Homiclophobia (fear of fog): symptoms, causes and treatment

Homiclophobia, or nebulaphobia, is the persistent and intense fear of fog.. It is a type of specific phobia that may be related to the media broadcast about dangerous situations, where fog occurs recurrently. Likewise, it can be caused by previous and unpleasant experiences related to this phenomenon of nature.

Next we will see what homiclophobia is, what are some of its main characteristics as well as its possible causes and treatment.

• You may be interested in: "Types of Phobias: Exploring Fear Disorders"

Homiclophobia: persistent fear of fog

Homiclophobia, also known as nebulaphobia, is the persistent and intense fear of fog. As it is a fear caused by exposure to a natural stimulus, homiclophobia can be considered a phobia of a specific type of the natural environment.

As with other phobias of a specific type, homiclophobia is characterized by a specific fear that is easily distinguishable from others. In this sense, unlike a social type phobia, the specific phobia does not usually extend to many stimuli beyond the main trigger, in this case the fog.

However, B (2005) tells us that the development of a specific phobia to a certain stimulus increases the chances of developing another phobia to a very similar stimulus. In addition, increases the probability of being afraid of various stimuliAlthough they are not necessarily phobic.

Finally, homiclophobia can be part of a broader clinical picture, for example, a social phobia or a generalized anxiety disorder. In other words, it can manifest as one more of the elements that surround a wide spectrum of stress experiences to different stimuli, an issue that is important to take into account for its definition.

Before explaining some of its possible causes, we begin by briefly describing the natural phenomenon of fog.

What is the fog?

Broadly speaking, fog is the result of snow that forms at low altitude, near ground level. Similarly, the fog can be generated as a result of steam emanating from the ground, by an accumulation of water at a higher temperature than the surrounding air.

Thus, fog is not by itself a potentially harmful or risky element for any organism. However, depending on the circumstances it is experienced, the fog can represent a stimulus that triggers alarm or even excessive fear.

Symptoms

As with all phobias, this fear is experienced persistently and irrationally, meaning that it is not explained by the cultural codes of the environment in which one lives.

The exaggerated experience of fear translates into a momentary picture of anxiety, with its corresponding physiological response: dizziness, hyperventilation, cardiac agitation, sweating excessive, among others. In a case of more acute anxiety experience, homiclophobia can also lead to a panic attack.

• You may be interested in: "Types of Anxiety Disorders and their characteristics"

Possible causes

As with other types of specific phobias, homiclophobia is a phenomenon with multiple causes. In the specific case of persistent fear of fog, one of the triggering elements may be prolonged exposure to media or movies where risk situations frequently occur in the dark, and likewise in fog. This can generate some imaginaries that finally favor the association between fog and imminent danger.

On the other hand, phobias can be provoked or intensified by real (not imagined), previous or present exposure to dangerous situations where the stimulus is involved.

For example, fog is a natural phenomenon that occurs in many places with frequent traffic. In many of the highways that connect the big cities, the fog is one of the most present elements.

Depending on the time of year, the height and the specific area where it occurs, the density of the fog may be higher or lower, and can significantly affect the driver's vision. For the same reason, and despite being harmless by itself, fog is one of the natural phenomena most related to traffic accidents. A previous experience of this type may be related to the development of this phobia.

Treatment

The general treatment of phobias can resort to different strategies. One of them is to favor the creation of new associations about the stimulus that is perceived as harmful. Another is progressively approach it, by means of brief approaches that increase with the passage of time. Likewise, it is possible to reinforce emotional coping schemes in situations that generate stress.

In the specific case of homiclophobia, it is important to define whether it comes from a real or imaginary experience of imminent danger related to fog. In the case of an experience that has actually occurred, another strategy is to avoid exposing yourself to the fog alone, either by car or on foot, as well as looking for some alternatives to such exposure.

On the contrary, if it is an imaginary danger, it is important to explore other elements that are relate to situations where there is fog and find out if it is a more complex fear or extensive.

Bibliographic references:

• Fear of Stuff (2016). Fear of Fog. Flex Mag. Retrieved September 4, 2018. Available in http://www.fearofstuff.com/nature/fear-of-fog/
• Homichlophobia (2007). Common-Phobias.com. Retrieved August 4, 2018. Available in http://common-phobias.com/Homichlo/phobia.htm
• Bados, A. (2005). Specific phobias. Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona. Retrieved September 4, 2018. Available in http://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/360/1/113.pdf.