Pluviophobia (fear of rain): symptoms, causes and treatment

Pluviophobia, also known as ombrophobia, is the persistent and intense fear of rain and events related to it (thunder, lightning, etc.). It is a specific phobia of an environmental stimulus, which can be caused by various factors.

In this article we will see what pluviophobia is, what are some of its main characteristics and what strategies can be used to treat it.

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

Pluviophobia: persistent fear of rain

The word pluviophobia is made up of the adjective "pluvial", which means "related to rain" (it comes from the Latin "pluvialis"), and the word "phobia", which comes from the Greek "phobos" and means fear.

Thus, pluviophobia is the persistent and intense fear of rain and those elements that are related to it. It is a fear that can be present during childhood, although it can also occur in adolescence and adulthood.

But this is not the only term used to describe the persistent fear of rain. One of the synonyms of "pluviophobia" is the term "ombrophobia", which mixes the Greek "ombro" (means "rain"), and the word "phobos".

This last term has had other derivations. For example, there is a species of plants that cannot withstand much exposure to rain, which is why they have been called "ombrophobes". On the other hand, there is a great variety of vegetation that is called "ombrophyll", due to its high resistance to rain.

General characteristics of this disorder

While the characteristic fear of pluviophobia is caused by an environmental element (rain), this It can be considered a type of phobia specific to the natural environment. The estimated age for the development of this type of phobia is over 23 years, and the one that occurs most frequently is the fear of heights.

The stimulus that is perceived as harmful, in this case the rain, can generate expectations of conscious or unconscious dangers. That is, people can respond with anxiety to the stimulus even when it manifests itself only indirectly. Likewise, when it occurs in adults, they can recognize that the stimulus does not in itself represent an imminent danger; On the contrary, when it occurs in children, this awareness is generally absent.

Rain, for its part, is an atmospheric phenomenon that results from the condensation of water vapor located in the clouds. But is rain really a harmful event? Why can it be dangerous for some people and not for others? What degree of discomfort can it cause? We will see some answers later.

• You may be interested in: "Hydrophobia (fear of water): causes and treatment"

Symptoms

In general, the fear associated with phobias is triggered by exposure to a stimulus that is perceived as noxious. Such fear elicits an immediate anxiety response., which implies signs and symptoms such as tachycardia, hyperventilation, decreased gastrointestinal activity, increased blood pressure, palpitations, among others.

All of the above occurs as a consequence of the activation of the autonomic nervous system, which is stimulated in risk situations. On the other hand, the anxiety response can manifest itself through disgust or revulsion, cardiovascular slowing, dry mouth, nausea, dizziness and decreased body temperature. The latter occurs when the specific part of the autonomic nervous system is activated, known as the “parasympathetic nervous system”.

It should be noted that the intensity with which these manifestations occur depends to a large extent on the degree of exposure to the stimulus that is perceived as harmful. In other words, the intensity of the response varies depending on whether the person is watching the rain from home, or if they need to be directly exposed to a storm.

Likewise, the intensity of the response can vary according to the particular characteristics of the noxious stimulus and the related associations, and the possibilities of escape that it may present (for example, it can vary if it is a light rain or a thunderstorm).

In addition, a specific phobia can cause secondary behaviors that significantly impact the person's quality of life, but often provide momentary relief. For example, avoiding any situation related to the noxious stimulus. Likewise, it can cause hypervigilance towards such situations or the appearance of defensive behaviors.

Possible causes

According to Bados (2005) specific phobias can develop in people who do not have a predisposing condition, but have any previous negative experience (direct or indirect), which generate intense alert reactions. In the specific case of pluviophobia, fear can be justified by previous experiences related to storms, architectural collapses, floods, and other natural disasters.

With which, specific phobias are produced by an interaction of these experiences with other conditions such as the biological, psychological and social vulnerability of the person. That is to say, involves both neurobiological susceptibility and coping skills and social support of the person.

In addition, depending on the particular characteristics of the aforementioned interaction, the person may learn to respond with disproportionate fear to stimuli that have been associated with danger or risk.

Treatment

Given all of the above, the treatment of this phobia can begin by evaluating both the degree of anxiety that provokes the stimulus, such as the associated negative experiences and the types of vulnerability of each person.

The treatments that have been most researched and used to eradicate phobias are live exposure to feared situations, the participant model, imaginal exposure, the systematic desensitization and reprocessing through eye movements. Each of these interventions can have effective results depending on the particular characteristics of the phobia being treated.