All about brontophobia

Everyone has had to experience an inexplicable sense of anxiety at the approach of a thunderstorm at some point. Some people greatly exaggerate its danger, and then the fear gradually develops into a phobia. To begin treatment, it is necessary to understand the features of the pathology and the causes of its occurrence.

Fear of a thunderstorm out of a sense of self-preservation is inherent in many people. But it happens that the fear of lightning and thunder leads to anxiety disorder. The person experiences panic and loses composure. He wants to hide, to hide in the farthest corner. Such pathological fear of a thunderstorm is called brontophobia.

People of all ages are susceptible to these painful manifestations. In some people, brontophobia can be closely intertwined with other phobias:

• astrapophobia - the horror arising from a sharp flash cutting through the clouds;
• tonitrophobia - a panic fear of thunder;
• ombrophobia - fear of getting caught in the rain due to contact with drops or torrential streams;
• ligirophobia - fear of any strong and harsh threatening sounds, in this case, thunder;
• acoustic phobia, phonophobia - fear of loud sounds.

The reasons may lie in beliefs, genetics, or mental trauma associated with this natural phenomenon.

• Someone perceives a thunderstorm as God's wrath and heavenly punishment. Popular beliefs say that lightning strikes a person steeped in sins.
• Fear can be transmitted at the genetic level. People have a tendency to want to hide from the weather, thereby protecting themselves.
• Feeling your own vulnerability to the power of nature, the irrational fear of a person arises before the impossibility of predicting the consequences of an unusual natural phenomenon. A person experiences an all-consuming horror at the sight of dark clouds, foreshadowing the approach of a thunderstorm.
• Some are afraid of fireballs. There is evidence of the chaotic movement of mysterious fireballs, their ability to penetrate a dwelling through an open window and take the life of a person who happens to be there.
• Impressive natures are afraid to fall prey to lightning. They have heard a lot about people who died and suffered from a natural disaster, who, by the will of fate, found themselves in the wrong place.
• Viewing news and films negatively affects the plot of which is based on the destructive actions of various natural phenomena.
• Negative personal experience may be associated with lightning hitting the dwelling and building on fire. It is possible that the person had to experience fear due to the unexpectedly started lightning strikes during his stay in the forest.
• Children often adopt severe parental anxiety. and they also feel fear when a thundercloud appears.
• Animal lovers give in to anxiety seeing how their pets, when a thunderstorm approaches, fearfully huddle in secluded corners.

People with brontophobia can have specific symptoms.

• They have an overwhelming horror at the sight of sockets, mistakenly believing that lightning through them can kill a person. Begin to be afraid of any contact with household appliances. Do not touch metal objects.
• Some on the eve of a thunderstorm the fear of being in an open area is growing, as well as the fear of staying in someone else's house. Frightened people often cover their eyes and ears with their hands.
• In severe cases, brontophobes behave incredibly strange: they build shelters from thunderstorms and bunkers, acquire a private house with an underground, in which you can hide during the thunderstorm. They are afraid to leave the house. If a thunderstorm catches them on the street, they panic and go into hysterics.
• Experiences directed to the future push a person on a daily thorough study of the forecast of weather forecasters. Brontophobe does not miss a single television program with a weather report, scrupulously scans all meteorological sites, tries to observe the behavior of animals and does not forget about folk signs.

Physiological symptoms:

• stomach cramps;
• chills;
• tremor;
• tachycardia;
• decrease in body temperature;
• migraine;
• lack of oxygen;
• rapid breathing;
• increased sweating.

After the end of the thunderstorm, the symptoms disappear without a trace until the next case occurs.

Parents need to make a lot of efforts to prevent childhood fear of a thunderstorm, not to let it develop into a phobia. A child's fears can lead to severe mental illness and stuttering. All your appearance should demonstrate calmness. There is no need to scold, let alone shame the child. It is necessary to hug the baby, calm down, support.

It is imperative to tell the little man about this unique natural phenomenon and tell where lightning and thunder come from... Fear of thunder should be overcome in a playful way. You can simulate a strong rumble by using pot lids and bursting balloons. In this case, you need to laugh cheerfully.

A qualified specialist can carry out a full diagnosis and distinguish between the usual fear of bad weather and anomalous fear. Anxiety level is assessed using the Zang or Beck scale. If necessary, the mental state of a person is determined using other methods.

There are frequent cases when a person can independently overcome a phobia. To do this, you need to create comfortable conditions for yourself during a thunderstorm, switch to your favorite things.You can listen to loud music, watch movies, do relaxing breathing exercises, and do some exercise. A soothing bath, herbal tea, motherwort, and valerian tincture are helpful.

Tightly drawn curtains give a person confidence in their own safety. It is advisable to be close to loved ones who always provide the necessary support.

The psychotherapist will help to identify the cause of the phobia, advise and prescribe a comprehensive treatment. He may recommend medication. Antidepressants prevent the onset of severe depression. Tranquilizers eliminate vegetative and behavioral symptoms of panic, eliminate nervous tension, stop the manifestation of fear.

With hysterical syndrome, it is usually prescribed antipsychotic drugs. Additionally, restorative therapy is carried out.

This phobia lends itself well to psychocorrection. Individual psychotherapy is based on identifying the causes that provoked the disease and developing constructive ways to overcome this situation. Training courses in group classes contribute to the acquisition of the skills of complete self-control during a thunderstorm.

A conviction arises: a thunderstorm does not always promise dire consequences. This method is suitable for people who tolerate hypnosis well. The hypnologist helps to correct the psyche.

By the end of the hypnosis course, the fear of lightning and thunder dissipates, the phobia is replaced by positive thoughts:

• there is no sharp reaction to the approach of a thunderstorm;
• a clear understanding comes that lightning discharges are beneficial to nature, and there is nothing terrible at all in the thunder;
• the mental state is gradually recovering;
• the perception of a thunderstorm as a frightening phenomenon disappears;
• there is a release from fear.

Once in a completely open area, the person must find a depression, kneel down and lie face down, wrapping his hands around the back of his head.

How to get rid of the fear of a thunderstorm in a child, see below.