Arsonphobia . Anxiety disorder in which the person experiences a pathological fear of fire or fires. This phobia can also be known under the name of pyrophobia .
As with the rest of specific anxiety disorders, when people with arsonphobia face or think that they must face the feared stimulus, a series of reactions are initiated, both bodily and psychological, typical of very high states of stress and anxiety.
Summary
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- 1 Symptoms
- 1 Physical symptoms
- 2 Causes
- 3 Treatment
- 4 Sources
Symptoms Of Arsonphobia
Because arsonphobia is one more of the list of specific phobias, its symptoms are very similar to those of the rest of pathological fears of this type. The clinical picture is distinguished by being anxious in nature and appears every time the person faces or thinks about situations related to fire or fires.
This clinical picture is classified into physical symptoms, cognitive symptoms, and behavioral symptoms; which usually appear automatically and suddenly, and only disappear when the person has managed to flee or avoid the phobic stimulus.
Physical symptoms
The first symptoms of which the patient with arsonphobia is aware are the physical symptoms. The appearance of the phobic stimulus, fire, causes a hyperactivity of the person’s nervous system which triggers all kinds of changes and transformations in it.
Among the symptoms that can appear throughout a phobic episode we find:
- Increased heart rate
- Increased respiratory rate
- Feeling of choking or shortness of breath
- Increased muscle tension
- Headache
- Gastrointestinal problems such as stomach pain or diarrhea
- Increased sweating
- Vertigo and feeling dizzy
- Nausea and / or vomiting
Arsonphobia Causes
Although it is sometimes difficult to determine the specific origin of a phobia , since not even the patient himself is capable of associating it with any traumatic event, there are a series of factors that can favor or enhance the appearance and development of this pathological fear.
The existence of a genetic predisposition to the effects of anxiety and stress, together with the experience or experimentation of a highly traumatic situation or with a high emotional charge in which the fire appeared in any way, can trigger, in a very probable way , the appearance of arsonphobia.
In any case, the impact that vicarious or imitation learning can have on the acquisition of a phobia is being studied.
Arsonphobia Treatment
Although the exact incidence that this phobia has in the population is not known, it is estimated that it appears more frequently in those people whose jobs involve contact with fire to a greater or lesser extent, such as firefighters or forest agents . Both in these cases and in that of any other person who suffers from this disorder, there are some interventions and psychological treatments that can reduce the symptoms and even help the person recover and overcome their phobic fear.
Psychological treatment is based on three different principles or actions. The first consists of carrying out a cognitive restructuring that promotes the modification of the distorted thoughts that the person has regarding fire.
In addition, live exposure techniques or systematic desensitization will be carried out, through which the patient is gradually exposed to the stimulus or phobic situation. This can be done live, in controlled environments and contexts, or through imagination.
Finally, these techniques are accompanied by training in relaxation skills, which reduce the levels of excitement of the nervous system and help the person to face their fears in the best possible way.
