Electrophobia (fear of electricity): symptoms, causes and treatment.

A type of phobia based on the extreme fear of electricity and electrical appliances.

Fear is one of the oldest sensations and emotions in the animal kingdom and one of the most useful, although unpleasant, for survival. Thanks to it we can prepare ourselves to fight or flee to avoid dangerous stimuli.

However, sometimes an irrational or disproportionate fear may appear towards stimuli that are either not dangerous or that, although they may pose a danger, the risk of facing it is not as high as what is feared. One of the latter is the panic that appears in the electrophobiaabout which we are going to speak next.

Electrophobia: basic definition

It receives the name of electrophobia to a type of specific phobia, in which appears an extreme fear or dread towards electricity.

As a specific phobia it is the existence of an irrational and/or disproportionate fear of a stimulus or type of stimulation, in this case electricity. The exposure to the stimulus or the simple idea of coming into contact with it generates great anxiety in the person, to the point of generating physiological symptoms such as hyperventilation, tachycardia, dizziness, Nausea and vomiting and may even experience anxiety crises.

The fear that people with electrophobia have is usually towards electricity or towards the fact of being electrocuted, although it is usually usually extends by association to most electrical appliances plugged into the wall.. Occasionally, a fear or phobia of thunderstorms may also appear as a closely related phobia.

Symptoms

The great fear and anxiety generated by the stimulus causes an active avoidance or flight from it and everything that may be related to it. In the specific case of electrophobia, the subject will tend to avoid approaching or using most electrical appliances, approaching high voltage towers or lightning rods or manipulating cables or the electrical installation of the home (e.g., thermals). They will also tend to avoid electrical outlets.

This avoidance is going to generate a great affectation in the subject, given the high prevalence of the use of electricity in our day to day life. Many jobs or leisure systems can be highly anxiogenic for these people, in addition to causing difficulties in using electricity.In addition to causing difficulties in using or repairing tools, instruments or household appliances if necessary. In some cases there may even be anguish at the idea of using electrical elements necessary for the health of the subject, such as those devices that use electrodes, respirators or certain implants.

Causes of this phobia

Electrophobia is a highly disabling specific phobia in today's society. Its causes are not totally clear, although there are different hypotheses about it.

The truth is that contrary to what happens with other phobias, this fear is to some extent logical, this fear is to a certain extent logical since it really involves a danger: we can really be electrocuted if we handle electrical appliances. However, this does not imply that the fear and avoidance of electronic instruments are not disproportionate to the real risk of electrocution.

The emergence of this phobia may be due to aversive experiences related to electricity: many of us have sometimes received a spark when handling electrical equipment, and in some people the fear of what could have happened if the electric current had been stronger may appear.

Also it is also possible that electricity is associated with the experience of traumatic eventsThe following events may also be associated with electricity: having seen someone die by electrocution (by accident or suicide), having lost a loved one for this reason, having had an accident that generated feelings of helplessness or that took the subject or acquaintances to the hospital, or even having been tortured. In these cases, pain and helplessness may be associated with electricity and fear and anxiety may appear in the presence of electricity.

Treatment

Electrophobia can have serious repercussions in the patient's daily life, so seeking an effective treatment to solve it is necessary.

One of the most successful therapies for the treatment of this and other phobias is exposure therapy. To do so, an exposure hierarchy has to be made, that is, an ordered list of situations that generate anxiety has to be elaborated. It is important to bear in mind that the objective is not to not feel anxiety but to acquire the capacity to manage it (something that in the long run will probably provoke the disappearance of the fear and the anxiety).

In the present case we will obviously not electrocute the patient, but we can develop a hierarchy that includes, for example, observing and being at different distances from a plug or electrical wires, plugging or unplugging appliances, or using any appliance that requires electricity.

Light electrical stimulation in the form of mild, controlled shocks that cannot cause harm could also be used in a controlled environment. It should be borne in mind that some items that the patient can imagine should be avoided because they may be dangerous, in which case they should be reconsidered.

Once the hierarchy has been established, a gradual exposure will be made, starting with items that generate harm, in a controlled environment.starting with items generating an intensity that does not generate excessive fear but is challenging. The exposure to a particular item will be done until the level of anxiety before the exposure is greatly reduced and perhaps imperceptible in two consecutive trials.

Along with the above therapy, cognitive restructuring is often useful in order to work on the patient's beliefs. The first step is to observe the patient's beliefs regarding electricity and the risk involved, and to work towards a less threatening and more realistic interpretation of anxiogenic situations with respect to the possible risk.

In any case it will always be necessary to assess what their fear means to the patient, when it originated and what is considered to have caused it. Also its negative and positive consequences. All this will allow us to work with the previous techniques as well as with other alternatives.