Blattophobia and its characteristic manifestations. The article will describe the techniques by which you can really get rid of the fear of cockroaches. Fear of cockroaches is a fairly common phenomenon, because such insects have an unattractive appearance and actively reproduce in human dwellings. No one is safe from the appearance of the voiced misfortune, because the oldest inhabitants of the planet tend to migrate. Therefore, the fear of cockroaches must be eliminated, because a meeting with them can occur at any time and end in a completely unexpected way.
Causes of Blattophobia
Hatred of insects and real panic in front of them are different. In the first case, it is, rather, just disgust that does not require correction, and in the second, the need to work on oneself.
Fear of cockroaches in very rare cases occurs in a person from his very birth. Psychologists, among all the existing sources of the sounded pathology, distinguish the following factors in the development of blattophobia:
- Postponed stress … Children are very receptive to everything that surrounds them. They could at one time be frightened by any situation in which a cockroach was present. Initially, the child does not perceive this insect as an aggressor for no apparent reason.
- Stereotypes … Parents of some babies pass on their blattophobia to their offspring. If dad or mom reacts with horror or outright disgust to the cockroach he sees, then their child will react in the same way in the future. Ladies are especially prone to panic attacks.
- Children's literature … In an adult, Korney Chukovsky's poem "Cockroach" does not evoke any special emotions. However, in young children, such a work can form a fear of a certain kind. They especially do not understand the moment when large animals and predators were afraid of this small insect. The child's subconsciousness draws itself to itself of its simply unprecedented size, then ascribing non-existent possibilities.
- Horror … The modern film industry presents its products for every taste. However, horror films such as "Cockroach Invasion", "Man-eating", "Houses with cockroaches" and "Mutants-3 / Guardian" do not add sympathy to such insects. Their giant copy, enlarged to an enormous size, may well provoke the appearance of blattophobia.
- Repulsive insect … Exclusively entomologists will like the external data of the cockroach. Fear, disgust, rejection are the main reactions when an unwanted guest appears in a person's field of vision.
- Spreading the infection … Like flies, cockroaches are considered the main sources of all kinds of infection. This statement is true, because such an insect can bring diphtheria, tuberculosis and even leprosy into the house. Against the background of fear of various diseases, a person often develops a fear of cockroaches.
Important! Any dwelling must be urgently cleared of the voiced evil. Fear is fear, but risking your physical and mental health because of small insects is definitely not worth it.
The main danger for blattophobes
Aggression at the sight of the described insects extends to any of their species. However, blattophobes still cite the following rating of their internal fears:
- Red cockroaches (Prusaks) … Basically, it is this species of cockroaches that attacks people's homes. Insects of this color are rather small in size, but reproduce at the speed of sound. The mere sight of them causes disgust in blattophobes, but they do not faint at the same time. As they say, there is little pleasant in this sight, but it is not fatal.
- Black cockroaches … This view is especially troublesome for people who live on the ground floor. They usually live in basements and reproduce more slowly than their red cousins. However, it is their size that makes the blattophobes fear them more than the Prussians.
- Exotic cockroaches … In this case, we are not talking about just disgust and fear on the part of a person who is afraid of such insects. Many people experience a state of horror when meeting this barbel, because in some cases it can reach 10 cm.
Manifestations of fear of cockroaches in humans
At the sight of one cockroach or in the company with his fellow tribesmen, some people behave as follows:
- Panic attack … A person who is directly confronted with the object of his categorical non-perception begins to literally be hysterical. His behavior ceases to be adequate, because he can afford to screech or jump onto the nearest high surface.
- Irrational actions … The victim himself, deep down, is well aware that his fears and actions during a panic attack have nothing to do with common sense. He can shock the immediate environment if relatives are used to seeing a member of their family as a reasonable person. In addition, the blattophobe constantly treats the home with all kinds of poisons, even if his house was not struck by the invasion of intruders.
- Somatic manifestations of terror … Even by the appearance of a blattophobe, one can determine that he is scared to death by the sight of a cockroach or a whole flock of insects. His hands begin to tremble, his body sweats, and even there is a temporary stuttering.
- Disgust … Blattophobes can react absolutely calmly to reptiles, spiders and caterpillars. Such listed representatives of the fauna also, in most cases, do not have an attractive appearance. However, they do not cause shivers in people who are panicky at the same time afraid of cockroaches.
The listed symptoms of such a thing as blattophobia are a serious obstacle to the normal existence of the subject. Any phobia by itself limits to one degree or another a person's life activity.
Celebrity Blattophobia
It should be immediately noted that cockroaches cause warm feelings and bright emotions only among researchers in this field.
Famous people with a fear of cockroaches:
- Peter I … The Russian tsar was always distinguished by his firmness of spirit and iron character. Having set himself complex tasks of a political nature, he went ahead to achieve the goal. However, his extremely negative attitude towards cockroaches was known to all courtiers. If Peter the Great, while moving around his possessions, stopped in any room, then he was carefully checked for the presence of the described insects in it. One of the subjects decided to play a trick on the king by driving a cockroach to the wall. Peter I appreciated this kind of humor, giving the merry fellow a slap and slap in the face.
- Scarlett Johansson … The actress, who is famous for her acting skills and excellent external data, is one hundred percent blattophobic. Even before that, she did not like these insects, which caused her an attack of acute rejection. However, after she woke up, feeling a cockroach on her face, the actress always falls into frank panic at the sight of the described insect.
- Woody Allen … Four "Oscars", however, did not prevent him from being a well-known eccentric. He is afraid of literally everything and suffers from a large number of phobias. Besides the fear of dogs, the sun, the elevators of children, Woody Allen is very afraid of cockroaches. If the rest of his fears look somewhat ridiculous, then the blattophobia of the great master is understandable.
- Nadine Coyle … The Irish actress and singer is afraid of so many animals. She is afraid of dogs, cats, snakes and rodents, because they can bite her. Cockroaches are hated by Nadine because they are visually disgusting to her.
- Johnny Depp … The fearless hero of many films, known to the general public as Captain Jack Sparrow, once forked out 10 thousand dollars. He literally trashed a luxurious room in a prestigious hotel. Johnny explained his violent and inappropriate behavior by the fact that he dreamed of a huge cockroach in the room, for which he began an active hunt.
- Philip Kirkorov … The "bunny" of the national stage does not tolerate air travel, inevitable for his career. However, he does not perceive frogs and cockroaches organically. During one of the programs, a large toad was brought into the studio. Kirkorov's lamentations concerned his admission that he was not afraid of snakes, but that frogs and cockroaches were better off staying away from him.
- Ilya Lagutenko … The leader of the Mumiy Troll group is horrified by one species of the described insect. After bitter experience in the past, he also does not favor encephalitis mites. According to his demeanor, it can be concluded that the singer does not accept insects, without exception.
Ways to deal with the fear of cockroaches
Fear of cockroaches is a very difficult disease, because it is difficult to correct. Treatment of blattophobia can take a short period of time if this issue is approached with full responsibility.
Drug treatment for blattophobia
With mental pathologies of any nature, one cannot do without the use of drugs. Therapy to get rid of blattophobia usually consists of using the following miracle pills:
- Tricyclic antidepressants … When they are taken, certain substances in the human body are activated, which in medicine are called neurotransmitters. With blattophobia, the psychotherapist usually prescribes Sertraline, Moklobemide or Fluoxetine to his patient.
- Benzodiazepines … These developments in medicine are considered weak tranquilizers. These are the drugs that should be taken when a panic attack begins. Fenazepam, Imipramine or Alprazolam have proven themselves excellently in the treatment of blattophobia.
- Beta blockers … They are primarily used to treat cardiovascular diseases. However, panic attacks make a devastating blow to this particular area of the human body. Therefore, they are simply necessary in the complex treatment of blattophobia.
- Psycholeptic drugs … The use of sounded drug therapy is necessary to relieve increased anxiety at the sight of cockroaches. Buspirone is one of the best medicines when it comes to insect fear.
Help of a psychotherapist in the fight against blattophobia
Any specialist will immediately tell his patient that a single dose of medication is definitely not enough. Tranquilizers and antidepressants will only help temporarily relieve stress, if you do not undergo the following therapy:
- Method of "virtual cockroaches" … With such a method of combating blattophobia, a situation is created in which the patient finds himself alone with the object of his fears, while being completely safe. A helmet is placed on the patient's head, which is equipped with displays and video cameras. Consequently, a person who is afraid of cockroaches is simply surrounded from all sides by these insects, which are just virtual objects.
- Hypnosis therapy … In case of any phobia, the psychotherapist will advise the affected side to release their “inner beast” outside. This happens best when the patient is in a trance state. In the future, only the blattofobu can decide about the expediency of the announced event, because most people are simply afraid of it.
- Neuro-linguistic programming … This method allows us to understand the model of reality that a person has created for himself. During NLP sessions, the so-called "reprogramming" of consciousness and the creation of a new attitude to the surrounding reality takes place.
- Cognitive therapy … During practical exercises, the so-called simulation of situations is carried out. After finding out the cause of the problem, the patient begins to learn to control the unpleasant and frightening events in his life.
How to get rid of blattophobia - watch the video:
If a blattophobe does not know how to overcome the fear of cockroaches, then he should heed the advice voiced in the article. With a severe form of this pathology, everything can end in convulsions and even paralysis.
