What phobia is the fear of bridges or crossing them?
Symptoms of Gephyrophobia
- Shortness of breath when driving over a bridge.
- The phobic might squeeze his eyes shut, or experience rapid heart rate and sweaty palms.
- Numbness from head to toe, tingling sensation, shaking, trembling or feeling nauseated are some other symptoms of Gephyrophobia.
What is the phobia of bridges called?
Gephyrophobia is the anxiety disorder or specific phobia characterized by the fear of bridges and tunnels. As a result, sufferers of gephyrophobia may avoid routes that will take them over bridges, or if they are a passenger, will act very apprehensively when passing over a bridge. The term gephyrophobia comes from the Greek γέφυρα ...
What are the top 10 worst phobias?
What Really Scares People: Top 10 Phobias
- Fear Factors. (Image credit: Stockxpert.) Whether you jump at the sight of a spider or work up a sweat at the mere mention of getting on an airplane, fears and ...
- The Dentist. ...
- Dogs. ...
- Frightful Flight. ...
- Thunder and Lightning. ...
- The Dark. ...
- Harrowing Heights. ...
- Other People. ...
- Scary Spaces. ...
- Creepy Crawlies. ...
What phobia is the fear of having your heart broken?
Savannah Sgro - Phobia. Falling in love means being ready to have your heart broken.
Is gephyrophobia common?
Gephyrophobia (pronounced as Jeff-ee-ro-pho-bia) is a common specific phobia affecting many individuals. People with this phobia are afraid of crossing bridges or tunnels: driving over a bridge or even seeing one from afar or seeing photos/movies involving bridges can set off an anxiety attack in the sufferer.
What causes fear of crossing bridges?
She says a bridge phobia may stem from a fear of heights, and what's at the root of the problem is being scared of having a panic attack and not being able to manage it. This anxiety disorder usually has a sudden onset and tends to strike extremely good drivers, suggests Ratner.
What is the fear of falling off a bridge called?
As a result, sufferers of gephyrophobia may avoid routes that will take them over bridges, or if they are a passenger, will act very apprehensively when passing over a bridge. The term gephyrophobia comes from the Greek γέφυρα (gephura), meaning "bridge", and φόβος (phobos), meaning "fear".
What is the fear of walking over bridges?
A fear of bridges is called gephyrophobia.
How common is the fear of bridges?
The fear of bridges is a very common driving phobia. The formal name for it is Gephyrophobia. Anyone who has this fear knows that a bridge phobia can make your life miserable. The dread of accidentally being routed onto a bridge can inflame the fear.
What's the longest phobia?
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary — and, in an ironic twist, is the name for a fear of long words. Sesquipedalophobia is another term for the phobia.
What are the weirdest fears?
21 Rare and Weird Phobias You've Likely Never Heard OfArachibutyrophobia (Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth) ... Nomophobia (Fear of being without your mobile phone) ... Arithmophobia (Fear of numbers) ... Plutophobia (Fear of money) ... Xanthophobia (Fear of the color yellow) ... Ablutophobia (Fear of bathing)More items...•
What is Astrophobia?
Astraphobia is an intense fear of thunder and lightning. The phobia is more common in children, but it can last into adulthood. Astraphobia often also affects animals. People with astraphobia feel extreme anxiety or debilitating fear when preparing for a thunderstorm.
How do I stop being scared of bridges?
A variety of forms of therapy have been used to treat specific phobias like the fear of crossing bridges. Talk therapy, exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and other approaches have been used to help people with specific phobias like gephyrophobia.
How do you say gephyrophobia?
0:210:52How to Pronounce Gephyrophobia? (CORRECTLY) Meaning ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt jafirophobia jeffy rephobia pretty straightforward once you know defyrophobia and now you knowMoreIt jafirophobia jeffy rephobia pretty straightforward once you know defyrophobia and now you know here are more videos on how to pronounce more phobia names whose pronunciations.
What does Thalassophobia mean?
Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder. The word “thalassophobia” refers to a fear of the ocean or other large, deep bodies of water. A person with thalassophobia may be afraid of the vastness or emptiness of the ocean, the sea creatures in the water, or both.
What is the fear of females called?
Gynophobia is defined as an intense and irrational fear of women. It may be characterized as a form of specific phobia. Specific phobias involve a fear that is centered on a specific trigger object or situation, which in the case of gynophobia is women.
How do I stop being scared of bridges?
A variety of forms of therapy have been used to treat specific phobias like the fear of crossing bridges. Talk therapy, exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and other approaches have been used to help people with specific phobias like gephyrophobia.
How can I overcome my fear of driving over a bridge?
To overcome a fear of driving over bridges, try out these steps:Walk over the bridge. ... Have someone drive you across the bridge. ... Drive over it yourself during low-traffic hours. ... Consult a mental health expert.
How do you treat gephyrophobia?
Solutions: Treatment for gephyrophobia includes psychotherapy, behavioral desensitization in small increments and medication such as Xanax, Prozac or Paxil. Hypnosis, which is less often done today, is also an option, Casariego says.
What is the fear of driving on highways called?
Amaxophobia (Fear of Driving) Amaxophobia (also called hamaxophobia) makes you feel anxious or fearful when you drive or ride in a vehicle, such as a car, bus or plane.
What is the fear of crossing a bridge called?
Gephyrophobia (pronounced as Jeff-ee-ro-pho-bia) is a common specific phobia affecting many individuals. People with this phobia are afraid of crossing bridges or tunnels: driving over a bridge or even seeing one from afar or seeing photos/movies involving bridges can set off an anxiety attack in the sufferer.
Why do people fear bridges?
The fear is also linked to the fear of heights or Acrophobia. Most bridges run over large valleys or water bodies at a great height. Additionally, some bridges may be small or restricted leading to claustrophobia or the fear of small restricted spaces. An accident or death witnessed by the phobic over a bridge might lead to creation of a similar fear response over and over. The anxiety is the mind’s way of protecting the individual from ‘supposedly dangerous’ situations.
How does fear of bridges affect your life?
The fear of bridges or tunnels can thus affect one’s professional and personal life in that; one might refuse to drive or travel or will likely make career decisions that revolve around his fear . Drivers might swerve or brake dangerously upon seeing a bridge, thereby endangering one’s life as well as of those around.
What do gephyrophobics fear?
Most Gephyrophobics fear bridges that run over large water bodies. Their fear, like all other phobias, might have its roots embedded in the past. A negative or traumatic experience involving bridges might have set it off.
How to overcome a bridge phobia?
Treating and overcoming the fear of bridges phobia. Breathing exercises and meditation are two powerful self help techniques recommended by phobics who have successfully overcome their Gephyrophobia. Upon arriving at a bridge, you must try to regulate your breathing and count slowly from 1-10 to ease your anxiety.
What are some ways to overcome gephyrophobia?
Talk therapy, psychiatric counseling, Hypnotherapy are other tried and tested therapies that can help you overcome Gephyrophobia once and for all.
What are the symptoms of Gephyrophobia?
Numbness from head to toe, tingling sensation, shaking, trembling or feeling nauseated are some other symptoms of Gephyrophobia. Feelings and thoughts of death, crashing, experiencing violent or negative images or movie stills in the mind are a few psychological symptoms of this phobia.
What is the fear of bridges called?
The irrational or excessive fear of bridges it’s called gephyrophobia. This phobia represents a major discomforting experience for the people who suffer it, as bridges are especially common structures and hence, very often, unavoidable.
How to overcome fear of crossing a bridge?
People can successfully overcome the fear of bridges with meditation and breathing exercises. These techniques are useful moments before crossing a bridge, the person could even park on the side of the road if necessary. Counting slowly from 1 to 10, and regulating breathing are great for easing anxiety.
Why is gephyrophobia important?
As we are talking about fears that generate considerable clinical discomfort, phobias in general and specifically gephyrophobia may represent an important obstacle to perform simple, daily activities. In the case of gephyrophobia, the person avoids routes involving bridges at all costs. Of course, the bigger the bridge, the more the person with gephyrophobia will try to avoid it.
How does hypnosis help with fear?
Quite simply it works by resetting the brains auto response to enable it to react in a rational manner. It won’t see a bridge as a danger anymore and so it won’t cause the reaction of fear and avoidance of danger.
How to overcome gephyrophobia?
Slow exposure to bridges is a proven method to overcome gephyrophobia. The person can start by driving across small bridges, and eventually drive across larger ones. Patients with severe panic for bridges can start the treatment by just watching movies or pictures of bridges before actually getting into a car.
What are the symptoms of driving across a bridge?
Among these symptoms, there are common responses of physiological anxiety such as accelerated heartbeat, hyperventilation, shaking, dizziness, and even panic attacks.
What is the best therapy for phobias?
CBT it’s a kind of psychotherapy capable to help patients with different phobias including Gephyrophobia. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help a person understand the root of their fear, change negative patterns of thinking, and improve the way they feel.
What are the phobias that make driving over a bridge impossible?
The phobias that make driving over a bridge impossible are usually vehophobia (fear of driving), aquaphobia (fear of water), acrophobia (fear of heights), and cleithrophobia (fear of being trapped).
What is it called when you are scared of crossing a bridge?
There’s a name for what you’re experiencing and it’s called gephyrophobia. The fear of bridges keeps people who suffer from gephyrophobia from crossing a bridge or even looking at it. Passing over a bridge can induce panic and a sense of doom. Although irrational, it is hard to overcome. It can plague your life to such an extent ...
What makes driving over a bridge difficult?
For others, it can be a fear of heights or water for example that makes it difficult. Gephyrophobia can be a cluster of anxiety-related conditions or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This makes driving over a bridge quite a task. The phobias that make driving over a bridge impossible are usually vehophobia (fear of driving), ...
How to control fear?
These techniques will help you center your mind and find peace. It helps you control your fear and takes you through the situation instead of avoiding it.#N#1. Deep Breathing#N#It tricks your body into being calm and reduces overall stress levels. Try to regulate your breathing and count slowly from one to ten. This will help ease your anxiety.#N#2. Meditate#N#Direct your mind into a peaceful state whenever you encounter stressful situations.#N#3. Exercise Regularly#N#Exercising releases feel-good hormones that help you deal with anxiety and regulates your mood.
Why is it important to avoid bridges?
If you see yourself going out of the way to avoid bridges, then it is important you take the necessary steps to deal with your fear. Your phobia might already be trickling into your daily life. Prolonged anxiety can affect your mental and physical health.
How do you know if you have gephyrophobia?
The most obvious sign is that you will avoid crossing a bridge at all costs. You’d rather add an hour to your driving time than cross a bridge. For some, the fear may be mild. Others can have full-blown panic attacks or feel terror and dread.
How to learn to cross a bridge?
Gradually, you will learn to cross the real bridge. When you’re ready, start by driving across a small bridge or trust a friend to take you through one.
What is the anxiety disorder that is characterized by the fear of bridges and tunnels?
Specialty. Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neurology. Gephyrophobia is the anxiety disorder or specific phobia characterized by the fear of bridges and tunnels. As a result, sufferers of gephyrophobia may avoid routes that will take them over bridges, or if they are a passenger, will act very apprehensively when passing over a bridge.
What is the meaning of "gephyrophobia"?
The term gephyrophobia comes from the Greek γέφυρα ( gephura ), meaning "bridge", and φόβος ( phobos ), meaning "fear". Some possible manifestations of gephyrophobia may be fear of driving off the bridge, fear of a gust of wind blowing one off the bridge, or fear that the bridge will collapse when crossing it (e.g., ...
What episode does Lucy talk about gephyrophobia?
Gephyrophobia is the main plot in "The Bridge" episode of The Middle. The character Brick is plagued by the phobia. In 1965's A Charlie Brown Christmas, Lucy references gephyrophobia (albeit with a slight mispronunciation) when attempting to diagnose Charlie Brown 's problems at her psychiatric help stand.
When was the Tappan Zee bridge demolished?
Further details may exist on the talk page. (March 2021) The old Tappan Zee Bridge (demolished in 2019 and replaced with a newer bridge) offered a service to help those with gephyrophobia cross the bridge without hesitation.
Is the Tappan Zee Bridge a situational phobia?
It is a situational phobia. As of 2008, the New York State Thruway Authority would lead gephyrophobiacs over the Tappan Zee Bridge. A driver could call the authority in advance and arrange for someone to drive their car over the bridge for them. The authority performed the service about six times a year.
What is it called when you are scared of driving over a bridge?
The fear of driving over bridges is also referred to as gephyrophobia. Having an exaggerated or irrational fear of driving over or crossing a bridge can present some challenges in your daily life as you travel to where you need to go. It’s also not always practical to avoid all bridges. Fortunately, there are some treatments available that could help you overcome this fear.
How to help a fear of driving over a bridge?
Treatment for a fear of driving over bridges will depend on the extent of your excessive anxiety. Some people see improvements with behavior therapy combined with the use of anti-anxiety medication*. Treatment may also involve:
Can you use virtual reality for gephyrophobia?
If your issues with gephyrophobia are severe, you may be a good candidate for virtual reality treatment. This is a form of exposure therapy that involves wearing specially designed headgear that recreates the act of driving over a bridge in a safe, controlled environment.
Is gesphorophobia a sleep disorder?
Gephyrophobia is sometimes misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder, a sleep-related problem, depression, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If you do have this fear, be specific about your symptoms and how you are personally affected, but also be open to the possibility that an underlying health issue could be contributing to your hesitation to drive over bridges as well. Doing so increases your odds of benefiting from the treatments recommended for you.
What does it mean when you have a fear of a bridge?
Those who treat phobias say a fear of bridges is not only about a fear of heights. Some fear the bridge will collapse, some fear drowning, and some fear they will accidentally drive off. For McMahon, it’s a feeling of claustrophobia: “I can’t get off; I have no way to pull over. I’m up there, yes, but it’s like there’s no way out.” And once an individual has had a panic attack on a bridge, the fear of the panic attack becomes the bigger issue.
How many people drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge?
Each day, between 80,000 and 100,000 people drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, with traffic soaring on summer and holiday weekends. Thousands of those drivers are so petrified, they rely on friends or family do the driving for them.
What is the Mackinac Bridge Authority?
In Michigan, the Mackinac Bridge Authority drives vehicles for free over a bridge that connects the state’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas and rises 199 feet above the strait below . Formerly known as the Timid Driver Program, it’s now referred to as the Driver Assistance Program.
Is there a lot of demand for the Golden Gate Bridge?
According to Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz, spokesperson for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, there just isn’t a lot of demand.
Is phobias treatable?
I have never had a narcissist come to me.”. The good news is, “phobias are very treatable,” says the NIMH’s Berman. What’s been shown to be most effective, she says, is cognitive-behavioral therapy, which teaches people strategies to calm down and refocus while pushing them to face their fears step by step.
Causes
- Some possible explanations for gephyrophobia may be fear of driving off the bridge, fear of being blown off the bridge by a gust of wind, fear of the structural integrity of the bridge itself, or f...
- Fear overlaps with acrophobia, fear of heights, as gephyrophobia tends to be exacerbated on high bridges vs. those close to the water / ground below.
Symptoms
- Some specialists who provide their services at the Anxiety DisordersClinic of the New York State Psychiatric Institute, affirm: «It is not an isolated phobia, but it is usually part of a larger constellation … It is the people who get seizures panic. 1. You get dizzy, 2. The heart beats. 3. You are afraid of feeling trapped 4. It is a situational phobia.
Examples
- A driver can call the authority ahead of time and arrange for someone to drive the car over the bridge for them.
- The authority performs the service about six times a year.
- The Maryland Transportation Authority offers a similar service to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
Termino
- The term gephyrophobia comes from the Greek γέφυρα (gephura) which means “bridge” and φόβος (phobos) “fear”. You might also like to read: Fear Of Thunder And Lightning: Symptoms, Treatment
Treatment
- The fear of bridges or, more precisely, the fear of crossing bridges is a largely unknown fear. However, the symptoms are very well identifiable: 1. Irrational fear of crossing a bridge, viaduct or any overpass 2. Intense anxiety when the idea is considered to cross such a place 3. Panic when the patient has no choice but to cross a bridge 4. Sweating, palpitations, tremors ar…
What Psychological Treatment For Gephyrophobia?
- Gephyrophobia is usually treated with brief therapy.
- It takes about ten sessions to feel significant relief. A deconstruction of dysfunctional thoughts is essential during therapy.
- The psychologist works with the patient to develop simple exercises that will gradually and greatly relieve anxiety.
How to Overcome The Fear of Bridges
- There are many fearsin life that people commonly share and the fear of bridges is one of those… It can come from many things and can cause problems especially when you have to drive on a bridge or often even unexpectedly. Here are some steps to help you overcome your fear of bridges. Instructions 1. Identify the source of your fear. With bridges, this can often be a fear of …