos” (meaning- supernatural or being phantom) and “Phobos” (meaning deep dread or fear).

Phasmophobia is the fear of ghosts. The sufferer fears the things that may appear supernatural or unusual. Hence, in simple words, we can say that it is the fear of common things that can relate to the existence of extraordinary creations.

This phobia is also accompanied by the fear of the simplest things like shadows, and mirror and photographs, and dark.

The fear of mirrors (reflection) is termed Spectrophobia which is found common in many homophobic folks. People suffering from it are afraid to see any kind of reflection, especially the identical reflection in mirrors. This is because they find it abnormal to see the mirror reflecting the same things.

Another similar disorder, Thanatophobia which is the fear of death accompanies phasmophobia in some cases. Thanatophobia and Phasmophobia are very closely related. Some people fear death only because they are afraid of seeing the ghosts in their after-lives.

This severe fear may prove to be influencing the lifetime of the sufferer. It is always very overwhelming. But it should be made clear that a phobia of anything at all is always irrational. It is just the false beliefs in one’s mind that lead to such extremities each time.

Foundation of Phasmophobia:

Most commonly this phobia is based on religious and cultural beliefs. People belonging to families where religious talks including the life after death are common may fall prey to this phobia. This is because it is believed by most religious people that ghosts and other phantoms are a part of every individual’s after-life.

Whereas, in some households, adults having a firm belief in the existence of paranormal creatures impact the mentality of the younger ones. This may also make the kids of these families homophobic which ultimately leads to Phasmophobia in them.

There are many aspects of our lives that might make us fear ghosts. The horror of supernatural creatures is most entrenched in every one of us since childhood and their intensity increases with the development of related religious beliefs and cultural activities.

This fear may as well increase by watching horror movies and TV shows so, they should be avoided up to a considerable level.

What is it like to be Phasmophobic?

The patients of Phasmophobia have a very irrational mentality. Their beliefs are extremely superstitious. They have a magical kind of thinking.

They believe that magical things happen so often and these happenings can cause them harm. They so

firmly believe in the existence of phantoms and ghosts that they can even find their own shadow scarry.

Phasmophobia makes its sufferers fear the dark because they believe that ghosts reside in dark places and it is certain that each dark place has them. These superstitious beliefs affect their lifestyle and time and their health both mentally and physically.

Magical thinking: This contributes a major part to the mental frame of a Phasmophobic person. Magical thinking is the strong but firm belief that some supernatural events are related to one another causally, irrespective of the absence of any causal link between these disconnected events.

Symptoms:

Children of ages under teenage and in some cases even teenagers may get a lot of crying spells now and then. Children may often wet their beds and feel beholden by spirits all the time.

However, the condition does not vary a lot in adults. They also get crying spells. Their health can be affected to a large extent in this case.

People might behave abnormally even during very minor discussions regarding the existence of supernatural creatures.

One might get panic attacks while seeing dark places and wide but empty places etc. They may also fear congested places and run out of breath most often.

As this situation has anxiety as one of its major causes, the sufferers may have increased urinary frequency.

The patients of Phasmophobia may also fall prey to Thanatophobia as stated above. Because of this, they may usually express their fear of dying and getting mad or losing sense and other diseases that they find the ultimate to happen them.

Causes:

It should be made clear first that the causes of any phobia are not known certainly. The phobias might get to a person because of a lot of many reasons.

One might get phobic about the ghosts (Phasmophobia) because of any childhood traumatic or depressing event.

This may also be caused because of watching many horror films and TV shows throughout or during early childhood.

Unbearable anxiety levels may lead to Phasmophobia and the patient may get sweaty now and then.

Every person on earth has the fear of the unknown and supernatural things certainly but if this fear is triggered by making one person believe in the existence of all such phantoms may lead to causing him Phasmophobia.

No matter what the certain causes are, this condition is very miserable and it should be very strictly considered throughout one’s life and on the appearance of any of the above-mentioned symptoms, it should be seriously taken and treated.

Condition:

The condition of the patients with Phasmophobia is very severe. For them, life truly becomes sorrowful and miserable and they consider themselves to be pitied. Even a very minor incident may prove dreadful for them and can keep them awake for nights.

They are very less social and stay at their homes most of the time. The sufferer is not even able to sleep alone at night and even during the day.

The patient sleeps only when the lights are on and sometimes in the presence of someone else alongside. Doing even the smallest of things can be a matter of strength for them.

Halloween is the worst time of the entire year for them. They might fear that ghosts and the dead spirits can come to them at the time of this cultural event.

Anyone who suffers from Phasmophobia has very weak mental and physical health.

Effects:

Phasmophobia certainly has many life-endangering effects on the life of a person suffering from it. It may become the cause of death in some severe cases. It affects the life of the patients both mentally and physically to a huge extent. Some of these effects are given below.

• The sufferer may get cardiac problems like heart palpitations and vascular contractions.
• The patient is very less social or completely non-social because he fears the crowd.
• One gets panic attacks and stays anxious most of the time.
• Phasmophobia may also lead to many other health issues like diabetes and muscle tension, hypertension, and aches and pain in several parts of the body.
• The patient has a lack of sleep leading to insomnia. In such a case one might not sleep for days.
• Dizziness is also a major effect of Phasmophobia.
• The patient may also get the fainting problem and hence, faint at even the smallest problems finding them very troubling.
• The sufferers get sullen behavioral patterns and so they may get angry, emotional, and irritable at very small matters.
• The patient suffers from unpredictable mood swings.
• One feels both socially and emotionally deprived off and stranded.
• The patient losses focus and the ability to concentrate on things.

Coping with Phasmophobia:

The fear of ghosts has many shapes. One may fear everything that relates to them or just a few ones. But in all situations, it is necessary to consider that Phasmophobia is a type of mental disorder and it is, therefore, survival endangering.

• Social and Global acceptance:

Accepting this global problem first socially and eventually globally is the most important factor to cope with Phasmophobia. We must not ignore it and take measures to accept it at the domestic level and then the social level. This can lead to the acceptance of this problem at the global level allowing the patients to deal with it comparatively easily.

• Consider the disorder:

In the case of children, most parents think that they are afraid of ghosts and other related things only because they are kids and that they will get over it as soon as they grow into teenagers and ultimately adults but this is where they make the biggest mistake. All of us should pierce this in our minds that we should never let these behavioral patterns go neglected because it can prove to be life eating for the sufferers. We should always consider them.

In the case of adults, they are themselves responsible enough and so they should also not ignore their problematic behavior and see the therapist while considering it.

• Role of Parents/Guardians for a child sufferer:

Parents or guardians contribute the most important role in the case of treating a Phasmophobic child. They have many responsibilities in this regard.

They should keep an eye on every activity of their child and should try to insert bravery in them. This can be done by telling them the tales of bravery and the non-existence of phantoms and ghosts. They should make the child confident about their support for him.

Moreover, the child should see a therapist. And the guardians must make their child discuss his fears with them.

• See a therapist:

Seeing a therapist is the most important part of the entire procedure of coping with Phasmophobia. Therapy is what takes the patient out of this horrible phobia. So, making the long thing short, you must consult a therapist and attend your therapy sessions regularly. This is the basic thing that helps the most in coping with your phobia.

Consequences of neglecting the phobia:

The consequences of dealing with Phasmophobia only by ignoring it are so bad. No man on earth is perfect. At any time of our lives, no matter how perfect we might become in the eyes of the world but there is always some margin-left to reach perfection. We always tend to become a better person.

So, keeping this in mind we should never feel ashamed of our flaws. You should always know that anyone can have a perfect mentality but if there is something wrong with yours, if you truly are phobic to some particular thing, you should admit it and try to cope with it by doing as much as you can.

Hiding the problem always worsens it. It is never helpful to keep going on by neglecting the problem. Only by considering it, then facing it, and dealing with it, you can get over it. Meanwhile, you should always remember that mental health is the most important thing and no matter how crazy the world might find it, it is nothing to ever be ashamed of.

If this issue is left unconsidered and unsorted it might endanger the sufferer’s life.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is the fear of being hurt called?

The fear of being hurt or injury phobia is called Traumatophobia. It is associated with BII (Blood Injury Injection).

2. What are the worst phobias to have?

Some of the worst phobias are listed as follows:

• Acousticophobiawhich is the fear of noise is devastating for one’s mental health.
• Agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces. The sufferer faces many problems while going outside their homes. They are not very social.
• Aerophobia is the fear of flying and aircraft. It is very damaging to the patient’s health.
• Spectrophobia is the condition in which the sufferer fears reflections and mirrors. He might get very scared in the breaking of glass objects etc.
• Thanatophobia is the fear of death. It is found to be very common among Phasmophobic patients.

3. What does the Bible refer to when it says to Fear the Lord?

It refers to the fear of God’s judgment. The fear of the Lord inserts humility and humbleness in one’s heart. This is why fearing God is the ladder to a successful life in both the earthly and after-life domains.

4. What is the unforgivable according to the Bible?

According to the Holy Bible, it is unforgivable to make any statement against the Holy Spirit. Making any such statement is Blasphemy.

Conclusion:

Phasmophobia is a very serious mental health disorder. It should necessarily be considered. Every one of us should observe the symptoms from among ourselves and on finding someone with the phobia we must help him as much as we can.

If today someone from your friends suffers from this phobia remember that tomorrow you can as well fall prey to it. We should spread awareness amongst our friends and families so that things might get a little easier for the patients.

The world celebrates Mental Health Day on the 10th of October each year. The objective of observing this day is to raise awareness among folks and to normalize mental health problems worldwide. And to spread a sense of respect amongst the people for those who suffer from the mental health problems like Phasmophobia.