Eisoptrophobia, The Fear Of One’s Reflection: Symptoms, And What To Do
Eisoptrophobia consists of an irrational fear of seeing one’s own image reflected in a mirror More specifically, those who suffer from it experience intense fear at the idea of seeing something terrifying in the mirror, such as ghosts, spirits, etc.
Although the person is able to see the irrational and absurd within their fear, they cannot help but feel it, just as it works in most phobias. This aspect It is related to superstitious thinking, where it is believed that seeing one’s own image reflected in a mirror can lead to something bad happening, and likewise if the mirror breaks. Taking into account the cultural aspect here is important.
Eisoptrophobia is also associated, within anxiety disorders, with rejection of one’s own image When we do not have an adequate vision of ourselves but quite the opposite, when we see ourselves reflected in a mirror we are faced with everything that causes us to reject our own body, becoming something obsessive and something that we tend to avoid. And, on the other hand, it can be part of a more serious mental disorder.
Who suffers from eisoptrophobia It has the same symptoms that occur in any phobia when we are faced with the feared stimulus, in this case the mirrors, or we anticipate that we will be. Some of the most common symptoms are the following:
Who suffers from it?
After numerous scientifically supported investigations, we can say that phobias are learned, and some people are more vulnerable than others to developing them.
This vulnerability can occur due to several aspects, one of them, as indicated above, It has to do with the image and concept of oneself That is, those people who have low self-esteem, and focused above all on their appearance, fear looking in the mirror because what they see produces very intense feelings of rejection. Avoiding exposure to this causes anxiety to become increasingly greater and more uncontrollable.
On the other hand, all that superstitious thinking linked to the “bad luck” that comes from breaking a mirror, or breaking it by accident, as well as ideas such as that the person can see something fearful reflected in it or even that something comes out of the mirror and could hurt you, can give rise to irrational beliefs that cause and maintain the problem.
How does it harm mental health?
The consequences of any type of phobia are the limitations that the person suffers. Everything that surrounds what is feared is going to be avoided; in this case, everything that has to do with mirrors or reflective surfaces
Those who suffer from this phobia at home do not have mirrors where they can see themselves, and will avoid situations where there are mirrors, for example, social situations in restaurants, hairdressers or beauty centers, stores, etc. And the ones I can’t avoid, You will experience them with great discomfort and anxiety
These limitations cause the person to reduce their circle of social activity, and can even affect work, family and relationships.
Treatment
The treatment of eisoptrophobia is aimed at eliminate fear, unlearn what has been learned, and learn other ways to deal with the problem
The most effective therapeutic proposal today is exposure therapy It consists of exposing the person to the feared stimuli gradually, so that he becomes desensitized little by little, and providing him with anxiety management strategies, as well as restructuring maladjusted and irrational thinking.
So, self-esteem and self-confidence are recovered ; In short, you can have control of what happens, thus eliminating the limits that the disorder itself causes the person to impose on themselves.
