The fear of worms is what is called a phobia. Teniophobia. Symptoms and forms of development

A significant number of people suffer from scoleciphobia in various forms. Most of them do not go to the doctor, since the manifestations of the disease are usually attributed to natural disgust or to manifestations of cowardice, especially in the children's social environment. Such manifestations include discomfort or disgust upon tactile contact with worms. Mild symptoms do not require treatment unless they interfere with the patient's social life.

Fear of worms

A completely different picture can be observed when a phobia manifests itself in unconscious fear at the mere sight or mention of the cause of the disease. We can talk not only about ordinary earthworms, but also about caterpillars, maggots, slugs, leeches and helminths. In especially severe cases, scoleciphobia can be complicated by the fear of holes and passages that worms make, as well as the fear of contracting a disease from them or getting sick with helminthiasis.

Causes

The fear of worms, like any phobia, has an archetypal basis. The roots of this phobia lie in the fear of death. The horror of a living person at the sight of a corpse eaten by maggots could cause association with one's own body. The collective unconscious, transmitting to people the memory of their ancestors, gave rise to the image of a giant worm or snake that hates and kills all living things and, in many legends, becomes the cause of the Apocalypse.

Often appears at an early age

In the modern world, the fear of worms occurs in childhood. Preschool children do not suffer from scoleciphobia, because their mind is directed to the study of the world around them and everything unknown only awakens their curiosity. Over time, the child copies the behavior of the parents and the social environment in which it is located. He can see the squeamish reaction of adults and take it as the norm of behavior. Often the cause of the development of the disease is an unexpected collision with manifestations of helminthiasis, a bite from a leech, or a fright from touching a caterpillar. The most stressful situation for a child is a dead body infected with maggots.

Varieties of scoleciphobia

Depending on the starting point that is the cause of development, the following varieties are distinguished:

1. Scoleciphobia. Fear of worms and anything that is in any way worm-like.
2. Verminophobia. Fear of contracting some disease, dying from maggot poison, or getting warts by touching a slug.
3. Teniophobia. Fear of contracting helminthiasis, often accompanied by a severe form of neurosis.
4. A type of trypophobia, the fear of repeated clustered holes made by worms.
5. A type of insectophobia. Conventionally, the fear of caterpillars is classified as a fear of insects, but in particular cases, the cause may be fear of worms.

Symptoms and forms of development

Most cases are not diagnosed due to the lightness of the form, manifested only in disgust and slight disgust when confronted in everyday life.

Severe manifestations of the disease occur in people with a developed imagination or accompany other, more serious forms of mental disorder. People begin to experience unconscious fear at the mere mention of the names of pests in a conversation or when thinking about them. Rarely there are such forms of the disease as the fear of touching objects infected with worms. This can develop to the point of not being able to touch open ground, food, or water.

Symptoms of an attack of scoleciphobia:

• Severe tremor of the limbs;
• Rapid breathing or choking;
• Tachycardia and jumps in blood pressure;
• Severe nausea and vomiting, indigestion, diarrhoea.

Treatment

The intervention of a psychotherapist becomes necessary when fear interferes with a person's normal life.

Treatment takes place in several stages. In the first sessions, the severity of the disease and the causes of its occurrence are revealed. Depending on this, various methods are used, ranging from psychoanalysis to the use of sedative medications. The goal of treatment is to rationalize fears. The patient is gradually instilled with the idea that the worms do not pose an immediate threat to him and are harmless creatures. A particularly effective method is art therapy, when the patient is asked to draw an object of his fear or a situation that causes it, and then the drawing is destroyed. To strengthen the result of treatment, subsequent rehabilitation is carried out, in which patients are in dire need of support from loved ones.

There are many phobias associated with fear - cockroaches, bees, ants, spiders, flies, centipedes and other similar creatures. Some people are afraid of worms. This disorder is called scoleciphobia. Let's see what kind of phobia it is, what are its causes and symptoms, and whether there are ways to get rid of it.

It is difficult to find a person who would feel emotion in front of worms. For many, they cause a feeling of disgust and hostility. However, some individuals experience real horror from the mere sight of worms, not to mention touching or picking them up. This reaction indicates the presence of a phobia.

According to psychologists, scoleciphobia is not inherent in young children. Babies are rarely afraid of anything. They actively study the world around them, and fears arise in them later - after receiving a negative experience.

Very often, small children collect earthworms on the street - they pick them up, examine them, study them, without feeling any disgust. However, parents, fearing that the child does not get sick, may forbid him to play with worms and generally touch them. Thus, parents are able to inspire a child with disgust, which can develop into a phobia.

The object of the phobia is often not only different types of worms, but also leeches, caterpillars, slugs and other crawling invertebrates and their larvae.

Scoleciphobia and other similar phobias

In psychiatry, several varieties of phobias are distinguished, similar to the fear of worms:

• Scoleciphobia- fear of worms and other creatures that have a worm-like shape.
• Verminophobia- fear of contracting a serious illness from worms or dying from cadaveric poison.
• Teniophobia- a strong fear of infection with worms.
• Trypophobia- fear of multiple holes and passages dug by worms.
• insectophobia- Fear of insects.

Causes of scoleciphobia

There are several reasons that give rise to a panic fear of worms:

• Upbringing. This reason has already been discussed above. If one or both of the parents are afraid or disgusted by worms, then the child adopts this behavior pattern.
• Traumatic experience. Strong negative emotions associated with worms can leave a mark on the human psyche. For example, a person in childhood was afraid of an unexpected touch of a worm on the skin or saw a large cluster of these creatures.
• Impressionability. Impressive people are able to earn a phobia even without having a personal negative experience with worms. Strong emotions can cause the appearance of a decaying body, teeming with cadaveric worms. Moreover, such a picture is not necessary to see live. An impressionable person will have enough of a film or a photograph.

How does the fear of worms manifest itself?

The disease can take different forms and manifest itself in different ways. In some patients, an attack of phobia occurs at the sight of or direct contact with the worm. Others start to panic when they hear pests mentioned in conversation or just think about them.

In especially severe cases, a person is afraid even of objects infected with worms. There is a fear of touching open ground, water, grass. The patient is afraid to be in nature and in places where you can meet worms and other similar creatures.

An attack of scoleciphobia is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• heart palpitations, heaviness or pain in the chest, shortness of breath, feeling short of breath;
• digestive system disorder: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
• dizziness, headache, tinnitus, darkening of the eyes, disorientation;
• trembling hands, weakness in the legs;
• increased sweating, dilated pupils;
• a feeling of intense fear, panic, loss of control over oneself.

Depending on the severity of the disease, these symptoms have varying degrees of severity - from moderate to very severe.

How to overcome fear?

Any phobia must be treated, because it poisons a person's existence, makes him inferior, forces him to change his lifestyle. In addition, a phobia often entails other mental disorders - neurosis, depression.

Only a few can cope with fear on their own. Other people have to seek help from a specialist. Phobias are treated by psychotherapists and psychiatrists.

For the treatment of scoleciphobia, various psychotherapeutic methods are used:

• Psychoanalysis. During the session, the specialist, together with the patient, tries to find the true cause of fear. Most often it lies in childhood. The psychoanalyst asks the patient various leading questions, gradually bringing to the surface the fears hidden in his subconscious. This method is considered effective, albeit time consuming.
• Hypnotherapy. The specialist introduces the patient into an altered state of consciousness and begins to work with his deepest fears. As a result of suggestion, negative attitudes are replaced by positive ones, and a person gets rid of fear.
• Cognitive therapy. This method involves direct contact with the object of fear. The psychotherapist exposes the patient to interaction with worms, thereby helping his psyche to develop a new defense mechanism and get rid of fear.
• Rationalization. The phobic fear itself is irrational. During therapy, the specialist appeals to the patient's rational thinking, presenting information about the object of fear from a different angle. As a result, the patient begins to understand that worms are harmless and even useful creatures, and you should not be afraid of them.

If the phobia takes a severe form and affects the entire life of the patient, the doctor prescribes sedatives for him. Tranquilizers, antidepressants, antipsychotics help to cope with anxiety, relieve panic attacks, normalize sleep and mood.

However, medications on their own are ineffective. They are used as an addition to the main method of treatment. In addition, medicines cannot be chosen independently. This should only be done by a qualified specialist. Self-medication with potent drugs will only worsen the patient's condition.

In order to get rid of fear, the patient must make a lot of effort. Only in this case, he will be able to say goodbye to his illness forever.

The girls will tell you about my phobia from which I can not get rid of since childhood. When I was little, my mother cooked milk soup, we sat down to eat, I scooped soup with a spoon and into my mouth and instead of noodles there were worms. my kind older sister threw a couple of things in there for me, I know that I'm afraid of them. after these freaks were in my mouth, I started vomiting wildly, convulsions, crying, hysteria. I just couldn't calm down. After we moved to live in the country for the summer, I found such a cool cat on the street and brought it into the house. Everyone liked it and we decided to keep it. And then three weeks later she disappeared. no and no. Everyone has already forgotten about her. until one day my mother climbed into the underground to get something out of there and found her dead and the aparysh were already operating on her. From what she died we do not know. but my mother told me that this is my cat to me and clean it up. I was forced to crawl into the cellar with a sack and a shovel. I burst into tears, tried to put this cat in a bag, but, as luck would have it, it slipped off the shoulder blades and these worms just swarm on it. in the end, I was still able to do it. then somehow she dragged this bag out and carried it to the fire. RESULT: Now, at the sight of worms, I experience panic fear, I start involuntary convulsions in my body, I cry like a fool and I feel sick. why did I remember this? The other day my husband and I went shopping. We decided to take a walk and take the tram. the tram stop is on the side of a wonderful park. Well, we stood where the trees were and I saw that a mushroom grows on one tree and there is some kind of film on it. I just held in my hand a wrapper from nuts that I had just crunched. I take this piece of paper and touch this film, it comes off and worms of some translucent yellow color begin to fall out from there. I was like an electric shock. I jumped from the tree, probably 3 meters, jumped out onto the sidewalk to my husband. I was shaking all over, tears in my eyes, I felt so bad that it was just creepy. I somehow calmed down.
For me, the most difficult periods in my life are spring and autumn. especially if it's rainy. these worms crawl out on the street and then my life turns into hell. I am not only afraid of earthworms, but of all caterpillars and everything that has a worm-like shape.
why did I remember this today, you ask? and here is the problem. I washed dark grapes today I wanted to eat, and for some reason it began to smell like worms. and I couldn't. all day long I walk and twitch. Probably in connection with the pregnancy, my sense of smell and touch were too aggravated.
How can I get rid of this? I don't believe in psychologists. because phobias are not so easy to get rid of

A type of mental disorder on the neurotic spectrum, manifested in a pathological fear of worms and the ailments they cause, is scoleciphobia. Less often, a phobia is considered as a symptom of fear of helminthiases and worms of various etiologies, often not only neurotic. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, family members of a patient with severe scoleciphobia have an increased risk of developing the disease.

Varieties and causes

According to psychiatric research, this disease is inherent in older people. In childhood, many show interest in knowing the world, studying the surrounding plants and wildlife. Direct perception of the surrounding world protects children from imaginary fears. Toddlers often collect worms of interest to them after the rain, examine, study. Parents, as a rule, ask the child to remove this muck and, having thoroughly washed their hands with soap, never touch them again.

Feeling mother's disgust and fear towards worms, the child adopts the basic behavior patterns.

From this moment, the first signs of the disease may appear. Also, the cause of the onset of the disease can be any strong emotional shock. For example, from an unexpected tactile sensation of a slippery body or an accidentally seen picture of crushed caterpillars. Less often, scientists suggest a direct connection with the collective unconscious. In ancient times, worms had a negative response in a variety of legends and myths.

There are the following types of scoleciphobia:

The sight of the object of a phobia or something similar outwardly to a worm causes severe anxiety in patients. The patient in most cases realizes that his fear is unreasonable and excessive. However, fear violates the habitual way of life, causes an asthenic effect. The asthenic effect manifests itself in the form of a painful condition, leading to increased fatigue and exhaustion of the body.

A characteristic feature of scoleciphobia - the so-called fear of worms - is the desire to avoid contact with a possible irritant as soon as possible.

The range of emotional reactions ranges from mild nervousness in response to the actual presence of a worm to panic attacks provoked by a simple graphic image.

To the physiological symptoms of fear of worms (phobia) include:

1. bouts of dizziness and headache;
2. digestive tract disorders: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting;
3. jumps in blood pressure and rapid heartbeat;
4. dilated pupils or darkening of the eyes;
5. noise in the head;
6. tremor of the limbs;
7. choking, shortness of breath;
8. increased sweating, especially in the area of ​​​​the palms.

Psychological signs include:

1. feeling of anxiety and tension;
2. anticipation of the development of negative events;
3. increased sensitivity to ambient noise;
4. loss of concentration;
5. obsessive ideas about an unpleasant future.

Classic Syndrome

As a syndrome, scoleciphobia and its common variant, helminthophobia, can be present in the development of diseases of various industries: psychosis and schizophrenia, alcoholism, hypochondriacal personality disorders, a side effect of long-term use of MAO inhibitors or methylphenidate.

Often there is a development of a phobia in patients already cured of real helminthiasis.

If the phobia violates the usual way of life, then the patient should seek qualified help from specialists. In the treatment of a person use:

1. Hypnotherapy. The doctor inspires the subconscious of the patient with positive thinking and the perception of his fears. This is a complex technique with many nuances. The success of the session depends solely on the experience and professionalism of the hypnotherapist.
2. Medical treatment. It is used in cases of advanced states of anxiety, panic and depression. By prescription of a psychiatrist, a drug of the benzodiazepine group may be prescribed. The main effect in this case is obtained from the process of inhibition of nervous excitation.
3. Phytotherapy. The sedative effect that people need in the treatment of fears is achieved through a balanced intake of alcohol infusions and decoctions of dill, lemon balm, hawthorn, peonies and valerian.
4. Behavioristic technique of "rapprochement". Cognitive psychology involves achieving maximum efficiency from doctor-controlled contacts with the object of a phobia. As a result, new psychological reactions to the stimulus should be formed.
5. Art therapy. The patient is invited to make a detailed drawing of the object of anxiety or the worst fantasy associated with it. After a detailed analysis and discussion with a psychotherapist, a “ritual” destruction of the image is carried out. Clear associations are formed with the destruction of the patient's fears.

The fear of worms is inherent in many people. Some panic from one of their species, while others disdain to touch them, which is also one of the manifestations of scoleciphobia.

Scoleciphobia - fear of worms

No matter how intense the fear is, it can and should be dealt with. You can do it yourself, but it is better to contact a specialist in the field of psychology. The doctor will be able to make the correct diagnosis and choose an effective treatment.

What is scoleciphobia

Scoleciophobia is the fear of worms. The phobia also extends to caterpillars, leeches and other creatures that have a visual resemblance to a worm.

Causes

The cause of a person's phobia can be any event in the past that caused a strong emotional shock. In early childhood, the child is not inherently afraid of anything. This is due to his craving for knowledge of the world around him. A child can see someone else's reaction to a worm or caterpillar crawling by and simply copy it. Over time, the fear of these creatures becomes a normal reaction of his nervous system.

A phobia can also develop from fright or an unpleasant tactile sensation. A psychologically traumatic situation becomes the starting point in the development of scoleciphobia.

Some scientists suggest that the collective unconscious may be the cause of the fear of worms. This is what was formed in a person from the experience of his distant ancestors. Worms have had a negative response in various fairy tales and legends.

Symptoms

People suffering from the fear of worms experience not only general, but also specific symptoms of a phobia. They are afraid of meeting with worms, caterpillars and other living creatures similar to them. If there is tactile contact, then the patient feels disgust and irrational fear. Fear can manifest itself even if someone says the name of the worms in a conversation. There are also symptoms such as:

• strong heartbeat and high blood pressure;
• digestive system disorder: diarrhea, vomiting, nausea;
• dizziness or headache;
• tremor of hands and feet; pupil dilation;
• noise in the temples;
• profuse sweating, including on the palms;
• suffocation;
• darkening in the eyes.

An attack of fear can cause not only a personal meeting with a worm, but also thoughts about it. The deeper the cause of the development of a phobia is, the more accompanying fears fall on a person. In psychology, there are cases when patients with scoleciphobia were afraid to walk on the ground because of the fact that worms live in it, swim in the water because of leeches and be near bushes and trees because of the likelihood of being attacked by caterpillars. Such severe cases are quite rare.

Tremor is a symptom of a phobia

Treatment for scoleciphobia

If fear prevents a person from living a full life, then you need to fight it. It is not always possible to do this on your own, even with the support of family and friends. If the patient really needs help, it is recommended to seek it from a psychotherapist.

Psychotherapy

To cope with the fear of worms, the patient will need several sessions with a psychotherapist. The task of the specialist is to save the patient from annoying fear or to reduce the intensity of panic fear when meeting with his object.

In psychotherapy, several methods are used to get rid of phobias:

1. Psychoanalysis looks for the true cause of the disorder and helps to cope with it. During the sessions, the therapist asks leading questions that could tell when and why the fear appeared. This method is quite effective and gives long lasting results;
2. Hypnosis is working with the patient's subconscious. A person is introduced in a special way into a state of hypnotic sleep and, communicating directly with his inner "I", they replace the memory of a particular case with a positive experience.
3. The cognitive method invites you to face your fears and be alone with them. By exposing the patient to interaction with worms and caterpillars, the psychotherapist stimulates the development of a new mechanism for protecting the body.
4. Rationalization is the presentation of information about the subject of fear from a different angle. The specialist appeals to rational thinking and demonstrates worms on the other hand, as useful and harmless creatures.

At the end of treatment, a person suffering from scoleciphobia needs the help and support of others. This will strengthen the outcome and allow the patient to live a normal life without irrational fears.

Medical therapy

With the advanced form of scoleciphobia, it is recommended to carry out not only psychotherapy, but also drug treatment. Most often, tranquilizers are used for these purposes. They help to cope with anxiety and reduce the severity of the reaction to the object of the phobia. These drugs are quite strong and addictive. They are released in the pharmacy only by prescription and are taken strictly according to the instructions.

Sleeping pills are also prescribed for people with phobias, but during their exacerbation. When the psychophysical state of a person worsens, and he is in a state of constant panic, hypnotics are necessary. This allows the body to recover, and the nervous system to return to normal. Treatment with such drugs takes place both in a hospital and at home, but it is impossible to drive or operate other mechanisms in this state.

If the fear of worms leads to depression, then antidepressants are prescribed. They contribute to the normalization of the emotional background, but they cannot be considered as a cure for a phobia.

Sleeping pills are prescribed during an exacerbation of the disease

Phytotherapy

In addition to medicines, herbal preparations can be prescribed. They are more gentle on the nervous system and have virtually no side effects. They can be taken without a doctor's prescription, but strictly adhere to the recommended dosage. Herbal medicines include:

• chamomile relieves muscle contraction;
• valerian has a sedative effect;
• motherwort reduces irritability;
• mint and lemon balm have a general strengthening effect on the nervous system;
• St. John's wort relieves feelings of anxiety;
• creeping thyme has a mild hypnotic effect;
• yarrow helps to recover from a nervous breakdown.

These herbs are brewed and drunk throughout the day as a tea. They can also be purchased at a pharmacy in the form of tablets, alcohol tinctures and syrups. Herbal medicines are suitable for the treatment of scoleciphobia in children.

St. John's wort reduces anxiety

Conclusion

Fear of worms is a rather unpleasant phobia that prevents people from doing what they love: fishing, gardening and gardening, walking in nature, etc. To get rid of fear, you need to put a lot of effort and spend a lot of time, but the result of that costs.

Scoleciphobes may also suffer from other associated phobias. Only a qualified specialist can understand this. He is also able to develop a special rehabilitation program for the patient, taking into account all the features of his phobia.