Silence phobia, or silensophobia, is a person’s pathological, irrational reluctance to remain in a silent, quiet space. Such people are dependent on the outside world; they need to continuously receive auditory information: through television and radio broadcasting, listening to audio books, and talking on the phone. As soon as silence sets in, the silensophobe feels discomfort, because without receiving external information, he is forced to “digest” his own fears and experiences.
Iremophobia or silensophobia
For the first time, psychotherapists started talking about this type of fear as a disease in the middle of the twentieth century. Millions of people who work in noisy, crowded offices, shopping centers, and factories are frightened by sudden silence and suffer from a phobia of silence. Experts quite reasonably believe that their number will grow in the near future. The situation with the disease is complicated by the fact that approximately 90% do not pay attention to the problem, trying to ignore it. Few of those who are afraid of silence turn to doctors. Some are embarrassed to discuss their phobia even with their family, ashamed of their condition. Tension and anxiety are relieved with sedatives or alcohol, destroying the body and soul.
Why the phobia of silence is dangerous, what symptoms it expresses and how to get rid of it - you will learn about all this from the article.
Reasons for appearance
Fear tends to exaggerate the true meaning of a fact. © Victor Hugo
Like all specific phobias, fear of silence is usually triggered by traumatic or adverse life situations.
Scientists identify several main causes of iremophobia:
- Children's fears Parents' attempts to provide silence for a sleeping child can be interrupted by an unexpected sound, which causes anxiety and gives rise to an unconscious association with something incomprehensible and scary.
- Silence phobia arises as a result of child punishment, when cruel parents lock their children in basements, closets, dark closets
- Fear of oneself Insecure people suffering from an inferiority complex, left alone, are afraid of the opportunity to evaluate their thoughts and actions
- Public places The absence of sounds instills a pathological horror in a person, the roots of which grow from emotional memories of silence as a harbinger of sudden troubles. Technology. Telephones, televisions, computer clubs, smartphones with many sound functions have become an integral attribute of life.
- Watching Movies Quite often in movies, the climax is preceded by a “deafening” silence, followed by something terribly tragic.
- Uninhabited natural environment The absence of background noise in forests or other uninhabited areas is associated by individuals with the existence of evil spirits who come out in silence to hunt people
Other reasons for aversion to silence include abnormalities in the functioning of the adrenal glands, hormonal imbalance, depression, and delusional paranoia.
The fear of silence is associated with other fears. Modern man is inextricably linked with society, playing a certain social role on the stage of life. And when even the slightest change occurs in the established order of things, discomfort sets in.
Signals of more complex problems
- unwillingness to realize your loneliness;
- fear of being alone with your secret experiences;
- inability to cope with surging emotions.
Silence puts pressure on the psyche, and in order not to “listen” to it, a person turns on the TV, calls friends, puts on headphones, protecting himself from disturbing worries with the sounds of music.
The phobia of silence forces you to constantly be busy with something. Even before going to bed, the patient does not want to disconnect from the outside world - he watches a movie, listens to radio broadcasts.
“Olfactory” problems – osmophobia
The second name for this specific disorder is olfactophobia.
This is a fear of smells and psychological hypersensitivity to them. Smells play an important role in people's lives. They are capable of causing euphoria, love (remember “Perfume” by Suskind), disgust, and expanding the perception of the world. They say that they give the strongest impetus to memories.
We can talk for a long time about how much smells mean to humans, but he received the sense of smell from nature, again for the purpose of survival. An unpleasant amber signaled the danger, for example, of some product intended for consumption. The pungent smell indicated the proximity of a predator, which also threatened our ancestors. So a certain aroma caused a gag reflex, fear, which was completely justified and life-saving.
But the osmophobe’s olfactory receptors do not respond correctly to any smell, and even his own seems disgusting to him. The individual’s nervous system becomes irritated: a feeling of fear “rolls over” him, he panics, although nothing threatens him.
This condition is usually experienced by people suffering from migraines (25% of all patients). Such an unbearable headache is precisely caused by unpleasant aromas or volatile substances.
Osmophobia can appear after tragic events that were accompanied by a certain smell. Age does not matter here: children, adolescents, and adults of both sexes are susceptible to this. In addition, individuals with hypersensitivity and melancholic people are susceptible to fear of smells.
The presence of olfactophobia may be indicated by positive answers to the following questions:
- Do odors emanating from people, objects, animals disgust you?
- Are there any scents you can't stand?
- Is the sense of smell often the cause of nausea and vomiting?
- Can smell give you a headache?
- Do you strive for loneliness due to irritability from people?
Five “yes” is a clear “bell” warning about the need to visit a doctor.
Ligyrophobia and other fears of sounds
Ligyrophobia is the fear of loud or sharp sounds. Its manifestations can be seen not only in the presence of such noise, but also in anticipation of it. The first name of the phobia comes from the Greek word “ligir” - sharp, which can be said about an unexpected high-pitched sound.
All the people flinch when they hear the loud, piercing sound and turn in the direction it came from. This is a completely normal reaction of the body to the unexpected, and the anxiety that arises instantly disappears. But this is not the case with ligirophobia.
A person suffering from such a pathology is afraid not only of loud sounds themselves, but also of the devices that produce them: alarm clocks, engines, alarms, machines, speakers. Such irritants cause psychovegetative reactions in him, extremely unpleasant sensations, although they do not pose any threat to life.
There are other similar pathologies: phonophobia is the fear of any sounds, and acoustic phobia is only certain sounds (for example, voices).
These pathologies are characteristic of young children, but can also be present in adults, and in the latter the reaction to fear is usually much more intense. Fortunately, the attack passes as soon as the stimulus disappears.
Ligyrophobes try to avoid going to places where there are, by default, many sources of sharp loud sounds: concerts, sporting events, bars, shopping centers, parks, etc. A fit of fear grips them even when expecting a sound, for example, before playing a recording on a CD. . They know for sure: at first it will be quiet, and then the music will start to sound sharply. They avoid loud-voiced people, animals (usually dogs that can suddenly bark), and children - children also usually cry unexpectedly. Such individuals are unable to use any transport (land, air, sea) and are mortally afraid of thunderstorms.
Causes of fear of sounds can be:
- very strong fear, accompanied by a sharp noise, adversely affecting the child’s psyche;
- a tragic incident, for example, a roar and clang during an accident;
- accommodation near a busy highway, airport, railway station;
- audio recordings of aggressive music (hard rock, etc.), constantly listened to by “music lovers” neighbors;
- good hearing, “sensitive” ears. Loud and sharp sounds in this case cause physical pain.
Personality traits can also contribute to the development of a phobia. It affects over-emotional, impressionable viewers of disaster films, thrillers, and horror films. In such a movie, particularly poignant moments are always emphasized by piercing sounds and music. At risk, individuals are suspicious, prone to exaggerate, unbalanced, and pessimistic.
Overwork of the nervous system as a result of chronic stress, VSD, neurasthenia, etc. also contributes to the development of phonophobia, ligiorophobia or acoustic phobia.
People with fears of sounds refuse very promising, highly paid jobs if they are sure to be noisy there. They try not to leave the house, stay in silence, limit their time “in public” as much as possible, don’t go anywhere or travel, they simply “fall out” of normal life. Of course, this is a bad solution to the problem. You can defeat a phobia only with the help of specialists and the therapeutic techniques they use.
Symptoms
“Fear makes a person rush from the frying pan into the fire.” Aesop
The prospect of plunging into one's inner world frightens a silensophobic person, causing a panic attack.
Externally, the fear of silence is manifested by physiological signs:
- dry mouth;
- trembling in the body;
- cardiopalmus;
- dizziness;
- stomach upset;
- sweating;
- muscle tension.
Patients suffer from insomnia, headaches, chest tightness, and nausea.
Silence phobia is also characterized by psychological symptoms:
- feeling of emptiness;
- the appearance of thoughts about death;
- desire to run away, hide;
- inability to think.
The negative energy generated by anxious thoughts about the futility of life results in persistent depression. And in this state, a person is ready to commit unpredictable acts if he does not begin intensive treatment.
Manifestations of phobia at the physiological level
The feeling of fear provokes not only mental disorders, but also disorders of the functioning of various organs and systems. The absence of sound stimuli causes discomfort. A panic attack leads to the following symptoms:
- Headache.
- Muscle tension.
- Paleness of the skin.
- Feeling overwhelmed.
- Dizziness.
- Profuse sweating.
- Feeling chilly.
- Acceleration of heart rate.
- Feeling of nausea, dry mouth.
- Trembling of limbs.
- Feeling of muscle stiffness.
- Feeling of lack of air.
- Discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract.
How to identify iremophobia
You can determine the development of pathology yourself. The main symptom that distinguishes the fear of silence is that the phobia manifests itself over a long period of time, over several months and even years. Psychological discomfort arises suddenly, in everyday life situations, but does not disappear, but, on the contrary, increases. A person is haunted by an insurmountable reluctance to remain in silence, nervousness develops into causeless panic, and there are no visible reasons for this state. Life becomes unbearable, there is nowhere to hide from fears and dark thoughts.
Rationalization. Getting rid of the fear of silence on your own
Fear disappears when you start doing what you are afraid to do instead of thinking about it. © Eckhart Tolle
If panic hits you and takes you by surprise, you need to take a deep breath, calm down, and begin to rationalize what is happening in order to determine the severity of the anxiety. Any type of fear goes away if it is carefully analyzed and you understand what really happened. As in every business, it is important to take the first step - mentally put everything into categories, sort it and answer the question for yourself: “Why does silence frighten me?” When we begin to think actively, a psychological revolution occurs in the brain. The problem turns from a global one into a small misunderstanding that can be easily corrected.
The second equally important step is to create conditions that can destroy the shell in which the phobia of silence hides in order to stop being afraid.
We need to stop constantly looking for the source of noise:
- do not sit for hours at the computer, distracting yourself from loneliness;
- do not turn on the TV in the bedroom before bed;
- do not sleep with headphones, listening to music, lectures, audiobooks.
Self-hypnosis has not only destructive, but also creative power. The main thing is to realize the problem, begin to perceive silence as a natural psychological background, and encounter it more often. You need to teach yourself to relax in a timely manner, get rid of tension, and control your emotions and experiences. Deep breathing techniques, muscle relaxation, and meditation help with this.
This exercise is beneficial: sit or lie down comfortably, completely alone, close your eyes, inhale deeply, exhale slowly for at least 10 minutes. Along with the air, worry and anxiety leave the body, the fear hidden in silence disappears, and happiness settles in the freed space. Yoga classes prevent the appearance of obsessive thoughts.
You can avoid the signs of iremophobia by visualizing fear - embodying your feelings and anxieties in drawings. Each sound has its own physical form, size, color. The world is full of sounds, they are born every second, and complete silence is just a myth, a fantasy that does not exist in reality. Family members can play an important role in overcoming the fear of silence. Talking about a phobia with a loved one can provide significant support and assistance. Having gotten rid of the fear of loneliness in silence, you can enjoy all the delights of life.
Extreme isolation
While in prison, a person still knows that perhaps he will someday be released. Hope and purpose help him overcome loneliness even in the punishment cell. But it is more difficult to maintain sanity for those who are left under the rubble, lost in the catacombs or underground caves.
If you went to the mountains, live in an area with high seismic activity, or live in an emergency building, remember how to behave if you suddenly find yourself under rubble:
- Do not make sudden movements.
Do not try to pull out a limb stuck under the rubble. This can provoke an even greater collapse. - If your phone is intact, use it.
Try dialing the emergency number. If there is no connection, check if the built-in flashlight is working. Try to save the battery and turn on the flashlight periodically to spend a little time in the light or to give a signal. - If you have any metal object, move it, move it from side to side.
This will help the rescuers' metal detector find you faster. - Vote periodically
. Every hour, rescuers announce a time of silence so that the voices of people under the rubble can be heard. - Try not to give in to negative thoughts.
In such a situation, a lot of stress hormones are released in your brain. They create panic. Your task is to remain calm and occupy your brain with some mental task. The less you panic, the longer you will hold out and the more likely you are to be rescued.
Interesting fact
Aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake boston.com
Treating the fear of silence
But self-medication is not always able to cope with the phobia of silence. In many advanced cases, you cannot do without the help of a specialist. Irrational fear can be treated with medication and psychotherapy. Everyone has their own fears and weaknesses. You shouldn’t try to hide them, be ashamed, or ignore them. It's easier to accept and fight.
You can cope with any situation if you overcome your fears and continue your work. © Theodore Roosevelt
Psychological help
The first stage of treatment is contacting a psychotherapist. The doctor will find out where the fears come from, how long ago they have settled in your brain, and prescribe a course of treatment.
Professional techniques of neurolinguistic programming or hypnosis relieve the psyche of anxious panic moods and speed up the recovery process. Cognitive behavioral therapy and systematic desensitization help cope with anxiety.
Art therapy methods are used to combat phobias. Drawing, sculpting, and creating photo collages promote personal self-expression by correcting mental processes. As a result of psychotherapeutic treatment, the phobia of silence decreases in size, and ways of human behavior that are adequate to the situation and the corresponding preconditions for anxiety are formed. Group and individual forms of classes are used.
All these treatment methods help to clarify the origins of the fear of silence, analyze them, and allow you to overcome the phobia once and for all.
Medication methods to combat silensophobia
Most often, drug therapy is used to get rid of the fear of silence. 1. Tricyclic antidepressants are used to combat depression: Moclobemide, Sertraline, Fluoxetine. Neurotransmitters, which are part of the drug, effectively restore the psyche. 2. For panic attacks, benzodiazepines are prescribed: Imiprapine, Phenazipam, Alprozolam. 3. To eliminate problems of the cardiovascular system caused by phobia, beta blockers are used. 4. Psycholeptics, in particular Busporin, reduce anxiety. All sedatives consist of components of plant origin, but you should not take them yourself, since the wrong dosage can be dangerous to health and cause harm instead of benefit. Only the attending physician is able to take into account all the pros and cons of using medications and select the ones that are suitable for the patient.
Dromophobia
This is literally a fear of the path (δρόμος - path, running). This is the name for the fear of crossing a street (“agira” in Greek, so another name is agyrophobia) or a road, either a busy one or one on which no transport has ever appeared. Objects of fear include multi-lane highways, country roads, etc. And it doesn’t matter whether there is a traffic light, a pedestrian crossing, or whether you just have to run across to the other side anywhere.
A person suffering from this pathology will prefer to go to a store located 2 kilometers from home to a retail outlet located nearby, but across the road. He is driven by fear and the unpleasant sensations that accompany it.
If you believe that the cause of such fear was the participation of such an individual in an accident or observation from the side of a car accident with other people, then this does not happen in every case. Although experts say that this is not impossible, add to this the loss of a loved one in an accident or watching the news with terrible images of tragic road accidents. They also believe that agyrophobia develops due to the individual’s emotional arousal from the above, fear of getting hit by a car, due to lack of self-confidence.
But more often than not this is not the case. Dromophobes are unable to explain why such fear arises. They are quite adequate, have rational thinking, but in this case they cannot say what exactly they are so afraid of. Understanding perfectly the absurdity of what is happening, these people are not able to overcome their phobia.
It should be borne in mind that if people with poor vision are afraid to cross the road, then they cannot be classified as agyrophobics - they have a precise reasoning for their fear.
By the way, dromophobe can calmly walk along the highway that frightens him. He can even cross it through an underground passage, as well as through a crowd of people or accompanied by another person, but only if he was the first to step onto the road. In this case, the agyrophobe believes that these people or the companion are in control of the situation.
