Fear Of Holes
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Trypophobia is an aversion or fear of clusters of small holes, bumps, or patterns. When people see this type of cluster, they experience symptoms of disgust or fear. Examples of objects that might trigger a fear response include seed pods or a close-up image of someone's pores.
There is some debate among researchers as to whether trypophobia is a genuine condition. 1 Early reports of trypophobia were first described in an online forum in 2005, but it has not been recognized as a distinct diagnosis in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association. 2
While not listed in the DSM-5 , trypophobia would fall under the broad classification of specific phobias as long as the symptoms are persistent, excessive, and lead to significant impairment or distress.
Trypophobia is often described as “the fear of holes,” but it is important to note that it may also apply to bumps or other patterns that are closely clustered together. When people see trigger objects, they experience symptoms such as severe fear, nausea, itching, sweating, shaking, and even panic attacks . 1
Fear is one common symptom, but disgust is often described as the overwhelming emotion that people feel with this phobia . Trypophobia also tends to be highly visual. 1 Seeing images online or in print is enough to trigger feelings of revulsion or anxiety.
One case report illustrates how trypophobia often presents. 2 The patient, a 12-year-old girl, experienced feelings of discomfort when she encountered surfaces and objects covered with holes or dots. When asked to draw a picture of her fear, she filled a paper with a repetitive pattern of clustered, round dots.
While prevalence is unknown, some research indicates that trypophobia may be quite common. One 2013 study published in the journal Psychological Science found 16% of participants experienced feelings of disgust or discomfort when looking at an image of a lotus seed pod. 3
Research on trypophobia is still relatively rare, but some of the trigger objects that have been observed include: 4
Man-made patterns, as well as animals that have spotted or patterned coats, can also cause a phobic reaction.
The symptoms of this condition are similar to those of other specific phobias. After seeing clusters of small holes or bumps, whether in person or in an image, people often experience: 5
Trypophobia can lead to symptoms related to fear, disgust, or both, although research suggests that people report feeling greater disgust rather than fear. 1
In addition to experiencing symptoms such as fear and disgust, people with trypophobia will often experience behavioral changes as well. Avoidance of trigger objects is common. For example, a person might avoid eating certain foods (such as strawberries or aerated chocolate) or avoid going to certain places (such as a room with dotted wallpaper).
Research on trypophobia is still quite limited, but there are some theories about why it happens.
According to one of the most popular theories, trypophobia is an evolutionary response to things that are associated with disease or danger. 7 Diseased skin, parasites, and other infectious conditions, for example, may be characterized by such holes or bumps.
This theory suggests that this phobia has an evolutionary basis. It is also consistent with the tendency for those with trypophobia to experience greater disgust than fear when they see a trigger object.
Another theory suggests that clustered holes share a similar appearance to skin and coat patterns on some venomous animals. People may fear these patterns out of unconscious associations.
There is some research that supports this idea. A 2013 study looked at how people with trypophobia respond to certain stimuli in comparison to those without the condition. 3 When viewing a honeycomb (a common trypophobic object), people who don't have trypophobia immediately think of things such as honey or bees.
The researchers believe that those with trypophobia non-consciously associated the sight of a honeycomb with dangerous organisms that share the same basic visual characteristics, such as rattlesnakes. While they are not consciously aware of this association, it may be what causes them to feel feelings of disgust or fear.
A 2017 study found that participants tended to associate hole patterns with skin-transmitted pathogens. Study participants reported feelings of skin-itching and skin-crawling when viewing such patterns. 7
Disgust or fear of potential threats is an adaptive evolutionary response. In many cases, these feelings help keep us safe from danger. In the case of trypophobia, researchers believe it may be an overgeneralized and exaggerated form of this normally adaptive response,
Some research suggests that the discomfort people feel has more to do with the visual characteristics of the patterns themselves.
One study published in Psychological Reports found that while people experience discomfort when viewing trypophobic patterns, these feelings were more related to the visual patterns themselves than to associations with dangerous animals. 1 Such results call into question whether or not trypophobia is actually a phobia at all, or simply a natural response to certain types of visual stimuli.
Researchers have also found that people with trypophobia were more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression. 1 Symptoms of trypophobia were also found to be persistent, leading to functional impairments in daily living. The symptoms were most likely to meet the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for specific phobias rather than other conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) .
No specific treatment has been demonstrated particularly effective in the treatment of this condition. 6 However, many of the treatments used for specific phobias and mood disorders are also likely to be helpful in reducing symptoms. 8
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) involves working with a therapist to change the underlying thoughts and behaviors that might contribute to trypophobia. This might involve discussing unrealistic thoughts, replacing these with more realistic ones, and then making changes in behaviors. CBT might also involve gradual exposure to feared things or situations to decrease one's reactions to them. 9
One of the reasons people experience phobia symptoms is because they often believe there is something inherently dangerous or threatening about the fear object. This leads to negative automatic thoughts as soon as they encounter the source of their fear. 6
Exposure therapy, a type of CBT, involves progressively exposing a person to their fear object with the hope that fear symptoms will lessen over time. This process is usually done very gradually. A person may start by imagining what they fear, then looking at pictures of the fear object, and then finally being near or even touching the source of their anxiety.
In the case of trypophobia, a person with symptoms may start by simply closing his eyes and imagining something such as a honeycomb or seed pod. They will continue working on this activity until symptoms start to recede. Once he is able to imagine the object without a response, he will move onto the next step, which often involves looking at an image of an object that normally triggers symptoms. 6
Through CBT, people work to replace their often irrational beliefs and negative thoughts with more positive and realistic ones. With exposure therapy , patients may potentially encounter an object without feeling excessive disgust, fear, or anxiety.
Different relaxation strategies can also be useful for reducing feelings of disgust, fear, or anxiety. Visualization, deep breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation are a few strategies that might be helpful.
Visualization involves picturing soothing images or situations. A person with trypophobia might try to envision a beautiful sunset or a field of flowers whenever they encounter something covered with tiny holes.
A simple distraction can also be a useful coping technique. If you see something that triggers a trypophobic response, you might simply look away and find something else to think about or look at until your symptoms ease.
Anti-depressant or anti-anxiety drugs may sometimes be prescribed, particularly if the individual also experiences depression or anxiety. These may include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), benzodiazepines, or beta-blockers. 8 These medications may be used alone, but they are often used in conjunction with another treatment approach such as CBT or other types of psychotherapy.
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While trypophobia has been discussed rather extensively online, psychologists are still split on whether it represents a genuine phobia. It is not currently recognized by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
Further research is needed to determine the nature of the condition, its prevalence, and its treatment. Fortunately, most people who experience this condition can find relief through treatment options ranging from therapy to medication to self-help.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l Milosevic, Irena; McCabe, Randi E. (2015). Phobias: The Psychology of Irrational Fear . ABC-CLIO . pp. 401–402. ISBN 978-1610695763 . Retrieved October 25, 2017 .
^ Jump up to: a b Schacter, Daniel; Gilbert, Daniel; Wegner, Daniel; Hood, Bruce (2015). Psychology: Second European Edition . Palgrave Macmillan . p. 1391. ISBN 978-1137406750 . Retrieved October 25, 2017 .
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Martínez-Aguayo, Juan Carlos; Lanfranco, Renzo C.; Arancibia, Marcelo; Sepúlveda, Elisa; Madrid, Eva (2018). "Trypophobia: What Do We Know So Far? A Case Report and Comprehensive Review of the Literature" . Frontiers in Psychiatry . 9 : 15. doi : 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00015 . ISSN 1664-0640 . PMC 5811467 . PMID 29479321 .
^ Le, An T. D.; Cole, Geoff G.; Wilkins, Arnold J. (January 30, 2015). "Assessment of trypophobia and an analysis of its visual precipitation". Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology . 68 (11): 2304–22. doi : 10.1080/17470218.2015.1013970 . PMID 25635930 . S2CID 42086559 .
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Abbasi, Jennifer (July 25, 2011). "Is Trypophobia a Real Phobia?" . Popular Science . Retrieved October 2, 2012 .
^ Jump up to: a b Cole, Geoff G.; Wilkins, Arnold J. (October 2013). "Fear of Holes" (PDF) . Psychological Science . 24 (10): 1980–1985. doi : 10.1177/0956797613484937 . PMID 23982244 . S2CID 206586831 . Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-02-26.
^ "Everything You Should Know About Trypophobia" . Healthline . August 7, 2015 . Retrieved October 26, 2017 .
^ Hockenbury, Don; Hockenbury, Sandra E. (2016). Discovering Psychology . Macmillan Higher Education . p. xxxii (sidebar). ISBN 978-1464176968 .
^ Kupfer, T. R.; Fessler, D. M. T. (19 July 2018). "Ectoparasite defence in humans: relationships to pathogen avoidance and clinical implications" . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences . 373 (1751): 20170207. doi : 10.1098/rstb.2017.0207 . PMC 6000138 . PMID 29866920 .
^ Can, W.; Zhuoran, Z.; Zheng, J. (2017). "Is Trypophobia a Phobia?" . Psychological Reports . 120 (2): 206–218. doi : 10.1177/0033294116687298 . PMID 28558623 . S2CID 206427223 .
^ Doucleff, Michaeleen. "Fear Of Cantaloupes And Crumpets? A 'Phobia' Rises From The Web" . NPR . Retrieved 10 Apr 2016 .
^ Jump up to: a b c d e LaMottef, Sandee (September 14, 2017). "TV show triggers little-known phobia" . CNN . Retrieved October 26, 2017 .
^ King, Eric (September 6, 2017). "American Horror Story: Cult: Why is Ally afraid of small holes?" . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 26, 2017 .
^ Jump up to: a b Pavey, Harriet (September 5, 2017). "What is trypophobia? Bizarre fear of small holes featured in new American Horror Story series" . London Evening Standard . Retrieved October 26, 2017 .
^ "Apple's iPhone 11 Pro 'triggering' fear of holes" . BBC News . 11 September 2019 . Retrieved 11 September 2019 .
^ McAuliffe, Kathleen (2016). This Is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt . p. 154. ISBN 978-0544193222 . Retrieved October 25, 2017 .
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Trypophobia is an aversion to the sight of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes or bumps. [3] [4] It is not officially recognized as a mental disorder , but may be diagnosed as a specific phobia if excessive fear and distress occur. [1] [3] Most affected people experience disgust but not fear when they see trypophobic imagery. [3] A minority of people experience both fear and disgust, and a few express primarily fear. [3]
The scientific understanding of trypophobia is limited. [3] Although few studies have been done on trypophobia, researchers hypothesize that it is the result of a biological revulsion that associates trypophobic shapes with danger or disease , and may therefore have an evolutionary basis. [1] [3] Exposure therapy is a possible treatment. [1]
The term trypophobia was coined by a participant in an online forum in 2005. [5] It has since become a popular topic on social media . [5]
Trypophobia is not recognized by name as a mental disorder, and so is not a specific diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association 's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual , Fifth Edition (DSM-5). However, it may fall under the broad category of specific phobia if it involves fear that is excessive, persistent, and associated with significant distress or impairment. [1]
Whether trypophobia can be accurately described as a specific phobia might depend on whether the person mainly responds with fear or with disgust. Because phobias involve fear, a response to trypophobic imagery that is based mostly or solely on disgust renders its status as a specific phobia questionable. [3] In one study, most of the participants with trypophobia met the DSM-5 criteria for a specific phobia, even though they experienced disgust instead of fear when shown imagery of clusters of holes; however, they did not meet the distress or impairment criterion. [3]
Trypophobia often presents with an autonomic nervous system response. [3] Shapes that elicit a trypophobic reaction include clustered holes in innocuous contexts, such as fruit and bubbles, and in contexts associated with danger, such as holes made by insects and holes in wounds and diseased tissue such as those caused by mango flies in animals, especially dogs. Upon seeing these shapes, some people said they shuddered, felt their skin crawl, experienced panic attacks , sweated, palpitated , or felt nauseated or itchy. [1] [6] Other reported symptoms include goose bumps , body shakes, feeling uncomfortable, and visual discomfort such as eyestrain, distortions, or illusions. [3] [7]
Trypophobia may manifest as a reaction of fear, disgust, or both. [3] Disgust is usually the stronger emotion in those with trypophobia. [3]
The understanding of trypophobia is limited. [3] Several possible causes have been proposed. [3] Geoff Cole and Arnold Wilkins believe the reaction is an "unconscious reflex reaction " based on a biological revulsion, rather than a learned cultural fear. [6] Imagery of various venomous animals (for example, certain types of snakes, insects, and spiders) have visual characteristics similar to trypophobic imagery. Because of this, it is hypothesized that trypophobia has an evolutionary basis meant to alert humans of dangerous organisms. [1] [8] [9] Can et al. , however, believe the connection between trypophobia and evolution as a result of a threat from deadly creatures to be weak and that, if a connection does exist, it manifests later in life rather than in childhood. [3] [10]
Martínez-Aguayo et al. described trypophobia as usually involving "an intense and disproportionate fear towards holes, repetitive patterns, protrusions, etc., and, in general, images that present high-contrast energy at low and midrange spatial frequencies ." [3] Cole and Wilkins also stated the imagery has high spatial frequency with greater energy at midrange. [1] [3] Whether together or separate, it appears that low and midrange spatial frequencies are necessary for inducing trypophobic reactions. Based on the imagery's visual cues, An Trong Dinh Le, Cole, and Wilkins developed a symptom questionnaire that they believe can be used to identify trypophobia. [3]
Researchers have also speculated that trypophobic reactions could be perceived as cues to infectious disease, which could be al
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Fear Of Holes
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