Extreme fear or anxiety triggered by certain patterns or geometric figures. Trypophobia falls under the category of specific phobias: phobia for specific things. Do you ever see holes, beehives or biological cells and it scares the bejesus out of you?
This is called trypophobia in simple words. Fear or uneasiness when one sees certain patterns or shapes which make them uneasy or pull some strings in their brains. Trypophobia is not yet been declared as a psychological disorder but it comes under the topic of anxiety.
For some people looking at such objects make them uneasy and anxious. To be honest, when I see a beehive, weirdly shaped floors or tentacles, I start feeling dizzy and anxious. It is normal, anyone can have it. Most people have it but they don’t know what to identify it with.
You won’t believe me when I say that once an aerated chocolate made me dizzy and anxious. I felt like I was going to be attacked by some cashier at the vessel. Such uneasiness is not to be overlooked, it is to be dealt with. What I do is that I try my level best to ignore such objects, this is one of the reasons why I didn’t opt for biology in high-school.
Triggers that make trypophobics feel extremely anxious
Many objects can make you feel trypophobic if you have it, for example, lotus seed pods can trigger you to the next level of trypophobics. A patient was shown this image and he fainted in the lab. There are several different objects which can make you feel trypophobic, for example – natural sponges, honeycomb cells, cellular structures, bubbles, poorly baked cakes and circular shaped floor can trigger trypophobia.
Even though it has not yet been declared a disorder but in late 2016, some pictures of pregnant Surinam toads went viral and many people reported it to be abusive to their mental health. Many consulted their psychiatrists as well. Now, many social media platforms have high endurance for uploading such content online.
Trypophobia can provoke clinically significant discomfort in the person
A disorder, which has not yet been listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, can make people go to their psychiatrist for help. People with lower level of endurance and tolerance can take this to their head. Yes the effect can last for a while, max for 25-30 mins, but people with good mental grasp can remember this for a long time and might take it to the next level.
Anxiety is something to be dealt with carefully. After a chemical burn picture, showing cellular structure, went viral on the internet, it triggered many people with trypophobia. In result, a young teenager with photographic memory committed suicide because of the uneasiness caused by the image.
After this incident, many people started to consult their doctors and asked to be treated for this. It is completely okay to be unique and to have such disorders. According to a review done by Frontier of Psychiatry, women are more likely to be trypophobic.
It happens after post-mortem depression, which can be hazardous. Men are said to be stronger than women cognitively, they make better decisions are more emotional endurance as compared to women. According to research breakups are more brutal for women as compared to men, even when they are not emotionally invested as the men.
Trypophobics immediately tend to avoid the trigger what should they do?
They can not stand unlike most people who can at least bear up with such figures. It takes microseconds to trigger a trypophobic person, resulting in fierce anger and madness. The patients first feels angry at themselves, then kicks in a bit of a grudge and then anxiety takes over.
They start sweating more than usual and fear takes all over them. Such people can harm others when they are triggered. This can also trigger immense pain in the head and trypophobic person might feel strings being pulled in their head.
When triggered, this is what a trypophobic person should do to calm themselves. First try to take your mind off the image and relax your brain. Your brain overwrites flash memories, before you make it a permanent memory by thinking of it again and again, it is recommended that you try to look at happier stuff.
For example, pictures of your children playing, or your favorite show, which can get your mind off the image. I’ll feel quite sorry for you if you don’t take immediate action because the result can last for long, and if you have a photographic memory, I feel so sorry for you.
The trypophobic fear and anxiety lasts for about six months or more
And it has been persistent. According to research, such disturbing images can last for a long time in your subconscious. If you don’t act fast, it can ruin your weeks, months and poor those who have photographic memories. To get it out of your system, it is essential for you to act as soon as you see such an image that triggers you.
Watch a sitcom or stand up comedy to divert your attention from such images. Try things that bring you at ease, share such stuff with your friends and people who care about you. If it doesn’t help, consult a doctor as soon as possible. You won’t know it before it gets worse.
Trypophobia and the person’s reaction to it may appear irrational to others
People don’t usually understand what is going inside your brain. What troubles you might be normal for them, they might consider you a freak. It is important to understand that you aren’t the only one going through such phobias. They are normal and can happen to anyone.
You need to keep your calm and not phase out while going through trouble. Share your troubles with people who understand you, don’t share such stuff with people who might make fun of you or try to prank you. That might make it more worst, keep your calm and fight it with all you got.
