What is saminophobia? Fear you might experience on October 31st

The most terrible night of the year has arrived. Fear, fright and the scariest costumes will be the focus this Halloween. celebrated all over the world thanks to the influence of English-speaking countries, the pioneers of this holiday. Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eveit is an event that attracts a wide variety of people. From children who knock on doors for classics”trick or treatadults ending the night at clubs and parties in true nocturnal spirit.

Fun or Fright for Halloween

There are two completely opposite sides to this holiday: those who carefully dress up to create as many scares as possible, and those who deeply fear Halloween itself. This latter group experiences a specific condition known as Samhainophobia, irrational fear of everything related to Halloween. This is a disorder that affects some people who simply cannot cope with the scares, decorations, costumes and themes associated with All Hallow’s Eve.

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Why is it called saminophobia?

“Clowns, witches, pumpkins, costumes—while for most children they mean fun, for some they are a source of fear and even phobia,” says clinical psychologist Javier Boorquez Hoya of the condition, which is more common in children than adults. .

It’s called Samhainophobia because the Celts, the founders of this holiday, called this holiday Samhain, which we now know as Halloween.

People with this type of disorder, which is quite difficult to diagnose, experience panic attacks, severe sleep problems and often become isolated because of their strong fear of this holiday. Some patients even lock themselves at home in the days leading up to Halloween to avoid preparing for the night.

However, there is there is no definitive professional or medical solution to this problem, although this fear can develop into more serious disorders than the phobia itself. Relaxation techniques and cognitive behavioral therapy are ideal for helping people change the way they react to these situations.