Astrophobia (fear Of Stars): Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
The immensity of the universe, space or cosmos, as well as the large number of stars and celestial bodies that inhabit it, can be as fascinating as it is intimidating for the people who observe it. However, if this feeling turns into an exacerbated fear of them, It is very possible that we are facing a case of astrophobia
Throughout this article we will talk about this type of specific phobia. We will analyze the characteristics that distinguish it from a normal fear and describe its main symptoms, causes and treatments.
Astrophobia is a psychological alteration that is part of anxiety disorders Based on its name, it is easy to deduce that it is an excessive, irrational and uncontrollable fear of the stars or celestial bodies found in the cosmos or the universe.
If we take into account the etymological roots of the word, “astro” is a term that comes from Latin and refers to all types of celestial bodies located in outer space and that, in addition, are visible from Earth; while the concept “phobia” finds its origin in the Greek word “phobos” which means flight or fear.
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, astrophobia is considered an anxiety disorder in which the person experiences an excessive and irrational fear of the stars and in which extremely high anxiety is experienced every time the affected person looks at the stars
Although astrophobia is a type of phobia with very little incidence among the population, This can become a highly disabling disorder in which the patient is likely to go to the extreme of remaining confined at home so as not to risk seeing the sky.
Therefore, this mental illness can modify and limit the person’s behavior, reducing their quality of life. Luckily, there are very effective treatments for this type of specific phobias thanks to which the person is able to overcome it and lead a normal life.
Clinical features of the disorder
Like the rest of phobias or anxiety disorders, astrophobia has a series of clinical peculiarities that They allow us to distinguish it from the usual or non-pathological sensations of fear or fear
Therefore, in order to differentiate astrophobia from a non-pathological fear, it must meet the following characteristics:
What are the symptoms?
The main symptoms of astrophobia are those related to experiencing great anxiety. This clinical picture does not manifest itself continuously over time, but only in those cases in which the person faces or anticipates what they are going to face with the phobic stimulus; in this case, the stars and celestial bodies
These symptoms can be classified into three groups, depending on whether they correspond to physical, cognitive or behavioral symptoms.
1. Physical symptoms
Given the appearance of the situation that is the object of the phobia, the central nervous system experiences an excessive increase in activity generating a large number of changes and alterations at a physiological and organic level.
The appearance of physical symptoms is subject to a series of incoherent or extravagant beliefs and ideas about the situation or phobic stimulus and its presumed dangerousness. These ideas make up the cognitive symptoms and usually appear in advance, generating anxiety symptoms.
Among the cognitive symptoms of astrophobia are:
3. Physical symptoms
The main consequence of the anxiety symptoms, mentioned above, is the performance of a series of behaviors or behavioral patterns that arise in response to the feared stimulus.
These physical symptoms appear in order to avoid the feared circumstances or to escape from them if they could not be avoided. In this way, the person with astrophobia try to avoid experiencing unpleasant emotions like anxiety and anguish.
These behavior patterns are known as avoidance behaviors and escape behaviors. In avoidance behaviors, the person carries out a series of acts with the intention of eliminating the possibility of facing them.
On the other hand, escape behaviors appear when the person who suffers from astrophobia is inevitably faced with the feared situation or stimulus. Throughout the situation, the person will carry out all types of acts or behaviors that allow you to escape of this as quickly as possible.
What causes does it have?
Although, at the moment, completely reliable causes have not been established to explain phobias. The researchers point to the possibility that the experimentation of highly traumatic events or experiences or with a great emotional charge, together with a genetic predisposition to the harmful effects of stress, establish a basis for the appearance of a specific anxiety disorder such as astrophobia.
In addition, there are other factors such as personality, cognitive styles or vicarious learning, which can favor the appearance and development of an irrational and uncontrollable fear such as that of phobias.
Treatment of this phobia
Despite the low incidence of astrophobia, there are very effective treatments and interventions common to the rest of specific phobias thanks to which the person can overcome their fear and continue with their life normally
In the case of specific anxiety disorders such as phobias, The type of intervention that turned out to be most effective is cognitive-behavioral therapy where through systematic desensitization (SD) the person can get used to facing the object of their fear.
In this systematic desensitization, the patient is exposed in an imaginary way to a series of situations related to the phobia, which are arranged gradually, from lowest to highest degree of fear. Likewise, relaxation techniques are applied to reduce the level of anxiety.
Another widely used technique is live exposure, through which the person is directly and gradually exposed to the feared situation. However, these techniques must always be carried out under the supervision and guidance of a mental health professional.
