What is eisoptrophobia, why are they afraid of their reflection in the mirror, is it a superstitious fear or disease, if neurosis, how is it treated? Fear of looking in the mirror is a rare type of mental illness, an obsessive condition where a person is afraid to see his reflection. It is associated with low self-esteem - a fear of one's appearance, which seems scary, or prejudices that mirror surfaces absorb energy, dark forces are reflected in them.
Description and mechanism of development of eisoptrophobia
Fear of mirrors (eisoptrophobia) has been inherent in humans since ancient times. This is due to superstition. People believed that the "evil" double of the one who looks into it was reflected in the surface polished to a shine. And since dark forces come at night, at this time looking in a mirror was considered a bad sign - something bad might happen. And nowadays, the overly superstitious are afraid to look at night, for example, in a mirror. Such a prejudice is also alive: if there is a deceased in the house, all furniture with mirrors is curtained. The very word eisoptrophobia speaks about the age of such superstitions: it was “invented” in Ancient Greece, literally it translates as “fear of the mirror”, in Latin it already sounds like “spectrophobia” - “fear of reflection in the mirror”.
Not all people are afraid of their reflection in the mirror. When there is a talk about a disease, here it is necessary to talk about the peculiarities of the psyche of the individual. For example, the Hungarian psychoanalyst Sandor Ferenczi believed that the fear of looking in the mirror is based on the shyness of knowing oneself or the desire to get away from exhibitionism - when a man or woman has a painful addiction to publicly undress and show their genitals, which is not uncommon among people.
It's just that such a very strange desire is often secret, he-she undresses in front of the mirror, realizing that they want to do it in public, are ashamed of their impulse, trying to stop such "experiments." That is why they "run" from them. Gradually, this message is fixed in the subconscious, and the fear of mirrors is developed.
Metamorphoses with appearance can become an essential moment in the appearance of such fear. After a serious illness, the person has lost a lot of weight, looks unimportant. The mirror annoys him. Another point: a person has a sweet tooth, eats a lot, has grown fat (a). “My light, mirror! tell me and report the whole truth … ". And the truth, after all, is unsightly: the face does not fit in the "face-to-face". Naturally, I don’t like it - down with all the dressing glasses and trellises in the apartment so that my eyes cannot see them! There are also people who have extremely low self-esteem. They consider themselves very unattractive. What kind of mirrors are there! This is especially true for women, but it happens that men also “sin” with such emotionality.
Causes of fear of mirrors
There are not so many reasons for the fear of your reflection in the mirror. All of them are hidden in the psyche, only some lie deep in the subconscious, while others, so to speak, "bodily", are associated with appearance.
Those outside the sphere of consciousness are rooted in the superstitious ideas of Homo sapiens - Homo sapiens. When all the shiny, smoothly polished surfaces, which reflected the face, the figure, seemed to be something supernatural and inspired fear.
These include the following reasons:
- Superstition … If a person, for example, broke a mirror, there will definitely be a failure. There is also the idea that evil spirits live on the other side of the mirror surface - various werewolves and demons that can go out and harm or take with them. They are especially dangerous in the dark, a person experiences bouts of horror, he has a feeling that the body does not obey, it seems to him that he is going crazy.
- Fear of exhibitionism … When a latent desire to undress in front of people is realized in front of a mirror. However, it is understood that this is not good, the person begins to "avoid" such communication with the "mirror" viewer.
- Sexual dysfunction … When erectile dysfunction causes rejection of your body. It is disgusting to look in the mirror. Sometimes occurs in men. Here you cannot do without contacting a sex therapist.
- Childhood trauma … Let's say the boy is alone in the room, and besides, he is very suspicious. It seemed to him that someone was looking at him from the mirror. In fear, he screamed. This can cause mental trauma for many years, and only with the help of a psychologist can you help get rid of your fear of the mirror.
On the other hand, the fear of mirrors can arise due to the peculiarities of appearance, when, for example, after a serious illness, the face has changed beyond recognition and is far from for the better.
These "bodily" signs include:
- Defect in appearance … When a person is mutilated as a result of an accident, the mirror only emphasizes this, the person is in pain, he does not want to see him.
- Low self-esteem … It seems to a person that everything is bad for him: both the face and the figure, therefore he avoids the mirror. This is typical of young people, especially girls.
- Heavy weight … If a person is too fat due to a disease of the endocrine system or, for example, overeating - this is a stressful situation, the mirror may become “guilty”.
- Excessive weight loss … For various reasons, a person can be excessively thin. This is also stressful, a serious reason to avoid mirrors.
It's important to know! If a person has a persistent fear of looking in the mirror, this is already a disease, a reason to consult a psychologist.
Manifestations of eisoptrophobia in humans
If a person is afraid of his reflection in the mirror, this can manifest itself in him in different ways. At first glance, such cases may seem like just a quirk. However, in reality, they are a manifestation of a neurosis that requires treatment.
What manifestations of eisoptrophobia are characteristic of such a painful condition - let us consider in more detail:
- Fear of your own reflection … A person is terrified of seeing himself in the mirror. If this happens, an attack of hysteria may begin, incomprehensible to others. Such seizures are accompanied by tremors - strong tremors of the arms and legs, reddening of the face, and the temperature may rise.
- Refusal to be photographed … It characterizes an extremely painful condition when the fear of seeing your image, for example, in the form of a photo, has already reached the point of absurdity. This is a signal that a person urgently needs medical help.
- Fear of bright reflective surfaces … It can be glass windows, for example, on a bus or a smooth surface of water. When such "crooked" mirrors flicker in front of your eyes for a long time, a person is seized with horror, he begins to behave nervously, he may even close his eyes and scream.
- Fear of dark places … Serves as an indirect manifestation of eisoptrophobia. A superstitious person is afraid to look in the mirror in the dark and therefore begins to be afraid of any dark places where, according to his ideas, evil spirits are hiding.
It's important to know! When the manifestations of eisoptrophobia are noticeable, this indicates a mental disorder. One should not be surprised at such "oddities" of a person, but persistently advise him to consult a psychotherapist, he will determine the severity of the disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Ways to Deal with Fear Looking in the Mirror
There are several ways to deal with the fear of mirrors. If a person feels anxiety at the sight of his reflection and understands its cause, he may well cope with his problem himself. When the phobia has gone far - at the sight of mirror surfaces, panic appears, then you really need to consult a doctor. After a thorough examination, he will prescribe a course of psychotherapy; in severe cases, psychotherapeutic assistance is combined with medication - taking medications. Let's take a closer look at all three ways to combat eisoptrophobia.
Self-help steps in eliminating fear of mirrors
When the phobia is clearly recognized, it should be stopped with the help of special exercises. Wellness practices are appropriate here: self-hypnosis, meditation, relaxation, auto-training, yoga in all its varieties. Deeper concentration, reflection on the cause of your fear helps to relieve mental stress. Self-awareness is clearing up, an understanding comes that the fear of mirrors is a fictitious disease. It interferes with life, and therefore it is necessary to overcome it.
Autogenic training is very useful in dealing with your fear. You need to relax, close your eyes and mentally imagine yourself in front of a mirror. And persistently inspire yourself that you see in it only your reflection, it is quite attractive, and nothing bad can happen. Repeating this exercise daily will lead to the desired result - the fear of mirrors will disappear.
A good result can be achieved by doing meditation according to the system, for example, hatha yoga. If a person learns to control mental and physiological processes in his body, he will get rid of his complexes. The fear of his reflection in the mirror will leave him forever.
Psychotherapy in the fight against eisoptrophobia
When a person cannot cope with his fear of looking in the mirror on his own, one should consult a psychologist. There are many psychotherapeutic techniques for dealing with phobias, one or another is selected after a thorough examination of the patient. The most effective are: hypnosis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy, gestalt psychology, psychoanalytic psychotherapy. For all their differences, they all pursue one goal - to teach the patient to fearlessly face his phobia in order to understand its causes. In the course of psychotherapeutic sessions, it is better than group sessions, since the patient sees that such fear is not alone with him, but together it is easier to get rid of it - the psychotherapist forms (instills in hypnosis sessions) a psychological and behavioral attitude to combat his fear of mirrors.
For example, psychoanalytic psychotherapy - treatment with words in the course of a confidential conversation between the therapist and the patient - is more suitable for cases where the fear of looking in the mirror is rooted in childhood and adolescence. The patient shares his thoughts and experiences with the doctor, talks about the traumatic situation: why he became afraid of his mirror image. By benevolent participation in the conversation and leading questions, the psychologist helps him to understand the essence of his problem and find ways to overcome it.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works well for those who have a fear of the mirror related to their appearance. The patient does not like the way he looks, and the psychotherapist's approach is to develop an attitude towards the perception of his appearance as such, which is inherent only in him. He is a person with his own peculiar appearance. This is what differs from all others. Therefore, the mirror has nothing to do with it.
It's important to know! Psychotherapy will only be successful when the seriousness of one's illness is really understood. Otherwise, this is just a waste of time - yours and your doctor's.
Medication for fear of looking in the mirror
If, for example, a sexual disorder became the reason for the fear of one's reflection in the mirror, it is necessary to visit a psychologist and sex therapist, but it is better to go to a hospital. You can't do without medication. And here is about the drug treatment of eisoptrophobia.
Medicines are prescribed only if the "mirror fear" is accompanied by severe stress, panic attacks of fear, when a person loses his head and it seems to him that he is going crazy. First of all, a sleeping pill is prescribed so that a person falls asleep soundly and forget his fears. Currently, third-generation drugs are in circulation, the undesirable side effect of their intake is minimized. For short-term sleep disturbances, Piklodorm (Zopiclone) is prescribed. When falling asleep is difficult and frequent awakenings, Zolpidem or Zaleplon is recommended. Elderly patients are prescribed "Clomethiazole".
To reduce irritability, light sedatives (sedatives) are prescribed based on medicinal herbs: valerian, lemon balm and peppermint. They help you fall asleep while relieving anxiety and arousal. These are Volordin, Dormiplant, Passifit (dark brown tablets and syrup with a pleasant smell), Persen.
Stronger sedatives are prescribed in cases where the depressive state is accompanied by panic fears. In such cases, tranquilizers are prescribed: "Phenibut" (in addition to a calming effect, it has a relaxing effect), "Mebikar" - "daytime tranquilizer" (taken only during the day) and others. Also, antidepressants are used to treat the nervous system and relieve depressive emotions: "Deprim", "Heptral", "Paxil".
Inpatient therapy is complex, when drug treatment is accompanied by the necessary physiotherapy procedures, and takes place in parallel with a visit to a psychotherapist. It can last from two weeks to three months. This depends on the severity of the phobia.
It's important to know! The drugs should be taken strictly according to the doctor's prescription and only in the recommended doses. Overdose can lead to dire consequences. Watch the video on the fear of mirrors:
Eisoptrophobia is a rather rare disease. The reason may be the superstitious beliefs of our ancestors rooted in the psyche. But it is not always the case. Often, the fear of mirrors is caused by the trauma suffered and defective self-awareness - the humiliation of oneself as a person. Fighting the fear of seeing yourself in the mirror can be quite successful. After all, such an "exotic" fear does not allow living a full, healthy life.
