Do you like Halloween? Because it is a party that generates their filias and their phobias . And never better said, since Samhainophobia or fear of Halloween is more than a rejection of the celebration itself, it is a real panic of this party and everything that surrounds it. We tell you everything about Samhainophobia in our dictionary of phobias .
What is Samhainophobia
Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween . It is a situational phobia in which the person who suffers it experiences an irrational and excessive fear of any object or situation related to this celebration. Its name refers to Samhain, the ancient Celtic celebration from which the festival that we all know derives .
But being afraid of the dead , of witches, of the night, of owls, of pumpkins or even of cats is not something that is difficult for us to understand, is it? At the end of the day it is an event that plays precisely with that world beyond and with certain situations of terror.
Symptoms of Samhainophobia
A person with Samhainophobia is not that they do not want to celebrate Halloween, it is that they may have to stay locked up at home that day and the days before to avoid any of the stimuli that cause their irrational fear. And we already know that the streets are decked out for Halloween a few days before.
Seeing a pumpkin or a shop decorated with spiders and witches can cause the person with Samhainophobia to have an anxiety attack with all the usual symptoms and can lead to a panic attack. But also, the emotional exhaustion is immense because the person who has this phobia is aware that his fear is irrational and excessive but he is unable to face it.
Causes of Samhainophobia or fear of Halloween
If it is not difficult to understand this phobia, it is not difficult to find the origin in a traumatic experience related to the context of the night of the dead. In principle, it is a fun party for children, but situations of real fear can occur.
The cultural context is also important when developing this phobia, since everything related to death , cemeteries and the night usually produces a certain fear, sometimes deliberately caused. An anxiety disorder is all it takes for that fear to turn into a phobic disorder.
Treatment of Samhainophobia
Although the fear of Halloween does not condition your life, since it is a specific time and you may be able to avoid it without great problems, you need a treatment for your phobia . Phobias, even if they are not limiting, must be overcome to avoid other more serious disorders.
A psychological treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy will help you transform the distorted thinking that makes you consider Halloween a danger. And it will also help you to modify your behavior in the face of the situation, to stop being afraid of it. If you accompany the therapy with the usual practice of relaxation techniques , you will see how anxiety is reduced.