Astraphobia
Astraphobia | |
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Other names | Astrapophobia Brontophobia Keraunophobia Tonitrophobia |
Lightning strikes during a storm | |
Specialty | Psychology |
Astraphobia, also known as astrapophobia, brontophobia, keraunophobia, or tonitrophobia, is an abnormal
Signs and symptoms
A person with astraphobia will often feel anxious during a thunderstorm even when they understand that the threat to them is minimal. Some symptoms are those accompanied with many phobias, such as
A typical sign that someone has astraphobia is a very heightened interest in weather forecasts. A person with astraphobia may be alert for news of incoming storms. They may watch the weather on television constantly during rainy bouts and may even track thunderstorms online. This can become severe enough that the person may not go outside without checking the weather first. This can lead to anxiety and in very extreme cases, agoraphobia, the fear of leaving the home.[2]
Children
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In 2007, scientists found astraphobia is the third most prevalent phobia in the US.[3] It can occur in people of any age. It occurs in many children, and should not be immediately identified as a phobia because children naturally go through many fears as they mature. Their fear of thunder and lightning cannot be considered a fully developed phobia unless it persists for more than six months. In this case, the child's phobia should be addressed, as it may become a serious problem in adulthood.
To lessen a child's fear during thunderstorms, the child can be distracted by games and activities. A bolder approach is to treat the storm as an entertainment.
Diagnosis
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Treatment
The most widely used and possibly the most effective treatment for astraphobia is exposure to thunderstorms and eventually building an immunity. Some other treatment methods include
Dogs and cats
Dogs may exhibit severe anxiety during thunderstorms; between 15 and 30 percent may be affected.
Studies have also shown that cats can be afraid of thunderstorms. Whilst it is less common, cats have been known to hide under a table or behind a couch during a thunderstorm.[7]
Generally if any animal is anxious during a thunderstorm or any similar, practically harmless event (e.g. fireworks display), it is advised to simply continue behaving normally, instead of attempting to comfort animals.[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ Johnson, Trevor "Fear of Thunder - Dealing With Astraphobia." Fear of Thunder- Dealing with Astraphobia. 30 Jan. 2009. EzineArticles.com. 14 Oct 2009
- ^ Lalramengmawii (May 2020). "A Case of Astraphobia Induce Severe Anxiety in Human". Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. 12: 656–657.
- ISBN 978-0-495-59911-1.
- ^ Fritscher, Lisa Astraphobia - Fear of Thunder and Lightning Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine. 30 Apr. 2011. About.com. Retrieved on 30 June 2014.
- ^ a b "Research aimed at finding way to soothe thunderstorm-stressed doggos". Pennsylvania State University. Archived from the original on 2012-12-14. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
- University of Illinois. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ Cato (2010-08-03). "Thunderstorms Phobia in Cats – Cats and Thunderstorms". Our-cats.com. Retrieved 2011-10-26.