It’s not a trick or a treat, this phobia is very real!
The Samhain festival was centered around massive bonfires, ritual sacrifices to the gods, and fortune-telling.
Participants generally wore costumes made from animal skins.
Anton Petrus / Getty Images
What Causes Samhainophobia?
Specific phobias involve an irrational and excessive fear that is related to a specific object or situation.
The causes samhainophobia may, therefore, be similar to the causes of other kinds of specific phobias.
The holiday’s pagan roots and traditional association with ghosts and witchcraft may contribute to the fear of Halloween.
For others, modern Halloween traditions may be a source of fear.
For some people, the fear of Halloween is based on other specific phobias.
Those who fear the holiday may have difficulty at work or school events as well as social activities.
If your fear is relatively mild, you may be able to combat it with basic coping techniques.
These may include:
If your fear is more severe, however, professional assistance may be required.
Therapeutic approaches such assystematic desensitizationare generally very effective in treating specific phobias.
Samra CK, Abdijadid S.Specific Phobia.
In: StatPearls [Internet].
Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
