Myrmecophobia

Myrmecophobia is the inexplicable fear of ants.[1] It is a type of specific phobia. It is common for those who suffer from myrmecophobia to also have a wider fear of insects in general, as well as spiders (see Arachnophobia). Such a condition is known as entomophobia. This fear can manifest itself in several ways, such as a fear of ants contaminating a person's food supply, or fear of a home invasion by large numbers of ants.[2] The term myrmecophobia comes from the Greek μύρμηξ, myrmex, meaning "ant" and φόβος, phóbos, "fear".

Adding to the why myrmecophobia is possible, here is a list of symptoms that come with having the fear of ant. Myrmecophobia can cause psychological symptoms and physical symptoms. In psychological symptoms people can experience anxiety, intrusive thoughts, sleeping problems, and avoidance.[3] In physical symptoms people can experience sweating, increased heart rate, shortness of breaths, tumbling, panic, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, headaches, and numbness.[3] Myrmecophobia may be the result of earlier traumatic experiences that can be directly (or indirectly) linked to the object or situational fear, but this is not always the case; phobic responses can also be inherited as learned behaviours from the social context in which they were brought up[4] This is informing us that having this phobia might not be triggered by itself but by other causes like things that you have experienced earlier in life that reminds you of something that can connect to ant or insects.

In 2019, an Israeli study from Ariel University and Bar-Ilan University suggested that exposure to short clips from the Ant-Man movies could help to reduce an individual's phobia.[5]

Adding on to ways reduce or over come this phobia is by therapy, not only regular therapy but exposure therapy. In Psych Times studies "Exposure therapy may be able to help reduce the symptoms of myrmecophobia also. This form of therapy would work by slowly exposing the patient to ants. Depending on the severity of the patients myrmecophobia, the exposure therapy treatment may start off by showing the patient pictures of ants, videos of ants, and then to ultimately have them be near ants in real life with little to no irrational anxiety."[6] This can be one of the many ways to reduce the fear of ants and to insects, furthermore there are more therapies that help with this fear, for example, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a therapy that will help by changing the mind perspective on many things and it will help overcome any complications,[7] in this case it will help with myrmecophobia by making you calm down and process what you are thinking and feeling so you can realize what is the reason you feel the way you are feeling.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Definition of MYRMECOPHOBIC". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  2. ↑ Korgeski, Gregory P. (2009), "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Phobias", Penguin: 62, ISBN 978-1-59257-919-8, retrieved 2011-08-18
  3. 1 2 admin (2022-12-17). "Fear of Ants - Myrmecophobia". FearAZ.com. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  4. ↑ PaulLee (2015-03-24). "Myrmecophobia Counselling Wolverhampton | Tranceform Psychology". Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  5. ↑ Gabe Friedman (April 25, 2019). "Israeli Researchers: "Spider Man" movies decrease Spider Phobia". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Myrmecophobia (Fear of Ants)". Psych Times. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  7. ↑ "Overview - Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)". nhs.uk. 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
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