Acarophobia is the fear of insects, worms and bugs such as mites and ticks. Someone who is acarophobic might also fear the itching that accompanies skin contact with them. Though it can be difficult, acarophobia can be overcome using conventional or alternative therapies.
Symptoms of acarophobia can include anxiety, sweating, breathlessness, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness and a rapidly beating heart when encountering bugs or thinking about them. In more severe cases, it can trigger dissociation, the loss of thinking abilities and a fear of death. Acarophobic individuals might also feel as though they are losing their minds.
An aversion to insects, bugs and worms is common in many people, but those who experience the aforementioned symptoms each time they encounter bugs or even think about them might suffer from acarophobia. Though the disorder is classified as being rare, it can have a profound affect on a person. Insects are ubiquitous in the world, so suffering from acarophobia can overwhelm the afflicted. The disorder can, in some cases, even compromise a person's quality of life.
Treatment for acarophobia can vary depending on the individual and the severity of the case. Conventional treatment might involve medications and therapy talk sessions in which coping skills are learned. However, a patient might also look into alternative methods of overcoming their fear. These might include hypnotherapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and energy psychology.
Hypnotherapy allows a therapist to untangle the patient's subconscious aversion to bugs. However, individuals who need to be in control of their surroundings might not like submitting to a hypnotherapy session. Neuro-Linguistic Programming is based on active communication between a therapist and the subject. For this type of therapy to work, a patient must be open to having his or her mental and emotional processes "reprogrammed" to reflect an appropriate response to insects. Energy psychology is somewhat of a combination of the other two alternative therapy types, except that it shares some of the same principles as acupuncture.
The goal of all of these therapies, whether conventional or alternative, is to restore a person's sense of well-being and to provide him or her with the tools necessary to cope with or eliminate acarophobia. Through diligence and hard work on the parts of the therapist and the patient, the disorder can be overcome like any other phobia. Current suffers might be relieved to know that recovery rates are good.
