ACAROPHOBIA Meaning and
Definition
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Acarophobia is a psychological disorder characterized by an irrational and persistent fear or aversion towards small arachnid insects known as mites, ticks, or spiders. It falls under the category of specific phobia, which refers to an intense and unreasonable fear of a specific object, situation, or creature. Individuals afflicted with acarophobia typically experience extreme anxiety, panic, and distress when encountering or even thinking about these creatures, regardless of any actual threat they may pose.
Symptoms of acarophobia can vary among individuals but often include a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, trembling, nausea, and an overwhelming desire to avoid places or activities where mites, ticks, or spiders might be present. Sufferers may also exhibit signs of hypervigilance, constantly scanning the environment for signs of these arachnids or feeling the sensation of bugs crawling on their skin even when there is no physical evidence.
The causes of acarophobia can be diverse and may stem from traumatic experiences, such as a childhood event where an individual was bitten or experienced a threatening encounter with a mite, tick, or spider. In some cases, the fear may develop without any apparent triggering events or as a result of continued exposure to anxiety-provoking information or media. Treatment for acarophobia typically involves cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and relaxation techniques to help individuals gradually confront and overcome their fears through controlled exposure to the stimuli that cause anxiety.
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1. A morbid fear of acquiring the itch. 2. A belief that one has scabies, caused by an essential or senile pruritus.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for ACAROPHOBIA
- zcarophobia
- scarophobia
- wcarophobia
- qcarophobia
- axarophobia
- avarophobia
- afarophobia
- adarophobia
- aczrophobia
- acsrophobia
- acwrophobia
- acqrophobia
- acaeophobia
- acadophobia
- acafophobia
- acatophobia
- aca5ophobia
- aca4ophobia
- acariphobia
Etymology of ACAROPHOBIA
The word "acarophobia" is derived from the Greek words "akari" which means "mite" or "tiny insect" and "phobos" which means "fear" or "phobia". Therefore, "acarophobia" is the specific phobia or fear of mites or small insects.
Similar spelling words for ACAROPHOBIA
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