Theophobia (fear Of Religion): What It Is, Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
In recent years, cases of a type of specific phobia have been detected in which various psychological and physiological symptoms have been observed triggered by circumstances that were related to religion (e.g. suffering from sweating, nausea and a feeling of danger when going to to a religious act, when entering a temple, etc.).
Theophobia is fundamentally characterized by the unjustified, abnormal and persistent aversion or fear of everything that is related to religion and to God and, above all, due to the fear of suffering divine punishment, this type of specific phobia being the most common among those people who have grown up in an environment of strong religiosity.
In this article we will talk in greater detail about theophobia, explaining what the main symptoms are and how it can be treated in therapy.
The term theophobia, also frequently called zeusophobia, refers to that irrational and excessive fear towards religions, towards God and towards everything that is related to religious issues and ideas but above all theophobia is the fear of suffering divine punishment.
Therefore, when a person has theophobia they can express it through anger, aversion and/or fear or any negative emotion towards religious practices and anything related to religion.
It is quite common that people who suffer from theophobia tend to avoid places of worship (e.g., synagogues, mosques, churches, monasteries, etc.), and perhaps even the adherents of a religion. In these cases, the person may also suffer from “hamartophobia”, which is the irrational fear of sinning.
Symptoms of theophobia
Theophobia is not a very common phobia, so it is not explicitly reflected in any of the most important diagnostic manuals on mental disorders (DSM-5 and ICD-11), although in this case could be considered a specific phobia ; However, since some cases have been detected where symptoms compatible with this type of phobia were present, we will explain a brief adaptation based on the symptoms of a specific phobia.
1. Theophobia adapted to the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5
Firstly, one of the main symptoms that must occur in a specific phobia, such as theophobia in this case, is anxiety or intense fear of everything related to God and religion, and especially of possible divine punishment.
Furthermore, this anxiety or fear must be totally disproportionate to the real danger that religion or God represents in everyday life, since they may come to think that something bad is going to happen to them for no apparent reason. On the other hand, anxiety or fear cannot be explained by the use of drugs and/or medications, nor by another mental disorder.
Another compatible symptom would be the strong avoidance of everything that is related to God or religion.
These symptoms should be present for 6 months or even longer and can cause significant deterioration at various important levels of the subject’s life (work-academic, family and social).
2. Theophobia adapted to the ICD-11 diagnostic criteria
Below we will explain an adaptation of the ICD-11 diagnostic criteria for specific phobias to possible cases of theophobia.
Firstly, for a case of theophobia to be detected, there must be excessive or marked anxiety or fear on the part of the person that manifests itself at the moment in which the person is exposed to everything that is related to religion and God ( e.g., entering a church) and especially the fear of suffering divine punishment. Besides, those symptoms of anxiety or fear must be disproportionate to the real danger.
If the person is exposed to anything that is related to religion (e.g., a religious monument, people with a religious office, etc.), they will cope with intense fear and will normally avoid exposing themselves to that type of situations.
It is important to highlight that the symptoms of theophobia should not have occurred punctually but it would have to be present for several months to be able to take into account that this type of phobia is occurring.
On the other hand, it should be noted that the symptoms of theophobia, to be considered as a type of phobia, should be severe enough to cause discomfort and/or deterioration in the person who is experiencing them.
3. Other observable manifestations to detect a case of theophobia
When we are faced with a case of theophobia, there are a series of manifestations that can be observed, so it is important to know what they are in order to decide what would be the most appropriate psychological treatment and techniques for that case.
The manifestations in a case of theophobia that can be observed and that are of greatest importance are those mentioned below:
Notably We are not dealing with a clinical picture included in the manuals of mental disorders, although we wanted to inform about its existence because real cases have been detected. It is advisable that in such a case it is a mental health specialist who exhaustively evaluates the clinical characteristics of the patient in order to determine whether there is a case of theophobia or not.
Furthermore, for a case of theophobia to occur, it is not enough for the person who comes to see one of the observable manifestations that we have just listed to exist in isolation, but rather several of them should occur and also for at least a few months. (6 according to the DSM-5), as happens in any type of specific phobia.
Related article: “How to overcome a couple crisis due to fertility problems”
Causes
Below we will talk about the possible causes of theophobia, since it is important that they be taken into account in order to implement prevention plans to prevent this type of phobias from continuing to develop.
1. Having suffered a traumatic experience
One of the main causes usually occurs in those cases in which the person who suffers from theophobia has lived a traumatic situation due to certain actions, having considered that it has been a punishment for not having done the right thing, this being a predisposing factor. This usually occurs in people who have grown up in a religious family environment.
It may also have been triggered by having suffered a traumatic experience during a religious act or due to some action committed towards him by a parishioner.
You may be interested: “What is trauma and how does it influence our lives?”
2. Suffer from other mental disorders
In other cases, theophobia can develop as a consequence of another mental disorder so this phobia could exacerbate symptoms and worsen the prognosis for the course of the disorder and the effectiveness of psychological treatment.
Theophobia treatment
In a case of theophobia it is advisable consult with a mental health professional who can evaluate whether the symptoms are compatible with the possible diagnosis, in which case psychological treatment could be carried out.
First of all, during psychological therapy they could be used techniques such as cognitive restructuring in order to modify those irrational beliefs related to their fear and aversion towards everything related to religion.
Secondly, the patient is usually trained in the use of relaxation techniques so that they can implement them in the face of thoughts and experiences that cause this theophobia. It can also be a good tool to carry out the exposure technique to different stimuli that cause discomfort (e.g., entering a church, being able to talk to a parishioner, etc.). It is important to highlight that this process must be carried out progressively and without forcing until the patient is able to face situations of fear and/or anxiety.
However, it should be noted that in the case of having developed theophobia due to having suffered a traumatic experience, it would be more convenient to carry out a specific treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
It should be noted that the type of treatment that would be carried out in the face of a theophobic disorder will depend on various factors (e.g., characteristics of the patient, severity of the disorder and symptoms, comorbidity or not with other disorders, therapeutic current followed. mental health professional, etc.).
