Arsonphobia (fear of fire): causes, symptoms and treatment

Throughout the history of humanity, fire has played the role of both an ally and an enemy of man. Thanks to him, a large number of advances and inventions have been possible that have led to an improvement in the development of humanity.

However, we cannot ignore the danger of this. Since poorly controlled, it can be deadly, hence the fear that it arouses among people. Nevertheless, when this fear becomes excessive, we may be facing a case of arsonphobia.

Related article: "The 15 strangest phobias that exist"

What is arsonphobia?

Within the long list of existing specific phobias, Arsonphobia is that anxiety disorder in which the person experiences a pathological fear of fire or fires.. This phobia can also be known under the name of pyrophobia.

As with the rest of the specific anxiety disorders, when people with arsonphobia face or think who must face the feared stimulus, a series of reactions begin, both physical and psychological, typical of of stress states and anxiety very high.

It is understandable that a person can experience a certain degree of fear in the presence of fire and even more In the face of a fire, this is considered a normal and adaptive fear, which appears as a response of survival. However,

If this response is generalized to any situation and is disproportionate, it can be considered a specific phobia, specifically arsonphobia..

How to differentiate it from a normative fear?

There are a series of specific characteristics that allow us to establish a difference between a habitual reaction or response to danger and a phobia or pathological fear. To do this, we must take into account what consequences or direct effects this fear has on the person's day-to-day life.

For this reason, in the cases in which the person suffers from arsonphobia, they will come to experience strong anxiety reactions before the appearance of the phobic or aversive stimulus; in this case the fire. In addition, it is very possible that this fear causes interference when carrying out a normal life, so it is always recommended consult with a professional psychologist.

Finally, it is necessary to take into account a series of requirements and qualities of fear disorders, which serve to define the phobia and enable its diagnosis. These qualities are as follows.

1. It is a disproportionate fear

One of the features that differentiate a natural fear from a disproportionate fear is that in arsonphobia the sensation of fear experienced is completely disproportionate compared to the real threat posed by the phobic stimulus.

In this case, the person may overreact to the perception of a burning match or even in front of a lit kitchen stove.

2. it's irrational

Subjects with arsonphobia they are absolutely incapable of finding a reasonable and justified explanation for their fearful reactions. To the point that, in many cases, the person is perfectly aware that the stimulus It is not dangerous in itself but even so it is unable to prevent the anxiety response from appearing before this.

3. is uncontrollable

Finally, the third characteristic that defines a phobic fear is that this fear is absolutely uncontrollable for the person with arsonphobia. This means that the person cannot avoid the appearance of anxiety and fear reactions, nor can they control them while experiencing them.

Symptoms

Because arsonphobia is one more on the list of specific phobias, its symptomatology is very similar to that of other pathological fears of this type. The clinical picture is distinguished by being of an anxious nature and appears every time the person faces or thinks about situations related to fire or fires.

This clinical picture is classified into physical symptoms, cognitive symptoms, and behavioral symptoms; which usually appear automatically and suddenly, and only disappear when the person has managed to flee or avoid the phobic stimulus.

1. physical symptoms

The first symptoms that the patient with arsonphobia is aware of are the physical symptoms. The appearance of the phobic stimulus, fire, causes a hyperactivity of the person's nervous system which triggers all kinds of changes and transformations in it.

Between the symptoms that can appear during a phobic episode we find:

• Increased heart rate
• Increased respiratory rate
• Sensation of suffocation or shortness of breath
• Increased muscle tension
• Headache
• Gastrointestinal problems such as stomach pain or diarrhea
• increased sweating
• Dizziness and dizzy feeling
• Nausea and/or vomiting

2. cognitive symptoms

Another group of symptoms that appear in arsonphobia are cognitive symptoms. These consist of a series of beliefs and speculations, which can become obsessive, in relation to the fear of fire and fires.

These distorted thoughts and ideas favor the advancement and development of the phobia and distinguished because the person has a series of illogical and irrational beliefs about danger of fire. In addition, these symptoms are often accompanied by mental images of a catastrophic nature about this element.

3. behavioral symptoms

As in the rest of specific anxiety disorders, arsonphobia is also accompanied by behavioral symptoms. these symptoms manifested through avoidance behaviors and escape behaviors.

Avoidance behaviors refer to all those behaviors or acts that the person leads to carried out to avoid encountering the phobic stimulus and thus avoid experiencing sensations negative. An example may be the refusal to cook with fire or to use any gas appliance that could cause a fire.

On the other hand, escape behaviors manifest when the subject has not been able to avoid confronting the phobic stimulus, therefore that he will carry out any behavior that is necessary to escape the situation in which he finds himself and generates high levels of anxiety.

Causes

Despite the fact that it is sometimes difficult to determine the specific origin of a phobia, since not even the patient himself is capable of associating it with any traumatic event, There are a number of factors that can favor or enhance the appearance and development of this pathological fear..

The existence of a genetic predisposition to the effects of anxiety and stress, together with the experience or experimentation of a highly traumatic or with a high emotional charge in which the fire appeared in any way, it can trigger, in a very probable way, the appearance of the arsonphobia.

In any case, the impact that vicarious learning or by imitation can have at the time of the acquisition of a phobia is being studied.

Treatment

Although the exact incidence of this phobia in the population is not known, it is estimated that it appears more frequently in those people whose jobs involve contact with fire to a greater or lesser extent, such as firefighters or agents forestry.

Both in these cases and in that of any other person suffering from this disorder, there are some interventions and Psychological treatments that can reduce symptoms and even help the person recover and overcome their phobic fear.

Psychological treatment is based on three different principles or actions. The first consists of carrying out a cognitive restructuring that promotes the modification of the distorted thoughts that the person has regarding fire.

In addition, exposure techniques will be carried out in vivo or systematic desensitization, through which the patient is gradually exposed to the phobic stimulus or situation. This can be done live, in controlled environments and contexts, or through imagination.

Finally, these techniques are accompanied by training in relaxation skills, which allow the levels of arousal of the nervous system to decrease and help the person to be able to face their fears in the best possible way.