When Does Worry Become A Problem
Samhainophobia is the irrational fear of Halloween. People who suffer from this illness may find it extremely difficult to think about Halloween, let alone participate in it. The convictions they withhold about Halloween give them extreme amounts of anxiety and stress.
Be that as it may, since this holiday comes only once a year, there is much less stress put on the individual compared to people who are;fearful of the dark,;afraid of failure, and;afraid of imperfection.
Someone who has samhainophobia may also refrain from watching horror movies that are related to or that are shown around the day of Halloween. These movies are often played on repeat during this time of the year to celebrate Halloween. This can be extremely stressful for someone with samhainophobia as they can be an unfriendly reminder of the holiday they fear so much.
The intense anxiety and dread that is commonly experienced with this mental illness will often force them to have deep hatred toward anything that is associated with Halloween. They may feel as though the entire holiday, as well as anyone who chooses to celebrate it are unethical due to there overt practice of such an immoral event. This may force someone with samhainophobia to overtly scorn and ridicule those who celebrate Halloween.
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Samhainophobia: The Fear Of Halloween
Samhainophobia is the extreme and unwarranted fear of Halloween. The ancient people of western Europe, also known as the Celts, believed that at the eve one of their festivals, the wall separating the living from the dead becomes permeable by the dead.
So, the dead can cross over to the land of living on the day of the festival and would make their presence known by threatening the townspeople.
The Celts took it upon themselves to wear costumes and around bonfires to chase them off, thus the origins of Halloween celebration.
The term Halloween was initially known as All Hallows Eve, which originated from the word Samhuin with Irish-Scottish-Gaelic roots, which also means summers end.
Although in this modern time, some people do not believe in ghosts crossing over from the spirit world to our world, they also see the need for Halloween to be still celebrated.
However, while Halloween is a celebration of culture, art, and spookiness to some people, they are people who are overtly worrisome and fearful about this event.
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Causes Of Fear Of Pumpkins Phobia
Most phobias, including the fear of pumpkins, start in childhood. Sometimes, they can come on for no apparent reason. However, in case of Cucurbitophobia, the frightening significance of pumpkins during Halloween is the most common trigger. Pumpkins are more than tasty, nutritious fruits; they are the stuff of legends. We all know the use of pumpkins in carving Jack O Lanterns. The Celts, Irish and Scottish people who migrated to the United States started using pumpkins in place of potatoes and turnips to create these frightening displays. Pumpkins are soft and easy to carve; Halloween tricksters also find them fun to break and squash. It is due to these conveniences as well as their surplus availability during Halloween that people use these fruits to symbolize Halloween
So what is the story behind the ghastly Jack O Lantern- a scary dude having a fruit for a head?
On a dark night, a display of pumpkins with carved, hideous faces and flickering candles inside can be a chilling vision for a person with an already sensitive disposition. A child who has been teased or scared by a friend or sibling with a scary pumpkin could easily develop Cucurbitophobia. The phobics mind tries to make sense of the unexpected sense of and intense anxiety or panic which, in turn, adds to the phobia. In most cases of childhood phobias, the phobic overcomes the fear with age.
Why Do People Get Scared On Halloween
For most people, Halloween is considered a fun time during the season when everyone can prank their family and friends while wearing the most horrific custom they can think of.
Nonetheless, this isnt the case for everyone. For some anxious minds, the 1st of November can be a great source of fear, especially in children. People with Samhainophobia will refuse to sleep alone during Halloween, while others will burst in tears for no apparent reason.
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It’s Not A Trick Or A Treat This Phobia Is Very Real
Halloween is often intentionally scary, and it can feel downright overwhelming for those with samhainophobia, or the fear of Halloween.
Defined as a persistent, abnormal, and unwarranted fear of Halloween, samhainophobia is a term rooted in ancient pagan traditions, particularly those of the Celtic Druids. The festival of Samhain was celebrated as early as 2,000 years ago to mark the night before the Celtic New Year. October 31, the last day of the Celtic year, was seen as a time when the veil between the living and the dead was thin, and ghosts could walk among the living for both good and evil. The Samhain festival was centered around massive bonfires, ritual sacrifices to the gods, and fortune-telling. Participants generally wore costumes made from animal skins.
How To Know If You Have Samhainophobia
Symptoms of samhainophobia include the symptoms often associated with other phobias, according to Psych Central. This include:
- Extreme anxiety, dread, and even terror and panic about anything associated with Halloween
- Shortness of breath, rapid breathing
- Sweating, Hot or cold flashes
- Nausea
- Numbing or a tingling sensation
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A Few More Things That Can Increase Anxiety About Halloween
Often, parents spend a lot of time teaching their children never to go to strange homes or talk to strangers dont we!
Yet, at Halloween;they encourage the child to do precisely that. This can confuse the child and increase his anxiety. Halloween is also generally celebrated in the evening or when it is dark outside. A child afraid of the dark might be extremely reluctant to go outdoors, however might be coerced into going by parents or siblings. Its a difficult situation isnt it? We want our children to have fun, but we dont want to frighten them to death do we?
It is also believed that Halloween is a time when the Spirits roam the earth freely. A person having a terrible fear of ghosts could also develop Samhainophobia around this time of the year too!
Often youngsters with social anxiety or fear of performing in front of others could develop a fear of Halloween as they are forced to participate in social activities against their wishes. Halloween is also a time for carving sticky, gooey pumpkins into scary faces. While some kids might be excited to do this, once they put a candle in it it might create spooky effects leading to a bad reaction in the child. Also, scary films about Halloween are often shown on TV around this time and some of them really are horribly scary so do be careful what you allow your child to watch.
How To Overcome Your Fear Of Halloween
If you suffer from excessive anxiety aboutHalloween, take heart that there are ways to work through it.
- Deep breathing: When your fear of Halloween hits, youre more likely to take shallow breaths, which delivers less oxygen to your brain. Anything that reduces oxygen to the brain can trigger feelings of anxiety and panic. Slow your breathing by inhaling for 3 seconds and exhaling for twice as long.
- Psychotherapy: Many forms of psychotherapy are helpful in the treatment of phobias.
- Hypnotherapy:Hypnosis allows you to transition to a state of deep relaxation. A growing body of scientific evidence shows that it can decrease anxiety and depression and reduce the fight-or-flight response that some people experience when faced with their phobias.
- Natural supplements:Nutraceuticals, such as GABA, magnesium, and vitamin B6, promote relaxation.
A word of caution about medications: Although some healthcare professionals may prescribe pharmaceuticals to people who have phobias, be aware that brain imaging studies show that anti-anxiety pills, such as benzodiazepines, are harmful to the brain. It is best to avoid them.
Amen Clinics has helped thousands of peopleovercome all types of anxiety disorders, including phobias. We use brain SPECTimaging to help identify which type of anxiety you have and to help find theleast toxic, most effective personalized solutions as part of a brain-bodyapproach to healing.
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Are You Or Someone You Know Samhainophobic
Image credit: Wikipedia
Halloween is for most people a playful annual event that’s all about costumes, candy and;having;fun. But for some it’s the object of a little-known psychological condition called Samhainophobia. Here’s the formal definition:
1:;samhainophobia: a persistent, abnormal, and;unwarranted fear;of halloween, despite conscious understanding by the phobic individual and reassurance by others that there is no danger.
The root word takes us back to the ancient;Celts;who held a ceremony called Samhain in order to honor the harvest cycle. Each October 31, the harvest would end, and the Irish would gather to kill livestock. Often, they would throw the animals bones onto a roaring bonfire. The people who attended Samhain believed that the dead made their presence known during the festival, and that they must be appeased or else they would cause trouble and hardship for the townspeople. They began to wear masks and other disguises to please the spirits.
Samhainophobia isn’t synonymous with simply disliking Halloween ; it’s a;clinically;diagnosed phobia, much like;arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, or;coimetrophobia, the fear of;cemeteries.
It sometimes presents itself with related phobias, including phasmophobia, the fear of ghosts;;wiccaphobia, the fear of witchcraft; and;nyctophobia, the fear of darkness.
Feel free to share your experiences with little-known phobias in the comments section.
Causes Of Samhainophobia Or Fear Of Halloween
If it is not difficult to understand this phobia, it is not difficult to find the origin in a;traumatic experience;related to the context of the night of the dead.;In principle, it is a fun party for children, but situations of real fear can occur.
The;cultural context;is also important when developing this phobia, since everything related to;death;, cemeteries and the night usually produces a certain fear, sometimes deliberately caused.;An anxiety disorder is all it takes for that fear to turn into a phobic disorder.
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Helping Your Child To Overcome Their Fear
Parents must understand and acknowledge the childs anxiety about Halloween instead of ignoring it. They must deal with the child very patiently and try and find out what is causing the childs fear and then try to avoid those triggers. Parents must not force the child into trick-or-treating but must try and make things easier for the child by choosing to go out during daytime, or avoiding shops that have scary things on display like spiders, cobwebs, skulls, etc.If children are having nightmares about Halloween, parents must try and comfort/assure them that it is only a dream.
If you feel your childs fear or phobia has gotten out of hand, then do contact me for a few therapy sessions. I can help the child change the sub conscious negative and fearful thoughts that are causing the fear, see more here.
One of the mums who brought her child to me last year said:
Jake was SO scared at Halloween and had been for several years that I took him to see Elaine at Focus hypnotherapy. Im so glad I did because she got rid of 90% of his fears. We were actually able to enjoy Halloween as a family for once, and not have to stay indoors and keep away from everything spooky! Jake really enjoyed his sessions with Elaine as she really made them fun and really understood how scared he actually was! I would highly recommend that if you have a fearful child that you take him for a few sessions with Elaine it does their confidence the world of good!
Sarah Lucas, Reading.
These Phobias Are Part Of Why Halloween Can Be So Scary To So Many People
For many people, flipping the calendar to October is a sign of festive and fun holidays to come. October is the time of year when the heat of summer gives way to the cool of fall and tickles the nostalgic yearning for winter. Indeed, this can be a magical time of year.
For some, however, October is a reminder of terror, horror, and glorified fright!
Halloween is upon us. From the supermarket to the classroom to candy commercials, it is nearly impossible to escape the images of ghosts, ghouls, and goblins. While the majority of people continue throughout their day thinking nothing of these symbols and decorations, some people are thrust into a world that celebrates their biggest fears.
What Is the Difference Between a Fear and a Phobia?
Fear is a natural emotional and biological response to danger or perceived threats. Everyone experiences fear from time to time, but not all fears are phobias.
A fear can graduate into a phobia when the experience of the fear or the response to it becomes so extreme that it interferes with ones ability to function in everyday life.
However they develop, or developed for you, below is a list of some common, and uncommon, phobias that make Halloween such a spooky night.
Coulrophobia: The Fear of Clowns
Nyctophobia: The Fear of the Dark
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Fear Of The Full Moon: Selenophobia
This obsession isnt common, and fortunately, a full moon isnt likely on Halloween. However, that doesnt stop it from being used as a symbol of spookiness. It is also commonly associated with werewolves in movies and the shared belief by some that the moon can affect emotions, i.e. the idea of lunatics are all factors that create this phobia.
The Fear Of Halloween Samhainophobia
Halloween is often scary, with all the ghouls, witches, and skeletons lurking about, and it can be overwhelming if you have;samhainophobia;or the;fear of Halloween.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you choose to purchase through links I provide . Please see my disclosure policy here.
Samhainophobias definition is an abnormal and irrational fear of Halloween or the fear of the dead festival.
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How To Deal With A Fear Of Halloween Phobia
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Have you heard of samhainophobia? This term is just another way of saying the fear of Halloween. While many in the Western world enjoy this holiday, for some parents and children, it can be a holiday filled with dread.
If youve ever had an extremely anxious reaction to something, then you know what it feels like. Imagine feeling that afraid of Halloween or anything related to it! People with samhainophobia may start to feel anxious just at the thought of the holiday.
You might go out of your way to avoid anything to do with Halloween including decorations at the store, participating in trick or treating, or going to parties. While its just one day out of the year, having a fear of Halloween can impact your life.
Samhainophobia: Are You Afraid Of Halloween
Do you like Halloween?;Because it is a party that generates their filias and their;phobias;.;And never better said, since;Samhainophobia;or;fear of Halloween;is more than a rejection of the celebration itself, it is a real panic of this party and everything that surrounds it.;We tell you everything about Samhainophobia in our;dictionary of phobias;.
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Figuring Out Why I’m Afraid Of Halloween
I believe that I went along with the tradition of Halloween as a child because it was what every kid did. But as an adult, the fact is that I do not like Halloween and am kind of afraid of it too.
Why? Im honestly not sure but if I figure it out, I will definitely let you know.
This is what I do know:
- My mother loved Halloween. We had a huge picture window on the front of our house. Every year she would paint a different Halloween picture over the entire window. She would place a stereo speaker near the front door and play scary music really loud. Most of the lights would be shut off in the house making it even spookier. I remember changing bulbs in the lamps to black lights. Mom would cover herself in a bed sheet and a scary face mask waiting for the next kids to come running up our steps. Everyone loved coming to our house. And mom loved seeing all the kids dressed up. Decades later, some still talk about it. Did this affect me? I really dont think so. I was never ever afraid of my mom, not even on Halloween.
- When I was a very young adult, my grandfather passed away on Halloween. Did this affect me and add to my fear? Im not sure.
- I dont like passing out candy, never did. I have, but I dont like it. I guess, somehow, I am afraid of who will surprise ME when I open the door.
To this day, I am always glad when Halloween is over.