Carnophobia (phobia of meat): symptoms, causes and treatment

Carnophobia is characterized by a persistent and intense fear of meat.. It is not necessarily accompanied by a political decision to abandon the consumption of this food, although it may be related to this.

We will see below what carnophobia is, what is the difference between a phobia and an aversion, and finally what are the remedies that exist to treat its symptoms.

• Related article: "Types of Phobias: Exploring Fear Disorders"

Carnophobia: fear of meat

As its name implies, carnophobia is the persistent and intense fear of meat. As long as it is a phobia, the persistent fear of meat must be presented in an irrational or excessive way, that is, it is a disproportionate fear of a stimulus that usually does not pose a danger for who perceives it.

In other words, to be considered a phobia, this fear of meat must not manifest itself solely as a resolute rejection of the consumption of foods of animal origin, as could occur in the case of veganism or vegetarianism.

Nor is it a question of an underdeveloped taste for meat or a preference for a specific type of this food. It is rather a fear that is activated by any stimulus that approaches the flesh,

triggering a disproportionate anxiety response.

Now, if this fear does not manifest itself in a persistent, intense and disproportionate way, not affecting significantly the quality of life of the person, it may not be a phobia, but a aversion.

• You may be interested in: "The 5 types of meat, their properties and disadvantages"

Phobia or aversion to meat?

The main difference between a phobia and an aversion is the intensity of the fear experienced, and the way in which it is presented. An aversion can be defined as a strong repulsion to touch, taste or listen to things that most people are indifferent to or find pleasant (Bados, 2005).

Unlike a phobia, aversions produce discomfort, but not fear or anxiety; they occur before stimuli other than specific phobias and do not cause obsessions or rituals.

Aversions can cause a series of momentary physiological reactions such as the following: chills or hair standing on end, paleness, coldness, wavering breathing, and sometimes nausea. For example, aversions to the touch of downy surfaces such as wool or feathers are common; to hear screeching sounds; or to smell and taste fatty foods, foods of certain textures, or muscle tissue of animal origin (meat).

In general, aversions do not negatively and significantly affect a person's quality of life, since they do not they prevent you from carrying out daily activities, and are not manifested by a picture of anxiety clinically observable. However, they can represent significant discomfort in the face of the stimulus that causes the aversion.

So, if exposure to meat causes discomfort and mild or momentary physiological reactions, then it is an aversion. Conversely, if exposure to meat causes clinically significant discomfort (an anxiety that interferes with daily activities), and is persistent generating the voluntary and involuntary avoidance of meat, then it may be a carnophobia.

Possible causes

As with other phobias, a lingering fear of meat may be caused by actual or perceived harm associated with the consumption of said food. Some concrete examples of experiences that can provoke this fear are the following:

• A severe disease, generated immediately after eating meat.
• A traumatic trip to a butcher shop or slaughterhouse.
• An accident while cooking meat.
• Adverse emotions related to images for or against meat products.

The above may be the cause of having developed both a phobia and an aversion to meat, and the latter may have generated a political position on the consumption or industrialization of this food, although not necessarily.

Is treatment necessary?

Any real or perceived fear that is persistently and disproportionately experienced can be treated through a series of clinical strategies. For example, the in vivo exposure technique, the cognitive restructuring, systematic desensitization or relaxation strategies, among others. All of them have the objective of reducing the anxiety experiences associated with the stimulus that provokes them; which ultimately means that the person develops a positive contact with the stimulus.

However, if the rejection of meat stems from a personal choice, which does not interfere with your daily life even if it implies an experience of aversion, the treatment should not be aimed at the consumption of this food, but the search for alternatives and substitutes.

Bibliographic references:

• Rodriguez, u. (2012). Gastrophobias: all the fears of the world of food. Retrieved September 11, 2018. Available in http://www.infonews.com/nota/37358/gastrofobias-todos-los-miedos-del-mundo.
• Bados, A. (2005). Specific phobias. Faculty of Psychology. Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment. University of Barcelona.
• Fear of raw meat? (Y/A). Perspecs. Retrieved September 11, 2018. Available in http://www.perspecsnews.com/read/business/fear-of-raw-meat/rkxnikyGhz/rygKWvyf2f.