Most people believe that butterflies are completely harmless creatures. In addition, many people like to consider a beautiful pattern on the wings of insects and watch how they fly from flower to flower. However, some individuals, at one glance at these creatures, panic. Fear of butterflies is quite rare. This problem, its causes and methods of elimination are described in the article.
What is a phobia?
There are many different fears, many of which seem completely unfounded. What is the fear of butterflies called?
The term lepidopetrophobia is used to denote it. The reasons that provoke such an attitude towards these insects are most often hidden in negative memories from childhood. However, sometimes the disorder occurs in adult individuals. Some people are not even aware that a similar problem may exist. Therefore, they do not know the answers to questions about how fear of butterflies is manifested, what is called phobia and why it develops. This article describes the origin and signs of fear, methods of dealing with it.
Features
How to understand that someone has this phobia? First of all, an individual who is afraid of butterflies refuses to go for a walk in a forest or park where these creatures can live. And in summer cottages such a person feels uncomfortable. After all, there are these insects. A negative reaction is observed if the butterfly touches the skin of an individual suffering from this phobia. Her wings, scales on her legs cause negative feelings. A person brushes off an insect, tries to drive it away. Often the fear of butterflies leads to the wearing of things with long sleeves, the treatment of the home with means that scare away these creatures, avoiding meetings and outdoor recreation. If the signs of the disorder are pronounced, the individual generally refuses to go out and even open windows in the house.
Other symptoms
However, avoiding encounters with the object of fear is not the only signal that there is a phobia. Fear of butterflies is also expressed in physical reactions. They arise not only in case of collision with an insect or tactile contact with it. Even viewing photographs or films in which these creatures are shown causes a deterioration in well-being and state of mind. A patient with such a phobia has panic attacks. He is terrified and seeks to get away from the object of his fear. A person has external manifestations of fright: trembling hands and knees, increased secretion of sweat, stiffness in muscles, an increase in pupil volume.
Dizziness, a feeling of lack of air may appear.
What factors contribute to the development of phobia?
There are many reasons to explain the problem. Sometimes it is one of the symptoms of mental breakdown. There are cases of the development of phobia amid anxiety and prolonged emotional overload. But most often, the source of the problem is negative impressions from childhood. The fact is that such creatures are often characters in scary stories and horror films.
Fear of butterflies and moths (lepidopetrophobia and mottephobia) develop as a result of viewing scenes where these creatures are shown to be dangerous and aggressive. Negative reactions of parents (disgust, desire to brush away an insect from their hands or clothes) also form a similar behavior in a baby. It should be explained to the child that butterflies are not dangerous. Do not drive them away. On the contrary, it is necessary to show the baby the beauty of these creatures.
Cruelty to butterflies by relatives or friends can also lead to phobia. Fear is often observed in children from a family of collectors.
The sight of insects pierced with needles provokes in the baby not only pity, but also disgust, fear.
Why does phobia occur in adult patients?
Fear can appear not only in childhood, but also in adulthood. What circumstances contribute to its development? Sometimes phobia is observed in patients with mental disorders. For other individuals, it is a kind of reaction to constant overexcitation and prolonged stressful situations. Even a harmless insect, the touch of which is not fraught with any threat, is perceived painfully in such circumstances.
How to overcome the fear of butterflies?
Of course, fear does not allow a person to lead a full life. Can I get rid of a phobia? Today, there are many methods to help overcome the problem. Some people are able to deal with it on their own. Others resort to the help of a specialist. Both options lead to a positive result only if the patient really wants to deal with the problem and does everything for it. What are some ways to overcome fear? First, you should view images with such insects. Looking at beautiful photographs, a person will soon be convinced that the butterflies are not at all dangerous, and his fear is unfounded. Secondly, there is no need to avoid places where a meeting with these creatures is possible. If the insect sits on your hand, do not panic. No terrible consequences from tactile contact with him will not happen. It is only necessary to tune in correctly, to convince oneself that fear is false. The first time you can’t do this, but if you don’t give up, you can achieve good results in overcoming the phobia.
In addition, in order not to concentrate on negative and frightening thoughts, you must try to fill your life with positive activities, good emotions. Sports, outdoor activities and interests help get rid of discomfort.
If it is still difficult for a person to cope with the fear of butterflies on his own, you should consult a specialist. The therapist will select the best ways to fix the problem.