Crystallophobia (fear of crystals): symptoms, causes and treatment

The extreme fear of crystals can take the form of a specific phobia.

Glass is a type of material very present in our daily life, which makes up different objects, such as glasses and cups (tableware), jars, decorative objects such as vases, etc.

As everything that "exists" can be feared, an irrational fear of crystals can also occur: it is called crystallophobia, the phobia of glass.. In this article we will see which are its characteristics.

Crystallophobia: symptoms

The crystallophobia can be related to the fear to break crystals, the noise that they produce when doing it or to be tornCrystallophobia (fear of crystals): symptoms, causes and treatment

The extreme fear of crystals can take the form of a specific phobia.Glass is a type of material very present in our daily life, which makes up different objects, such as glasses and cups (tableware), jars, decorative objects such as vases, etc.

As everything that "exists" can be feared, an irrational fear of crystals can also occur: it is called

• crystallophobia, the phobia of glass.
•  
• Crystallophobia: symptomsCrystallophobia can be related to the fear of breaking glass, the noise it makes when breaking glass, or tearing/tearing glass.
• The symptoms of crystallophobia are those corresponding to the symptoms of a specific phobia.
• . In this case, the irrational fear appears before crystals. Crystals, as we know, are hardened, transparent and colorless glasses, which are used to make prisms, lenses, tableware, etc.

The main symptoms of crystallophobia are:

A marked and persistent fear of crystals: this fear is excessive or irrational.

Anxiety Exposure to the phobic stimulus (crystals) causes marked anxiety.Avoidance

situations that can induce to sin are avoided or are endured with much discomfort.

Interference in the normal routine.

Symptom duration of at least 6 months. Crystallophobia as a specific phobia could be included in the group of phobias to "other" stimuli, within the DSM classification.Characteristics of specific phobias

• Specific phobias

frequently present comorbidity with other anxiety disorders, mood disorders and mood disorders.

mood disorders and substance-related disorders. However, specific phobia is the anxiety disorder with the lowest degree of disability, with respect to the other anxiety disorders (the most is panic disorder with agoraphobia).This is because, if the person avoids the phobic stimulus or the phobic stimulus is not common in certain places (he/she does not have to witness it very often), his/her daily functioning does not have to be altered. In addition to the type of symptomatology, which is not so severe or disabling.

As for the course,

Causes

As for the causes that can give rise to crystallophobia, as with many other specific phobias, they are not reliably known, are not reliably known.. However, it could be related to the fact of having experienced negative events or experiences, highly traumatic or emotionally charged, related to crystals (e.g. a large cut with a crystal, breakage of a crystal in a robbery, wounds, etc.).

For specific phobias, a certain genetic predisposition to the harmful effects of stress has also been suggested, which establishes a basis for the appearance of the phobia. On the other hand, other factors must be taken into account when understanding the origin of crystallophobia, such as the personality of the person, cognitive styles

The use of cognitive styles, learning by imitation or classical conditioning, which can favor the appearance and development of irrational fear of crystals, as well as of any other type of object or situation, can also be a factor in the development of irrational fear.

Treatment Crystallophobia should be treated as a specific phobia, using specific tools. Psychotherapy can be effective, according to much research. .

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be the most effective.

It usually includes relaxation techniques, cognitive techniques (e.g. self-instructions) and exposure techniques (the latter are the most effective). As for exposure techniques

• The objective will be to gradually expose the person to the feared stimulus, in this case to different types of crystals (in terms of shape, size, etc.), ordered hierarchically (from less to more anxious or phobic for the patient).
• The ultimate goal is that the person with crystallophobia is exposed to crystals (in different sessions in therapy, as well as out of office "homework"), until they do not cause fear or anxiety. In the case of crystallophobia, for example, the first stimulus in the hierarchy can be a small and not very sharp crystal, and progressively increase the size of the same, as well as the risk of cutting.
• It will be sought that eventually the person