Index
WHAT IS PYROPHOBIA?
The pyrophobia is overwhelming and uncontrollable fear of suffering a person being in the presence of fire or flames. Places with fireplaces, bonfires or fireworks shows are places that subjects suffering from this disorder should avoid.
Pyrophobia comes from the Greek word pur , which translates as “fire” and phobos , which means ” fear .”
As this phobia is an intense and irrational fear of fire, it can represent for the person who suffers such an overwhelming factor in their life, which leads to limiting, and in some cases even completely stopping, their ability to function.
If this disorder gets out of control, it can become a debilitating condition that will interfere in the person’s daily life, affecting both their personal development, their social environment and even their work.
And it is that our daily life is full of objects that, in some way or another, relate to or have fire present. Candles, fireplaces, kitchens, stoves .
These people cannot approach these objects without thinking that they must immediately control the fire, before something terrible happens, or move away quickly before a tragedy occurs.
Therefore, it is not advisable, even in front of them, to use matches or lighters.
Imagine what it means for these people to live in the countryside or in rural areas, where fire is a frequently used resource.
The reasons that can cause this type of disorder are past experiences where fire has been present, such as a fire, for example .
From that experience, anything that is related to fire or flames will be associated with that event.
It may also have been caused by events that happened to other people who have experienced terrible events related to fire.
Beyond the cause that may have originated this disorder, the important thing is to identify it to avoid limiting the life of the person suffering from it.
SYMPTOMS OF PYROPHOBIA
In this type of disorder, symptoms can vary from person to person.
In some cases, when facing fire, the subject may feel discomfort, have nausea, and sweat.
Others, on the other hand, may experience paralyzing anxiety, coupled with even panic attacks .
Among the other symptoms we can find shortness of breath, dizziness, hyperventilation, accelerated heart rate, dry mouth, feeling of being out of control.
TREATMENT TO OVERCOME PYROPHOBIA
If our ability to live and function without limitations begins to be affected by the fear of fire, it is time to seek help from specialists in the area.
There are several treatments that can help with this anxiety disorder : cognitive behavioral therapies, exposure therapies, hypnotherapy, talking to the specialist about the phobia in order to cope with it, learning relaxation and breathing techniques that help us fight anxiety .
There are also self-help groups that can represent an alternative in this type of treatment.
In those more extreme cases, the patient under the supervision of the specialist doctor can treat with medications for anxiety.
Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.
