Astraphobia is the irrational fear of thunder and lightning. Thunder is a very scary loud rumble while lightning itself is very dangerous, nobody wants to get struck. Between these reasons are the causes of some astraphobia. We can also call astraphobia other alternative names as brontophobia, tonitrophobia or keraunophobia. I know right? Who seriously comes up with these names? Well, astraphobia is not rear at all but in fact one of the most common phobias in the world especially regions where thunderstorms are rampant.
Astraphobia in Cats and Dogs
We humans arent the only ones with phonias, it was found out that about 20 - 30% of cats and dogs have astraphobia. For dogs, it was found that high level of an hormone called cortisol and used to manage stress in the dog can cause astraphobia for the dog.
Cats have also been seen to run under couches and other furniture during a thunder storm.
It was generally agreed that rather than showing an attempt to comfort these pets, its better to keep behaving normal on the basis that fearlessness can be considered an huge step to curing a phobia all along.
Symptoms of Astraphobia
Even
though it is obviuos at times that an astraphobic patient might not be
in any eminent danger at the time, they may still exhibit any of the
following behaviours depending solely on how intense their astraphobia
is;
The symptoms of astraphobia include
* Increased heart rate
* Trembling
* Screaming and crying
* Hiding under basement or lower ground
* Thoughts of death
*locking all doors and windows trying to prevent entry
A
person with astraphobia would probably be very up to date with the
weather forecasts as they would like to be aware of any up coming storms
so as to leave town or brace them selves up.
Causes of Astraphobia
Astraphobia is caused by only a few known reasons one of which is the that astraphobia might be a survival instinct thus making it a genetic type of phobia - a trait similar to why cats chase mice and birds build nests etc.
The other reason is that it could be as a result of past experience. Here, the astraphobic patient may have seen or experienced firsthand a disaster caused by jolts of lightning or something close almost permanently scaring the mind.
How To Cure Astraphobia
So, does astraphobia actually have a cure? Yes it does. practically all known phobias have one cure or the other. To cure astraphobia, usually, a therapist is needed to ensure the best results. the most common mean is the cognitive
If you think you can overcome astraphobia on your own, then check out the how to cure phobia article.
Do you have astraphobia or its something else? Comment me and let me know!
