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We are glad to welcome you, dear readers of the site! Hylophobia is a panic fear of the forest, trees and everything connected with them.
And in this article we will try to figure out why it occurs and by what symptoms it can be diagnosed.
What is it like?
The fear of trees has many names, such as xylophobia, dendrophobia, hylophobia, chilophobia, and nyctohylophobia. They are all true, but hylophobia itself is more often used.
Just imagine how difficult it is for people diagnosed with this disorder.
Indeed, not a single yard can do without poplars, acacias, firs. And this is only in the city, to say nothing of the villages, where nature usually pleases with a riot of colors and a variety of plants.
Calmly get to work or just take a walk with loved ones fob can not afford.
Every time they see even a small tree, they experience horror. Therefore, the form of the disease gradually becomes more complicated, until it completely deprives the chilophobe of joy and pleasure from life.
Often the windows of an apartment or house are curtained with thick fabric so that at night the shadow of branches swaying in the wind does not frighten.
Or in the yard, if possible, everything is cut down to the root. To at least be able to breathe fresh air.
Although there are different types of manifestation. Some are not afraid of trees, but only a dense forest, or during the day they calmly walk, picking mushrooms, and with the onset of twilight they are horrified at the mere thought that they will have to be there.
Symptoms
The manifestation of a panic attack is characterized by such symptoms as:
- Increased blood pressure and heart rate. As a result, the head may hurt, there is redness of the skin and discomfort in the chest area. They resemble a heart attack, which makes a person even more frightened and somatic symptoms only intensify.
- Breathing becomes more frequent, which causes hyperventilation of the lungs and the fob begins to literally suffocate. Each breath is given to him with effort, provoking dizziness up to loss of consciousness.
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and pain in the stomach.
- Tremor of the limbs, unsteady gait.
- Anxiety and obsessive thoughts that do not leave for a second, forcing you to rush in search of help from the outside, or a safe shelter where there are no plants. Sobbing, tantrums usually lead to a feeling of total shame after the fob calms down. This only increases fear, because he understands that he is not able to control himself and does not understand at what point panic will overtake him. It is enough just to think about the subject of your phobia, as the above signs will flood.
Causes
Psychological trauma
If a person got into an unpleasant situation associated with a tree and did not cope with the experiences, which, quite possibly, turned out to be too intense for his psyche, then this may affect the development of a phobic disorder in him.
Suppose he or his loved ones were injured in a hurricane when branches or a trunk fell on them. Or they damaged the car, the house.
There are options when an attack was made using wooden objects.
In general, something happened that traumatized him, both emotionally and physically. For example, a fight with the use of edged weapons, the handle of which is made of such a frightening hylophobic material.
Personality traits
It is enough for impressionable, overly emotional and vulnerable people to see the news about how a tree fell and killed a random passerby. Or a scary movie where mystical creatures, maniacs and so on appeared from the thicket of the forest.
In general, information that can disrupt the mental balance of a person with a stable psyche, a hypochondriac and an impressionable one, is at risk of injuring so much that he will have a phobic disorder.
And in general, a person who grew up in an urban environment may well be afraid of the forest, as he is used to houses, curbs, fences, sidewalks. And he does not quite understand what awaits him if he gets lost in the thicket.
Yes, and an ordinary walk in the park runs the risk of not being entirely positive for him, given the nuance that a branch can get into his eye, or even fall on his head.
scary stories
The fairy tales that parents read to their children basically convey that the forest is a very dangerous place.
In the fantasies of a fob, life and health are threatened both by its inhabitants in the form of goblin and other mystical creatures, and by its very real inhabitants — predators, which are wolves, bears, foxes.
It is human nature to animate completely inanimate objects. That is, to believe that they have a soul or their owner.
Therefore, kids from the earliest years, under the influence of heard fairy tales and seen cartoons, believe in the existence of Baba Yaga and all sorts of demons.
Just like in Santa Claus or Santa Claus with the Snow Maiden. And that which is not amenable to rational explanation, as well as control, is very frightening.
Comorbid disorders
Hylophobia is often one of the main symptoms of schizophrenia or other phobic disorders.
For example, it makes itself known in combination with the fear of insects, which trees usually teem with. This is the fear of wasps, bees, butterflies, spiders, and maybe even snakes that are found in the forest.
And it happens that a person experiences a panic fear of hospitals, syringes and doctors in particular, and a bite or cut due to a wild animal must be under the control of physicians.
The victim of the attack is required to take a course of injections for rabies. Therefore, a person will avoid walking through the forest, picnics in the meadows, just not to face the need to be treated in the clinic.
Treatment
If you notice that you are really afraid of trees and are not even able to think about a trip out of town or a walk in the park, be sure to contact a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.
In addition to knowing for sure whether you are a person with a phobic disorder or not. So you can also find out what reasons provoked your panic attacks and fear of the forest in general.
The most effective in this matter are Gestalt therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnosis. These are completely different directions with different techniques and methods.
You can choose directly the approach that will be more understandable and close.
Consultation with a psychiatrist is necessary in order to alleviate your well-being.
I mean, the fob usually doesn’t sleep well because he has nightmares. Therefore, it would be appropriate to take sleeping pills that are not dispensed without a doctor’s prescription.
Dendrophobia can also be accompanied by depression with suicidal tendencies. A person is isolated from society, afraid to leave the house or even go to the window.
This, of course, brings a lot of suffering and pain into his life. It is impossible to be anxious every day. And antidepressants and sedatives help to even out the condition, experience a whole range of feelings, in addition to fear and horror.
Completion
And that’s all for today, dear readers! Stay with us by subscribing to site updates. And you will find out what other phobias exist. Believe me, there are many of them, and we try to introduce each of them daily.
For example, anthophobia is a bit similar to hylophobia — it is a panic fear of flowers, mostly in pots.
Follow the link and you will find out more information about it. And even better, immediately go to the «Phobias and Fears» section.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones!
The material was prepared by a psychologist, Gestalt therapist, Zhuravina Alina