Mastigophobia (phobia Of Punishment): Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
Phobias are a very common group of anxiety disorders. In fact, and although they are rarely the main reason for consultation for a Psychology professional, they are the most frequent comorbid problem in other clinical entities of the same category (generalized anxiety, for example).
Those who suffer from a phobia experience an overwhelming fear, which they usually perceive as uncontrollable, and which conditions the way in which they live life or carry out activities that are meaningful to them.
In this article we will address mastigophobia, a relatively common fear in childhood and that has proven to have very deep roots. Here we will talk about its clinical expression, the potential underlying causes and the psychological treatment currently available.
Mastigophobia (also called poinephobia) consists of a widespread, irrational and disproportionate fear of punishment It is a word composed of the confluence of two terms that come from Greek: “mastigos” (which could be translated as whip or flagellum) and “phobos” (which would mean fear or aversion). It describes any irrational panic reaction at the time a corrective is applied, and that exceeds what would be foreseeable based on its intensity or the immediate conditions in which it occurs.
It is important to consider, however, that punishments are strategies aimed at reducing the frequency with which behavior considered undesirable (for the child or for third parties) is observed. That is why, implicitly, an aversive quality is attributed to them on which their effectiveness is based. This fear, therefore, must be differentiated in a matter of degree from what is expected under normal conditions during the application of the procedure; in such a way that it conditions the way in which children (who are the most affected by this disorder) feel, think and act.
Below are the forms that mastigophobia can take on a clinical level. Although they most commonly occur in childhood, occasionally the fear can persist into adulthood.
In general fear is projected towards both physical and psychological punishment , and precipitates a physiological reaction similar to that of a panic attack. Likewise, the phobia extends to positive punishments (production of an aversive stimulus) and negative punishments (withdrawal of something that the child perceives as pleasant or reinforcing). Both behavior modification strategies have been the subject of debate in recent years.
The feelings of anxiety that emerge in the context of mastigophobia, as a result of punishment or its anticipation, are very similar to those described in other phobic conditions. For descriptive purposes, three relatively independent essential areas can be differentiated (although they have multiple relationships with each other): physiological, cognitive and motor.
At a physiological level, hyperactivation of the autonomic nervous system is observed, and specifically of its sympathetic branch (tachycardia, tachypnea, sweating, tremors, etc.). At a cognitive level, concern and catastrophic interpretation of fictions are very relevant that happen within normal coexistence. At the motor level, finally, the avoidance of any situation that could lead to the imposition of physical or psychological punishment stands out, even if there is only a remote possibility for any of them.
2. Fear of receiving physical punishment
Children who suffer from mastigophobia fear being victims of physical punishment (spanking, for example) as a result of having carried out a behavior considered undesirable by those people (parents, for example) who could administer it. This feeling does not always have an objective basis, so it can extend even to those who do not seek to generate any punitive situation.
This phenomenon is common in children who are adopted by a new family after having gone through traumatic experiences of physical abuse with their original caregivers. The previous parenting style would facilitate learning about the dynamics of conflict resolution that would extend to the current environment. It is because of that They react with enormous shock when the adoptive parents They confront or correct them for disruptive behavior, even though they do so in an appropriate way and without any fuss.
Children with mastigophobia are very sensitive to the facial expression associated with anger, an emotion that often anticipated the physical punishments they suffered throughout their lives. It is a learning process forged over a long time, from which it is possible to predict a negative and potentially dangerous stimulus. Over the years, disproportionate vigilance toward hostile nonverbal cues may remain.
3. Fear of receiving psychological punishment
Punishments can be both physical and psychological. The latter case includes behaviors such as contempt, isolation, threats, unjustified disapproval or insults. Those who suffer from this phobia show overwhelming fear during any interaction in which these adverse exchanges may occur, which is why they develop behavior aimed at avoiding them at all costs. So, They can assume an overly accommodating attitude toward others despite the fact that clear abuse is occurring in their relationships.
One of the situations that generate the greatest anxiety for people who suffer from this disorder are the silences resulting from a situation of interpersonal conflict. The fact of feeling ignored is perceived as a punitive act of unbearable dimensions, in which intense bodily sensations emerge that can progress to an acute condition of hyperarousal (such as nausea, abdominal discomfort, tachycardia, tachypnea, etc.).
4. Anxious anticipation of potential punishment
Children with this phobia have the feeling that they could be susceptible to punishment anywhere and for any reason. The moment they are aware that they have done something reprehensible, they harbor an intense fear of being discovered, due to the possibility that their behavior will be reproached or that they will be reprimanded.
All this leads to a constant worry about what might happen as well as disproportionate ideas (suffering severe corrections for an innocuous, accidental or involuntary act).
5. Disproportionate reactions to errors
Children who suffer from mastigophobia are hypervigilant about any mistake they might make, so Fallibility also becomes a fact that triggers anxiety levels (physiological, cognitive and motor). For this reason, they invest overwhelming efforts in many of their activities. It is essential to note that they would not engage in them for the intrinsic pleasure of performing them correctly (or for mastery motivation), but out of fear that the error could precipitate the feared punishment. They would not seek the good, but would flee from the bad.
This expression of mastigophobia is common in children whose parents opted for authoritarian parenting styles, aimed at exclusively reinforcing achievements and systematically punishing any deviation from them. This pattern would forge a painful perfectionism that does not pursue excellence, but rather the avoidance of harm.
Why does mastigophobia occur?
Mastigophobia is common in those children who They have received an upbringing based on the use of punishments, both positive and negative , in order to systematically correct their way of proceeding. It is especially common in cases in which their application was excessive, resulting in physical damage or deprivation of activities necessary for healthy physical/emotional development (beating, permanent prohibition of sharing time with friends, etc.).
Cases of children with mastigophobia who They report a serious history of abuse behind their backs , and who live in constant fear of receiving punishment for their actions. Through sensitive investigation of the past, it is often possible to detect the point from which this disorder was articulated, which is usually associated with the deterioration of self-esteem and a self-esteem weighed down by the belief of being “undesirable and/or inappropriate.” It can also appear as a consequence of having observed how severe punishments were applied to others (siblings, schoolmates, etc.).
What is the treatment of mastigophobia?
The treatment of mastigophobia is complex, as it must integrate many domains of childhood experience: past experiences of a traumatic or severely hostile nature, deterioration in identity formation, persistent difficult emotions and even adaptive difficulties in areas such as school or home. . Parents must also be involved to offer adequate psychoeducation about the way in which reinforcements and punishments are correctly applied (and the situations in which it is appropriate).
Rigid perfection is also a matter that often requires intervention , since the child sets a standard that is impossible to satisfy without deteriorating other key facets of his life (leisure, social relationships with his peers, etc.), and that also does not allow him to build a positive image of himself. The pattern described may end up being associated with comorbidities such as depression (which is expressed in the form of irritability during this period), or other anxious symptoms that extend into adulthood.
This is an approach that must consider the family system as a whole and be very sensitive to the specific needs of the child. Cognitive-behavioral treatment allows modifying the environmental contingencies that maintain the problem and in turn explore the child’s thoughts and emotions in order to detect and discuss the beliefs that are contributing to their symptoms.
Finally, in the event that it becomes evident that the family is carrying out any form of abuse towards the child, it will be essential to report it to the competent authorities so that they can mediate the appropriate legal acts.
