Coimetrophobia (fear of Cemeteries): Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Death is part of life and therefore inevitable Although it may be difficult for us to accept, we will all end up dying one day.

Some people have serious problems accepting this fact, in addition to feeling real dread when thinking about anything related to death and the unknown, especially where we end up: cemeteries.

Coimetrophobia is the phobia of these places and everything that is related to them In this article we are going to address in more depth what this specific phobia is about, in addition to detailing its symptoms, some causes, interference in the life of the affected person and treatments.

What is coimetrophobia?

Coimetrophobia is the irrational fear of cemeteries and related aspects such as corpses, tombstones, thanatopraxia, zombies, among others. Although it may seem that this specific phobia should be common, the truth is that feeling a high degree of fear towards cemeteries is not as common as one might expect.

Cemeteries, in themselves, are places that generate certain discomfort and, in most cultures, the afterlife is something seen as disturbing. However, coimetrophobic people not only show fear of cemeteries, but they actually show very exaggerated emotional and physiological responses to these types of places.

This phobia can prove to be very harmful to the life of those who suffer from it, since the mere thought of a funeral, seeing the obituaries or having to pass near a cemetery are situations that generate a lot of anxiety. In addition, physical problems such as a sudden increase in heart rate and hyperventilation may occur, along with panic attacks.

It is common for people who have choimetrophobia to also manifest other phobias related to death and the unknown such as acluphobia (fear of the dark) and phasmophobia (fear of ghosts).

Symptoms

As in most phobias, the main symptom in coimetrophobia is anxiety Depending on the degree of severity, someone who suffers from this type of phobia may change their daily habits, such as going to the supermarket or meeting friends, to avoid having to walk past a cemetery at all costs. These examples are cases of avoidance behaviors.

Anxiety can occur just by thinking about a cemetery or being near it, accompanied by muscle rigidity, dizziness, tremors, tachycardia, hyperventilation, nausea, dry mouth and sweating, in addition to reaching the point of suffering a panic attack. You can also become mute and have disorganized speech.

Impact on daily life

Although going to the cemetery is not an everyday task nor is it the main leisure place on the agenda of most, The truth is that not being able to even get close to one can be very problematic

Although with the expansion of cities the cemeteries have been moved to the outskirts, there are still some that are located in the center. It is common for coimetrophobic people to avoid passing by the same street where there is a cemetery, a tombstone store or a cremation site.

This can be detrimental to the well-being of the person with choimetrophobia, since, for example, if their friends decide to stay near the area where there is a cemetery, the person simply will not want to stay, something that can harm their sociability. in the long run.

One of the situations in which this phobia can manifest itself most clearly is at a funeral These types of events are very important socially, since they are a show of affection and respect towards the deceased. Not attending this type of celebration is not socially acceptable, and the coimetrophobic person who is absent may feel bad for not having gone to say goodbye to a loved one.

Possible causes of this phobia

There is no clear cause for the development of this phobia Genetics and environment, as in most phobias, can be factors that influence the appearance of coimetrophobia.

Because in Western cultures death is treated as a taboo and negative topic, cemeteries are perceived as extremely negative places, this being an important cultural cause in the development of the phobia.

Fear of the unknown, myths about cemeteries and associated urban legends can contribute to developing coimetrophobia. This phobia also seems to be closely related to the fear of being buried alive.

Traumatic events can also be a condition for developing the phobia. For example, having seen a horror movie when you were a child or having suffered an unpleasant experience when attending a funeral.

Treatment

As it is a rare and very specific phobia, there are no specialized manuals on its treatment However, general treatment for anxiety disorders can be used.

Among the most common treatments for phobias is exposure. The objective of this type of therapy is to desensitize the person to what makes them afraid, in this case cemeteries.

A good way to work on this is to gradually get the person closer to a cemetery, be able to watch movies where there are scenes that occur in a place of this type or talk about death. Through cognitive-behavioral therapy, techniques can be taught and skills perfected to work on anxiety about cemeteries.

If necessary, the most useful pharmacology to work on phobias are anxiolytics and antidepressants. These drugs help reduce the person’s anxiety, in addition to preventing panic attacks from occurring. It is also a good idea to reduce the consumption of caffeinated substances, such as coffee and tea, given their physiological activation effects.

Mindfulness, guided meditation, yoga and exercise have been shown to be useful in working on phobias, such as the fear of cemeteries. Mindfulness allows us to work on full awareness, and teach the person that indeed we are all going to die one day, that it is something normal and that we should not feel afraid of it. Meditation and yoga allow the body to relax when there is a stressful situation associated with thinking about cemeteries.

Exercise, especially that which activates the circulatory system, such as anaerobic exercise, helps to de-stress, in addition to secreting endorphins in the brain that induce a feeling of well-being and calm.