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Hello, dear readers of the site! Ergophobia is an irrational fear of looking for work and working in principle. This is not at all a lack of ambition, determination and the presence of laziness, as it might seem at first glance.
A person is really terribly afraid of taking responsibility for performing some tasks, joining a new team, and so on.
And today we will consider the main reasons that provoke the development of this phobia. As well as the main signs and methods of treatment.
After all, as you understand, not every adult on the planet can afford to simply relax, receiving at least a minimal income, without making any effort at all.
What is it like?
Ergophobia comes from the Greek «ergon», which means «work» and, accordingly, «phobos» — fear. There is also another term, ergasiophobia, you can use any of them, both characterize the same disorder.
Which, by the way, is most often concomitant, or as a result of a more serious disease.
That is, for example, individuals with schizophrenia are generally disgusted or horrified when they are told about the need to earn a living, perform some monotonous tasks and realize their potential.
Ergophobes also worry that they will not cope with their duties and will be yelled at by management. That colleagues will notice their anxiety, which is why they will shun communication and cooperation in general.
They are afraid in principle to go in search of work. Especially if you have to face rejection, depreciation. Phobs are unable to advertise and promote their services.
In general, their life is not easy enough. Anxiety and tension can lead to the fact that such a person is simply isolated from society. Which requires him to comply with generally accepted standards.
After all, if someone close to you does not provide for the needs, where do you get money for food, a roof over your head, medicines and clothes?
Social isolation threatens with depression, nervous exhaustion, degradation and the emergence of various diseases that may well be incurable.
Symptoms
Just at the thought of having to go to an interview, call a potential employer, a fob can have a panic attack. Dealing with which on your own is quite difficult.
If only because a person is not able to control his behavior and somatic symptoms. At such a moment, he loses the ability to think rationally, critically.
His consciousness becomes tunnel, that is, he perceives only the information that directly relates to the subject of his fear.
For example, after somehow reaching the office and going into the office of the head, he gets scared and decides to urgently hide or get home, where it is safe and nothing forces him to work, living in horror.
Only now, in a panic, he risks falling out of the window, because in such a state it is not always possible to understand that the best way to leave the room is through the door. Thoughts are confused, feelings are so off scale in intensity that the ergophobe resembles just a distraught person.
He sweats a lot, stumbles, gasps for air, because he lacks oxygen.
This happens due to hyperventilation of the lungs due to frequent and shallow breathing. He begs for help, crying loudly. It happens that he grabs his heart, which frightens even more.
Often there is nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness and even loss of consciousness. The stomach hurts, the pressure rises and the skin turns red. Arms, legs, chin and voice tremble, as if a person had just been taken out of icy water.
Having experienced such a set of symptoms at least once, an ergophobe will be afraid to simply leave the house so that the situation does not happen again. After all, panic attacks sometimes happen completely unexpectedly.
It is not necessary to get into conditions that cause horror. A person, even talking nicely over a cup of coffee with friends, runs the risk of suddenly starting to suffocate. Because of the sudden panic.
And then also be ashamed of your behavior, which is sure to attract attention.
Causes
Mental disorders
As already mentioned, ergasiophobia often occurs in parallel or subsequently with other mental illnesses. Most often it is schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, clinical depression.
Negative experience
An unpleasant incident that occurred in a work environment can be so traumatic for a person that it will provoke the development of ergophobia.
For example, dismissal, criticism of the head at a meeting with colleagues, countless refusals to hire.
And it happens that a person copes with such difficulties quite well, but an accident occurs at work when a colleague dies or a robbery occurs.
These are abnormal situations, therefore it is quite natural that not everyone can survive them and appropriate them as an experience. Then, every time you think about work, pictures of those terrible events will “pop up” quite unconsciously.
There is such a term as flashback. This is when a person develops a post-traumatic syndrome after receiving a psychological trauma. Usually it is with witnesses, participants and victims of disasters, wars, accidents, and so on.
So, if something accidentally reminds of that day, a smell, a word, a person, but just thoughts, how this flashback occurs. A person experiences feelings of the same intensity, as he loses touch with reality and it seems to him that he was there again.
Features of personality
People with low self-esteem, impressionable, anxious and suspicious are at risk for any kind of phobia.
Since too much energy and attention is spent on experiences, the nervous system is gradually depleted, resembling a bare wire. When the slightest failure provokes a whole stream of tears, as if a terrible grief happened.
So, they are not able to cope with rejection and devaluation. And they are ready to be content with little, not daring to realize their desires and dreams, if only to exclude the possibility of getting into a situation where they will be evaluated and so on.
Treatment
Self-medication in this case is dangerous, it is recommended to contact qualified specialists. Which will select individual methods that will help directly in your case.
Suppose, if there is a history of schizophrenia, relying on willpower and demanding that you stop being lazy, as you yourself understand, will be a waste of time.
Even if ergophobia arose after receiving a psychological trauma, drawing up a plan for the nearest development and studying ways to increase motivation will also be ineffective.
Anxiety loosens the nervous system, so it is important to take sedatives and tranquilizers for a certain period of time.
This will relieve bouts of irritability, despair, balance the mood and help achieve relaxation and tranquility.
Sleeping pills will make it possible to improve sleep, especially if you were tormented by nightmares. All of the above medicines are prescribed by a psychiatrist; they simply will not be issued in a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription.
The psychotherapist will also help to investigate what exactly provoked the development of this disorder. Offer constructive ways to deal with your feelings and what to do when a panic attack occurs and becomes very scary.
In the treatment of phobic disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy, gestalt and hypnosis have shown the best results.
To speed up the healing process and to prevent the development of ergophobia, it is recommended to practice auto-training for relaxation, use breathing, meditative techniques to achieve a sense of harmony and balance.
Completion
And that’s all for today, dear readers! If you are interested in finding out what types of phobic disorders still exist, subscribe to site updates and go to the “Phobias and Fears” section.
We update it daily with new articles about unique and sometimes very rare types of mental illness. For example, did you know that there are people who are terribly afraid of balloons?
Take care of yourself and be happy!
The material was prepared by a psychologist, Gestalt therapist, Zhuravina Alina