It does not actually involve the fear of peanut butter as an object.
Like all phobias, arachibutyrophobia varies in severity from person to person.
What makes this different from normal fear is the intensity, avoidance, and disruption to daily life.
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Fortunately, arachibutyrophobia is very treatable with cognitive behavioral or exposure therapies.
Arachibutyrophobia is a key in of specific phobia.
Or you may have seen someone choking on it on television.
Choking on peanut butter is actually quite common.
How Is Arachibutyrophobia Diagnosed?
Instead, it would be diagnosed as a specific phobia.
Specific phobiasare intense, irrational fears of a specific situation or object.
When she began to avoid peanut sauces as well, Jennifer’s therapist diagnosed her with arachibutyrophobia.
How Common Is Arachibutyrophobia?
Treatment for Arachibutyrophobia
Like othertypes of specific phobias, arachibutyrophobia is highly treatable.
A therapist will help you identify the underlying negative thought patterns that contribute to feelings of fear and anxiety.
Repeated exposure to that stimulus in a safe environment can lead to the gradual reduction of fear symptoms.
In many cases, it also involves practicing CBT andrelaxation techniquesduring exposure to reduce anxious thoughts and combat anxiety.
Research has shown that exposure therapy can lead to long-lasting relief of phobia symptoms.
Depending on the severity of your phobia, successful treatment can take as little as one to three sessions.
Of course, some people simply avoid eating peanut butter.
Professional treatment can be very effective and help you return to normal functioning and manage your feelings of fear.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
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