Scoptophobia

Scoptophobia is a mental disorder that manifests itself in an obsessive fear of ridicule and bullying from other people.

People suffering from scoptophobia experience intense anxiety at the thought that someone might make fun of them or do something humiliating or offensive to them. They are afraid of becoming the object of jokes and ridicule in public places, they are afraid that others will laugh at their appearance, behavior, manner of speaking, etc.

Scoptophobia often results in avoidance of social situations. People with this disorder try not to visit crowded places and limit communication in order to minimize the risk of finding themselves in a situation where they could be ridiculed. For some, scoptophobia is so severe that they refuse to leave the house at all.

To overcome scoptophobia, psychotherapy is recommended. With the help of cognitive behavioral therapy, a person learns to more rationally assess situations and his fears, and also develops skills that allow him to feel more confident in social situations.

Scoptophobia is the fear of being humiliated or ridiculed by people. Some psychologists believe that this behavior is a variant of social phobia. There is an opinion that the appearance of scoptophobia can be triggered by a situation when a person happens to find himself in an awkward situation or is criticized in public. But this is not a universal factor. Upon careful analysis, it becomes clear that many factors are involved in the formation of phobias: long-term anxiety states, acute mental disorders, shame and guilt, social deviations. And it is rare to meet a person who has a pronounced scoptophobia complex. Such a phobia is almost always hidden.

Most often, scoptophobia is caused by specific situations when people unexpectedly shout from the stage, ridicule, show obscene finger signs, or copy the manners of someone they know. Ridiculous cases cause a scoptophobic reaction. There is a small category of people who are wary, but not afraid, if they are made fun of. It doesn't depend on character traits. Those who cannot control their body's reactions in most cases are at risk of developing a scoptophobic condition.

Characteristic symptoms of a scoptophobic reaction are:

- decreased control over your emotions; - posture disorders; - fussiness; - desire to look away