Demonophobia



= Demonophobia (Fear of Demons) = Demonophobia is the irrational fear of demons. Someone suffering from this condition can expect to experience a very high amount of anxiety from merely thinking of demons, let alone actually seeing a depiction of one. In fact, their anxiety may be so intense that they may even endure a full blown panic attack as a result of it. Although such an influx of anxiety will not always be the case for everyone suffering from demonophobia, it is still very plausible to occur nonetheless.

Someone experiencing a full blown panic attack as a result of their demonophobia can expect to have an increased heart rate, an increased rate of breathing, higher blood pressure, muscle tension, trembling, and excessive sweating, among several other symptoms. Although panic attacks may not always be the case for everyone experiencing symptoms of demonophobia, it is still possible to occur, especially if their symptoms are very severe.

Someone suffering from demonophobia may find themselves avoiding that which they fear. They may take this to the extreme by ensuring that they cannot be exposed to demons in any way. For example, someone with this condition may refuse to go to certain areas where they believe demons may be. Such excessive worry and irrational thinking is likely to be one of the main causes of their mental anguish.

Although someone with this condition may actively avoid their fear in an attempt to help them reduce their chances of experiencing any immediate anxiety, doing so may also worsen their symptoms of demonophobia in the long term due to the fact that they would also be justifying their fear to themselves by actively avoiding it.

Symptoms of Demonophobia
As is the case with virtually every other phobia that exists, someone with demonophobia can expect anxiety to be the most prominent symptom of their condition. Also, as previously mentioned, their anxiety may be so extreme that they may even endure full blown panic attacks as a result of it. Depending on the severity of their panic attack, they may even need to be hospitalized. However, this will vary from person to person and will be dependent on many factors.

Furthermore, someone with demonophobia may go to painstaking efforts to ensure that they do not come into contact with their fear in any way. This may mean them not only avoiding areas where they may come into contact with their fear, but also that they may actively try to prevent it from happening by taking a more hands-on approach.

Below, you will see some more common symptoms of this phobia:

 * Anxiety when thinking of demons
 * Constantly avoiding depictions of demons
 * Unable to cope with their anxiety
 * Muscle tension, shakiness, and sweating
 * May experience panic attacks

Causes of Demonophobia
There are no definitive causes of demonophobia. Nevertheless, genetics and one’s environment may both play very significant roles in the development of this condition. For example, if someone has a family history of mental illness, especially of anxiety disorders or specific phobias, then they may have a higher chance of developing demonophobia. This may be due to them then having a genetic predisposition to developing mental illness in general.

If someone were to have such genetics, then it may only require that they experience some sort of traumatic event for them to develop full blown demonophobia. Essentially, any sort of emotionally painful event that involved the various fears associated with demonophobia in some way may be enough for someone to develop this condition insofar as they have the proper genetics.

Although we do not know the exact causes of demonophobia, the consensus among most mental health professionals is that both genetics and environmental factors play very significant roles in the development of any given mental disorder. So, taking a closer look at these two different parameters may shed some light as to whether or not you may be at risk for developing demonophobia..