Astrophobia (fear of the stars): symptoms and treatment

The vastness of the universe, space or the cosmos, as well as the large number of stars and bodies celestial bodies that inhabit it, can be as fascinating as it is intimidating to the people who they observe. However, if this feeling turns into an exacerbated fear of them, it is very possible that we are faced with a case of astrophobia.

Throughout this article we will talk about this type of specific phobia. We will analyze the characteristics that distinguish it from a normal fear and describe its main symptoms, causes and treatments.

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

What is astrophobia?

Astrophobia is a psychological disturbance that is part of anxiety disorders. Based on its own name, it is easy to deduce that it is an excessive, irrational and uncontrollable fear of the stars or celestial bodies that are in the cosmos or the universe.

If we take into account the etymological roots of the word, "astro" is a term that comes from Latin and that makes reference to all kinds of celestial bodies located in outer space and which are also visible from the land; while the concept "phobia" finds its origin in the Greek word "phobos" which means flight or fear.

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, astrophobia is considered an anxiety disorder in which the person experiences an excessive and irrational fear of the stars, and in which you experience extremely high anxiety each time the affected person looks at the stars

Although astrophobia is a type of phobia with very little incidence among the population, this can become a highly disabling disorder, in which the patient is susceptible to the extreme of remaining confined at home so as not to run the risk of sighting the sky.

Therefore, this mental illness can modify and limit the behavior of the person, reducing their quality of life. Luckily, there are very effective treatments for this type of specific phobias thanks to which the person is able to overcome it and lead a normal life.

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

Clinical characteristics of the disorder

Like the rest of phobias or anxiety disorders, astrophobia has a series of clinical characteristics that distinguish it from normal or non-pathological feelings of fear or fear.

Therefore, in order to differentiate astrophobia from a non-pathological fear, it must meet the following characteristics:

• Excessive and disproportionate fear taking into account the real danger of the situation or phobic stimulus.
• Irrational fear, since the person is unable to offer a logical explanation to this.
• Inability to control the emotions of fear and anguish.
• Generation of avoidance behaviors of the situation.
• Fear appears constantly and permanently through the different feared situations.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms of astrophobia are those related to experiencing great anxiety. This clinical picture does not manifest itself continuously over time, but only in those cases in which the person faces or anticipates what he is going to face with the phobic stimulus; in this case, the stars and celestial bodies.

These symptoms can be classified into three groups, depending on whether they correspond to physical, cognitive or behavioral symptoms.

1. Physical symptoms

Before the appearance of the situation object of the phobia, the central nervous system undergoes an excessive increase in its activity, generating a large number of changes and alterations at the physiological and organic level.

This physical symptomatology includes:

• Increased heart rate.
• Increased respiration.
• Palpitations.
• Feeling of suffocation
• Muscle tension.
• Increased levels of sweating.
• Headache.
• Gastric disorders.
• Dizziness.
• Nausea and / or vomiting.
• Blackouts and loss of consciousness.

2. Cognitive symptoms

The appearance of physical symptoms is subject to a series of incoherent or extravagant beliefs and ideas about the phobic situation or stimulus and its presumed dangerousness. These ideas make up the cognitive symptoms and usually appear early, generating anxiety symptoms.

Among the cognitive symptoms of astrophobia are:

• Distorted thoughts about stars and heavenly bodies.
• Ideas of an intrusive and uncontrollable nature that flood the patient's mind.
• Obsessive speculation about the possible dangers of the stars.
• Catastrophic imagination in relation to the feared object.
• Fear of losing control and not being able to manage the situation favorably.

3. Physical symptoms

The main consequence of the anxiety symptoms, previously mentioned, is the performance of a series of behaviors or behavior patterns that arise in response to the feared stimulus.

These physical symptoms appear in order to avoid the feared circumstances or to flee from them in the event that it could not be avoided. In this way, the person with astrophobia try to avoid experiencing unpleasant emotions like anxiety and anguish.

These behavior patterns are known as avoidance behaviors and escape behaviors. In avoidance behaviors, the person carries out a series of acts with the intention of eliminating the possibility of having to confront them.

On the other hand, escape behaviors appear when the person suffering from astrophobia is inevitably faced with the feared situation or stimulus. Throughout the situation, the person will perform all kinds of acts or behaviors that allow you to escape of this in the fastest way possible.

What causes does it have?

Although, for the moment, completely reliable causes have not been established to explain phobias. The researchers point to the possibility that the experimentation of highly traumatic events or experiences or with a great emotional charge, together with a genetic predisposition to the harmful effects of stress, establish a basis for the appearance of a specific anxiety disorder such as astrophobia.

In addition, there are other factors such as personality, cognitive styles or vicarious learning, which can favor the appearance and development of an irrational and uncontrollable fear such as that of phobias

Treatment of this phobia

Despite the low incidence of astrophobia, there are very effective treatments and interventions common to the rest of specific phobias thanks to which the person can overcome the fear of it and continue with his life in a normal way.

In the case of specific anxiety disorders like phobias, the type of intervention that proved to be the most effective is cognitive-behavioral therapy, where through systematic desensitization (DS) the person can get used to facing the object of fear of her.

In this systematic desensitization, the patient is imaginatively exposed to a series of situations related to phobia, which are ordered gradually, from least to greatest degree of fear. Likewise, relaxation techniques are applied to reduce the level of anxiety.

Another widely used technique is that of live exposure, through which the person is directly and gradually exposed to the feared situation. However, these techniques should always be carried out under the supervision and guidance of a mental health professional.