Mageirocofobia (fear of cooking): symptoms, causes and treatment

Fear of cooking dishes can take many different forms. Let's see what they are.

Mageirocofobia is the excessive fear of cooking. Far from being a lack of preference or liking for such activity, mageirocofobia is characterized by triggering experiences of significant anxiety. Although it does not represent a specific clinical category, mageirocofobia is a term recently popularized in popular magazines or blogs, so it is worth reviewing where it comes from.

We will see below what mageirocophobia is, what are some of its manifestations, and what are some of its symptoms.What are some of its manifestations and what strategies can be appropriate to modify it.

• Article related: "Types of phobias: exploring the disorders of fear".

Mageirocofobia: fear to cook

The term mageirocofobia comes from Greek "mageiros" that means "cook" or "butcher", and "phobos" that means "panic". From the same word is also derived the word "magiric", which means "related to cooking". The latter, together with the word "magirista" (cooking expert), was present since the end of the 19th century to refer to the art of cooking and its history.

Thus, mageirocofobia is the fear of cooking. As with all phobias, it is not only the daily refusal of cooking for food. In other words, it is not a preference not to cook because it is easier or more convenient to eat out or to eat food made by someone else. It is considered a phobia only that activity that triggers an irrational panic experience (not explainable by the person's cultural codes) and therefore generates significant anxiety.

However, mageirocofobia is not considered a specific clinical category, is not considered as a specific clinical category nor has it been studied or characterized by psychopathology. For the same reason it is not considered severe enough to merit treatment in itself, beyond psychological intervention aimed at several of its consequences.

Possible causes.

The fear of cooking may be part of a broader spectrum of fears related, for example, with the small spaces that some kitchens have, with social approval or disapproval, with the rigidity of instructions of some recipes, or with some previous experience related to culinary utensils. For the same reason, the mageirocofobia can manifest itself from a fear of the request to cook, to elaborate complex dishes in the oven..

Likewise, this fear may be related to how the person has been socialized in relation to the activity of cooking, i.e., according to the norms and roles of their close environments. The latter includes expectations or demands that have been socially presented to him/her, which may have led him/her to associate the activity of cooking as something unpleasant.

In other words, the above may have generated specific perceptions about the activity of cooking that ultimately trigger discomfort or rejection.. Thus, some of the main causes of mageirocofobia may be the following:

• Fear of sustaining any injury or burns related to the cooking process.
• Fear of spreading viruses or diseases.
• Fear of preparing food poorly.
• Fear of the complexity of recipes.
• Fears related to eating disorders

Symptoms

As we saw before, the manifestations may vary according to the individual and his or her immediate context.. In general, the manifestations of mageirocofobia include a refusal to cook accompanied by an excessive avoidance of approaching the kitchen or any place where such activity is occurring.

This means that panic may be triggered even in situations where another person is cooking. It is also accompanied by the characteristic symptoms of anxietypresent in all phobias by definition: choking sensations, dizziness, sweating, agitation, chest Pain and so on.

Treatment

The most used treatment for the phobias is that of cognitive-behavioral perspectiveIt consists of modifying the thoughts that are generated before the rejection of the stimuli to which it is feared; in this case it would be to the action of cooking. Likewise, it focuses on making a series of successive approaches to the stimulus, which may start by presenting simple images until getting closer and closer to a kitchen.

Likewise, this is combined with an important emotional accompaniment that reduces the person's anxiety levels before the stimulus; and may include a deeper exploration of the meanings associated with cooking, which allows modifying them or facing them gradually.

Since mageirochophobia is most likely related to broader and more complex anxiety experiences, it is important to treat them as a whole. Mageirocophobia may be only one manifestation of a broader spectrum of anxieties, so it is necessary to be aware of other dimensions of the person's anxiety. other dimensions of the person need to be known in order to treat them.. Otherwise, one can fall into the error of modifying behaviors only temporarily or superficially and motivated only by social approval, beyond eradicating the conflicts that are in the background or around the mageirocofobia.

Some strategies to reduce anxiety in the kitchen

To achieve the above, a gradual and deeper accompaniment is necessary. However, some simple strategies that can decrease the experience of anxiety specifically related to cooking are the following:

• Making simple dishes and that do not involve risks such as burning or cutting oneself, and cook more elaborate dishes little by little.
• Locate a favorite dish or food that you enjoy very much and try to prepare it, familiarizing yourself with the instructions and utensils little by little.
• Cook together with someone who inspires safety and confidence.
• Cook for others, preferably close to you, to encourage social recognition.
• Do any of the above steps once a week and gradually increase the frequency. and gradually increase the frequency.

Bibliographic references:

• Jason (2014). Mageirocophobia - Fear/Phobia of Cooking. Most Common Phobias. Retrieved August 22, 2018. Available at http://mostcommonphobias.com/mageirocophobia-fear-phobia-cooking/.
• Albers, S. (2010). Overcoming Mageirocophobia- the Fear of Cooking. Huffpost. Retrieved August 22, 2018. Available at https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-susan-albers/overcoming-mageirocophobi_b_711520.html?guccounter=1.
• Quinion, M. (2010). Magiric. World Wide Words. Retrieved August 22, 2018. Available at http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-mag1.htm.
• Soyer, A. (1853). The Pantropheon: The American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection. Andrews McMEel Publishing: Kansas, City.