A phobia related to more severe storm activity
What Is Lilapsophobia?
This article covers the definition of lilapsophobia, its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
Symptoms of Lilapsophobia
Many of us have fears of inclement weather, and fear can be adaptive.
Mike Hollingshead / Getty Images
The symptoms of lilapsophobia, however, are not adaptive.
In fact, they are often debilitating and actually prevent a person from functioning during a storm crisis.
In fact, a person can betriggeredjust by thinking about a tornado or hurricane.
Many people find that lilapsophobia is worsened by being alone.
You might call friends in a panic, or arrange your schedule so that you are rarely alone.
Or, you mightve narrowly avoided injury or damage done by a tornado in a neighboring town or area.
In addition to lilapsophobia, it is possible that you are experiencingpost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Lilapsophobia, like many phobias, may also be learned.
If phobias run in your family, you may be more likely to develop one yourself.
There may also be another fear underlying your lilapsophobia.
Research indicates that thefear of deathactually plays a role in the predisposition to multiple mental health disorders.
Speaking with a mental health professional can help you to understand what factors contribute to your lilapsophobia.
Lilapsophobia is obviously in the weather subtype.
A doctor or mental health professional uses certain criteria to diagnose a phobia.
Treatment Options for Lilapsophobia
Like many phobias, lilapsophobia is often treated with therapy and medication.
Lifestyle changes can also help alleviate anxiety sparked by your phobia.
Therapy
There areseveral optionsto choose from when treating anxiety disorders and phobias.
Your therapist may also useexposure therapy, which involves systematic desensitization or flooding techniques.
Before you get started, you will learn relaxation and distraction techniques.
You wouldnt be asked to put yourself in any real danger by going out into a dangerous storm.
However, exposure therapy can be a helpful method of alleviating storm-related anxiety you face in your day-to-day life.
Hypnotherapyhas also been shown to help people with specific phobias.
A hypnotherapist will discuss your fear with you as well as the triggers related to your phobia.
Your therapist will be able to diagnose the root of your phobia and prescribe the best course of action.
In certain cases,anti-anxiety medicationssuch as benzodiazepines likeXanax (alprazolam)may be prescribed.
However,benzodiazepinescan be habit-forming.
Lifestyle Changes
Trying to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle will help reduce overall anxiety levels.
Support Groups
Support groups can be helpful for people with specific phobias.
Even if others in the group have different phobias than you, sharing your experience can be therapeutic.
As an adult, she fights the resulting lilapsophobia by becoming a storm chaser.
Although news coverage is certainly important, it is equally important to put such coverage into perspective.
While small weather events happen frequently, only severe storms are deemed newsworthy.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Final Thoughts
It can be challenging and frustrating to cope with lilapsophobia.
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