Xyrophobia: symptoms, causes and treatment

This phobia is based on the intense and pathological fear of razors.

As its ending indicates, xyrophobia is a type of phobia. Let us remember that phobias are fears or intense and irrational fears, in some cases becoming pathological towards things, situations or even people.

In this article we will see what this psychological disorder is: its consequences, possible origins of xyrophobia, and treatments for this type of phobia.

Xyrophobia: what is it?

The xirofobia is a very specific phobia; the pathological fear of barber knives.. This disorder implies the existence of an unjustified, abnormal and persistent fear of the razors used to cut the beard. This fear can range from contempt, to panic, rejection, aversion, even hatred or disgust.

Those who suffer from xyrophobia focus their fear on the act of shaving: in the case of women, for example, the legs or armpits, which are areas that are usually shaved, and in the case of men, it is usually the beard or mustache.

The fact of shaving implies the possibility of cutting or injuring oneself with the razor's edge, so the phobia focuses on the fact of shaving. the phobia is centered on the fact of being able to get hurt that way, rather than on the object usedrather than on the object itself - the razor.

Why does fear arise?

Fear is considered an adaptive reaction of the organism, a reaction of alert, provoked by a sensation of imminent danger.

In a normal state, this reaction helps us to adapt to the environment, and its purpose is to prevent something bad from happening. In this way, it keeps us away from negative stimuli and helps us to identify those stimuli that are bad for our survival.

Therefore, fear is a reaction that takes place prior to many unpleasant sensations, as it is causing us to anticipate in order to be able to react quickly to danger signals.

So fear is a reaction consistent with the stimuli in our environment. The problem is when phobias come into play. A phobia is considered to be an exaggerated reaction to a situation that is not really dangerous or potentially dangerous, although our brain or potentially dangerous, although our brain does perceive it as such. This response is not adaptive.

There are almost as many types of phobias as there are types of objects, situations or people. The common factor of all phobias is that they are no longer adaptive, since they involve excessive and exaggerated reactions. These phobias, such as xyrophobia, produce unnecessary discomfort, since there is an incessant and obsessive preoccupation before a certain stimulus.

Many phobias end up triggering avoidance behaviors of places or situations with no real danger, only danger perceived by the brain.only a danger perceived by the brain. That is why it is important to know how to distinguish between fear - as an adaptive response to the environment, and phobia, a disproportionate and maladaptive response.

Symptoms of xyrophobia

The consequences of developing a phobia such as xyrophobia are varied.

On the one hand, a phobia produces feeling overwhelmed and uneasy. The brain of a person with xyrophobia goes into a state of alert, and in some cases acts quickly. This reaction is similar to stress, as it focuses attention on certain stimuli and puts the mind to work quickly.

This state of alertness can lead to sleep disorders such as insomnia. In extreme cases, these reactions can end up triggering anxiety disorders.

On the other hand (and this is a long-term consequence) an untreated phobia can become more evident over time, causing a series of symptoms in the patient that affect his mental health and even his interpersonal relationships.This can lead to a series of symptoms that affect the patient's mental health and even his or her interpersonal and social relationships.

Failure to confront the xyrophobia can cause the person to alter his or her social relationships, avoiding them, for example for fear of showing the phobia and of being judged.. This fact could have a negative impact on the person's self-esteem, and lead to the person separating from his or her work, personal and family environment.

In more severe cases, it can even lead to depression, and in extreme cases, such people suffering from phobia may seek refuge in the consumption and subsequent abuse of addictive substances such as alcohol or drugs, since these would be the only things that would allow them to 'cope' with such phobia.

Causes

There are several causes that can produce xyrophobia: on the one hand, it can be a phobia originated from another phobia. For example, belonophobia, which is the fear of sharp objects such as needles, can give rise to xyrophobia.

Another associated phobia is hemophobia, which is the irrational fear of blood.. Somehow, the fear produced by contact (either physical or visual) with Blood is associated with a consequence of cutting oneself with a razor. For this reason, these phobias can converge.

Another cause is the traumatic experiences that have been embedded in the person's memory; some episode in the past that may have been very painful. In this episode, the person may have made a deep cut or injured him/herself in some way while handling knives, and as a result may develop xyrophobia.

Sometimes, the origin is idiopathic, that is to say, it is not known with certainty which are the triggers of the phobia.

Treatment

Finally, we are going to talk about the treatments that can be used for the approach of xyrophobia in psychotherapy.

It is important to remember that the treatments that are usually used in certain types of phobias include two types: on the one hand we have exposure therapy and on the other hand there is cognitive behavioral therapy.

In the first case, exposure therapy, the treatment consists of exposing the person with xyrophobia to the stimuli he/she fears. In this case, the contact with the blades would begin, from a superficial form to its use.

In the second case mentioned, the cognitive-behavioral therapy, what is intended is to modulate the beliefs and ideas established in a dysfunctional way in the brain, associated to the phobic stimulus.associated with the phobic stimulus, in this case the knife, a potentially harmful element.

In any case, as we have already seen, fear is an adaptive process, but when it ceases to be so, we must act and initiate a psychological therapy. So, when faced with a situation of xyrophobia, we must approach it by means of a therapeutic action alongside qualified professionals in the field of mental health.

Bibliographical references:

• American Psychiatric Association -APA- (2014). DSM-5. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Madrid: Panamericana.
• Belloch, A., Sandín, B. and Ramos, F. (2010). Manual de Psicopatología. Volume I and II. Madrid: McGraw-Hill.
• Caballo (2002). Manual for the cognitive-behavioral treatment of psychological disorders. Vol. 1 and 2. Madrid. Siglo XXI (Chapters 1-8, 16-18).