Who is not afraid of pain? Some phobias surprise us because of the stimulus of fear, because we find it curious and because in many cases we do not see any danger or any reason to fear. This is not the case with algophobia, since we can perfectly understand the fear of pain and, in fact, it is an adaptive fear. However, as we explain in our dictionary of phobias , when fear is excessive, it must be considered a disorder. So is the algofobia or the fear of experiencing pain .
What is algophobia
Algofobia is the fear of pain, of experiencing pain or the sensation of pain. This may seem more or less logical, because no one likes to experience pain, but in the case of algophobia it becomes a very limiting disorder that can endanger health due to avoidance behavior.
People with algophobia are not necessarily hypochondriacal , nor do they have to be highly sensitive. They are people who at the idea of feeling pain, their body reacts as if they were in real danger and they choose avoidance behavior. And to be honest, on occasion you have to experience pain, it cannot always be avoided.
Symptoms of algophobia
People who are afraid to go to the dentist , for example, because sometimes it hurts. Or any kind of doctor, an injection or they may also have a blood phobia. Everything that can be related to a painful sensation causes a series of reactions and anxiety symptoms that will increase as the situation approaches.
Fear, nervousness, anxiety , dizziness, the sensation of suffocation at the prospect of surgery or a minor medical intervention, can be added a panic attack when the situation is already unavoidable. A simple blood draw for a routine analysis can turn into real torture.
Causes of algophobia
Phobias generally develop as a result of a traumatic experience . An accident, illness or fall with serious consequences in childhood could have been marked in the memory of that person in a way that now identifies any type of pain with a high emotional charge and also negative.
We insist that it is normal to be afraid of pain. But with algophobia fear is amplified, as well as the feeling of danger and the sensitive experience itself. A small prick from an injection is for people who suffer from algophobia an unbearable pain to which is added anxiety, fear and panic .
Treatment of algophobia
Algophobia is a disorder that must be treated as soon as possible since the avoidance behavior present in all phobias can cause these people to self-medicate so as not to feel any pain. Or even delay the visit to the doctor before any health problem for fear of an intervention in which they will surely feel some pain.
The fear of pain is not a phobia that can be treated on its own. You have to put yourself in the hands of professionals who will surely use cognitive behavioral therapy to overcome algophobia . The use of gradual exposure therapies to the stimulus of the phobia, in this case pain, is not ruled out as support. But as we say, everything has to be done by a professional.
Due to the anxious component that all phobic disorders present, there is something that we can do for ourselves: practice meditation or some relaxation techniques to reduce nervousness.