Scoleciphobia is the irrational fear of worms. Someone suffering from this condition will find it extremely difficult to even think about worms, let alone to actually see one in real life. Seeing one would likely give them an immense influx of unwanted anxiety that may even cause them to experience a panic attack insofar as they have the genetics to do so.

For the most part, worms found in the ground are relatively harmless. However, this will not mean much to someone suffering from full blown scoleciphobia as such logic will not phase them. For most people, they see worms as grotesque looking creatures that lurk beneath the Earth’s crust. This perception in amplified many times over in the mind of someone with scoleciphobia.

Someone with this condition may attempt to make efforts in their day to day life to try and avoid worms the best they can. For example, they may refuse to walk on the dirt or grass in fear that they may step on or come across a worm. Instead, they may choose to only walk on artificial surfaces such as concrete or the floor in buildings. Though they may believe that doing so will help them cope with their scoleciphobia, such a behavior may actually worsen their condition in the long term.

Also, depending on the severity of their condition, they may choose to move to large cities or less rural areas to ensure that they limit their chances of coming into contact with a worm. So, in short, someone with scoleciphobia may make major life decisions based solely on their irrational fear of worms.

Symptoms of Scoleciphobia

Someone suffering from full blown scoleciphobia can expect to experience a great amount of anxiety when merely thinking about worms. They may fear that coming into contact with one could open up the door for them to become infected with some sort of disease or to merely get contaminated with the worm’s germs.

Being so fearful of worms may force someone with scoleciphobia to spend most of their time indoors so they can reduce their risk of coming into contact with one. They may also take things to an even greater extreme by spraying excessive amounts of bug poison outside and inside of their home to “protect” themselves. This brings with it a slew of other potential health concerns.

Also, as previously mentioned, they may also experience full blown panic attacks as a result of their irrational fear. However, this will depend on many factors such as the severity of their condition, the extent to where they were exposed to worms, and their genetic makeup, among other things.

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

• Intense anxiety when near a worm
• Intense anxiety when thinking of worms
• May avoid dirt or rural areas
• Unable to cope with their anxiety
• May experience panic attacks

Causes of Scoleciphobia

There is no known cause of this condition. However, genetics and one’s environment may both play very significant roles in the development of this condition. For example, if someone were to have a family history of mental illness, especially of phobias, then they may have an increased risk for developing an irrational fear of worms. This may be due to them also having a higher risk for being genetically predisposed to developing mental illness in general.

If someone were to have such a genetic predisposition, then it may only take them experiencing some sort of traumatic event for them to develop full blown scoleciphobia. For example, perhaps they once found a worm in their food or found worms in a place were they didn’t expect them to be. This may be very traumatizing for some people and may be the catalyst for them to develop full blown scoleciphobia insofar as they have the genetics to do so.

Though we do not definitively know what causes someone to develop scoleciphobia, the consensus among most mental health professionals is that both genetics and one’s environment play very significant roles in the development of virtually 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 scoleciphobia.

Scoleciphobia Treatments

Exposure therapy may be a very effective form of treatment for someone suffering from scoleciphobia. Exposure therapy works by having the patient become gradually exposed to their fear over a given period of time. Though this will inevitably give them an influx of unwanted anxiety, it will also help them to become more desensitized to their fear in the long run.

Theoretically, the more someone is exposed to that which they fear, the less it will bother them over time. This is one of the main focal points of exposure therapy. Be that as it may, given the nature of this form of treatment, therapists must ensure that they are very adept at implementing exposure therapy in an effective manner so to ensure that they do not over-stimulate the patient.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may also be advantageous for someone suffering from scoleciphobia. This would likely be due to the amount of coping skills they would acquire, as well as learning how to improve their cognition by altering the way they think about worms. Essentially, they can expect to think more rationally about their fear of worms, thus reducing their scoleciphobia.

Anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants may also help someone suffering from the symptoms of scoleciphobia. However merely taking medication alone without any form of therapy may not be very effective for long term improvement of their scoleciphobia due to the fact that merely taking medication will not teach the patient the skills necessary to cope with their anxiety. Nevertheless, this is something that should first be discussed with you and your doctor.

Psychiatric Medications for Scoleciphobia

Anti-anxiety meds

These types of medications are very useful to help prevent panic attacks. Such drugs can be extremely useful for people suffering from severe scoleciphobia due to the fact that people with phobias often experience panic attacks as well. Some common anti-anxiety medications include Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin, among many others.

These types of drugs are not typically taken on a daily basis, but they may be insofar as their scoleciphobia is severe enough. However, this is something that you should first discuss with your doctor before you decide to do so to ensure that it is safe and effective.

Antidepressants

These types of medications aren’t only for people who suffer from depression as they can also help people suffering from anxiety disorders as well, such as scoleciphobia. Some common antidepressants are Paxil, Zoloft, and Lexapro, among several others. These drugs may be able to help reduce some of the symptoms of scoleciphobia.

These types of drugs are typically taken on a daily basis. They can indeed help prevent panic attacks from occurring, but they are more so used to help reduce people’s daily anxiety. Talk to your doctor to see if taking antidepressants can help to reduce your symptoms of scoleciphobia, as well as whether or not it is safe to do so.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Scoleciphobia

MBSR is an 8-week evidence-based program that offers secular, intensive mindfulness training to help people who are suffering from anxiety, stress, depression, and other sorts of mental anguish. MBSR may be able to significantly help someone who is suffering from scoleciphobia as mindfulness meditation has been shown to be very beneficial for anxious people. In such a structured program, someone with scoleciphobia can expect to learn a plethora of different skills that can help them to relieve the intense anxiety that’s associated with their specific phobia.

Talk to your doctor or therapist to see if MBSR can help you to reduce the intensity of your symptoms of scoleciphobia, as well as where to find MBSR programs in your area.

Meditation for Scoleciphobia

There are many different forms of meditation that exists which can be very advantageous for someone suffering from scoleciphobia. Specifically, mindfulness meditation has been shown to be quite beneficial for helping people to enter into a more equanimous state. There are many different ways with which you can implement mindfulness meditation and there are also many different meditation apps which are designed to make things as easy as possible for you.

Mindfulness has the potential to significantly help those suffering from scoleciphobia due to how it will help one to distract themselves from their fear by refocusing their attention onto something else that does not have any sort of emotional baggage attached to it, such as by focusing on the breath for example. This is one of the most basic ways that one can meditate and be present.

For someone with scoleciphobia in the midst of a panic attack, redirecting one’s attention to the various sensations felt when breathing can actually help to reduce the amount of mental anguish experienced during such an influx of anxiety.

To implement mindfulness meditation to help relieve one’s symptoms of scoleciphobia, you can do so by paying close attention to the way the muscles in your abdomen and chest contract and relax with every inhale and exhale. You can spend time dwelling on how it feels as your chest expands during each inhale and how it sinks in with every exhale.

Besides focusing on your breathing, you can also focus on the sounds around you, the way your skin feels as you touch certain objects, the way foods taste, as well as the way certain aromas smell. Essentially, honing into your 5 senses can significantly help you to reduce some of the anxiety that is associated with scoleciphobia. Also, remember that it will take a lot of practice to become an adept meditator. So, practice is key.

Exposure Therapy for Scoleciphobia

As previously mentioned, exposure therapy is one of the most common ways to treat anxiety disorders such as scoleciphobia. It can be an efficient way to help desensitize the patient to their specific fears. Be that as it may, it is imperative that the therapist implementing it on their patient is very adept at doing so. For example, if the therapist were to slightly expose someone with scoleciphobia to their fear, then it may not be very effective as they may need a higher amount of exposure to truly trigger any sort of worthwhile change in the patient.

The same can be said for the antithesis of this scenario. If the therapist were to excessively expose someone with scoleciphobia to their fear, then doing so could be highly counterproductive to the point to where their scoleciphobia may become immensely worse due to the therapy alone. So, it is paramount that the therapist implementing exposure therapy for someone with scoleciphobia has a very strong sense of just how severe their symptoms are so that they can know the level of exposure that the patient will likely be able to handle.

Yoga for Scoleciphobia

There are numerous different yoga poses that can substantially benefit someone who is suffering from scoleciphobia. In part, this is due to the meditative state of mind that yoga tends to emit in those who practice it on a consistent basis. Yoga can be thought of as meditation in motion. It can help to relieve some of the anxiety associated with scoleciphobia due to the mere fact that by engaging in yoga, your attention will be redirected to something more productive.

There are many different types of yoga that someone with scoleciphobia can benefit from, such as hatha yoga or hot yoga, among many others. Nevertheless, regardless of the many different forms of yoga that exist, virtually all of them can help to relieve some of the stress and anxiety that is associated with scoleciphobia.

If you have never practiced yoga before, then it may be in your best interest to take a class or watch some guided videos that can help you through each pose. Just like with meditation, the more you practice yoga, the more adept you will become at it. Besides helping you to reduce your symptoms of scoleciphobia, you can also expect to acquire increased strength and flexibility, among other benefits.

Exercise for Scoleciphobia

Exercise has been shown to be extremely beneficial for people suffering from anxiety disorders, including scoleciphobia. Specifically, cardiovascular exercise can significantly help to relieve one’s stress. This is not to say that weight-resistance training would not benefit someone with anxiety, but rather that aerobic exercise is has been shown to be more effective at releasing those feel good chemicals in the brain, such as endorphins.

According to the American Psychology Association, exercise can help to condition the mind to better cope with stressful situations. This makes sense when we take into consideration the high amount of stress that the body is put under during strenuous exercise. So, if you yourself are sedentary, then engaging in some form of aerobic exercise may be able to significantly help reduce your symptoms of scoleciphobia by making it much easier for you to cope with the anxiety and stress that’s associated with this condition.

There are many different aerobic modalities that you can partake in to help reduce your symptoms of scoleciphobia, such as swimming, biking, skiing, walking, and jogging. You can also acquire the many benefits of exercise by playing sports such as tennis, soccer, basketball, and racquetball, among many other sports. Engaging in some form of exercise consistently may be able to help relieve some of the pain associated with scoleciphobia over time.

Caffeine Reduction for Scoleciphobia

It is no secret that consuming large amounts of caffeine throughout the day can aid in making you more anxious. This makes sense when we look closely at how caffeine affects our body’s physiology. When we consume a high dose of caffeine, our heart will start to beat faster and we become more tense. Essentially, our body will begin to go into a “fight or flight” state of mind. Such a frame of mind is often a precursor for someone with scoleciphobia to experience panic attacks.

So, consuming little to no caffeine throughout the day may be able to significantly help reduce your day to day anxiety. Although doing so will likely not make all of your anxiety go away, it will indeed help you to reduce any unnecessary suffering that you would have otherwise experienced if you were to consume a large amount of caffeine.

Beverages like coffee and tea are often high in caffeine, as well as some energy drinks. In fact, even some foods have caffeine in them as well, such as dark chocolate. Being more conscious of your daily caffeine consumption may help you to reduce some of the symptoms associated with scoleciphobia.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Scoleciphobia

DBT is a very effective form of treatment for people struggling with emotion regulation. It is often used to treat people suffering from borderline personality disorder. Nevertheless, it can also be very advantageous for someone suffering from anxiety disorders like scoleciphobia too. This is due to the numerous amount of coping skills you can expect to learn in a DBT group. These groups typically last about 6 months long and can have anywhere from two people to several people depending on how many join the group.

One very effective DBT skill for helping someone with scoleciphobia is half-smiling. This technique works by having you think about that which you fear or upsets you all while slightly raising the corners of your mouth by lightly smiling, thus the term “half-smiling.” Although, it isn’t enough to just think about your fear while half-smiling, you also have to try and refrain from entertaining those painful emotions that your specific fear may evoke.

Mindfulness meditation is also heavily used in DBT and can greatly benefit someone with scoleciphobia as it is done in a group setting, which helps to put the patient out of their comfort zone. These group mindfulness practices may include drinking warm tea to hone in on the sense of taste and tactile senses or simply focusing on the breath.

Coping ahead is another very useful DBT skill that can help someone with scoleciphobia. With coping ahead, you will want to find a place where you can sit down quietly without distraction. Close your eyes and then think about the many different possible scenarios where you would face your specific fear and overcome it or cope with it. Doing so will help you to be much better adept at coping with your scoleciphobia when you are actually exposed to the specific fear associated with it in real life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Scoleciphobia

CBT is a psycho-social intervention that aims to improve one’s mental health. It is a modality that is often used to treat people suffering from anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder and OCD. Someone with scoleciphobia may also be able to benefit from CBT as well seeing as how it would allow them to have a much better understanding as to why they think and behave the way they do in relation to their irrational fears.

CBT can be immensely helpful for someone with scoleciphobia given the sheer automaticity of their symptoms. For example, when someone with scoleciphobia is exposed to their fear, they will almost always have an instantaneous subconscious reaction to their fear. Such a lack of introspection is likely a large part of why someone with this condition will suffer to the extent that they will. CBT can help you to take a step back and analyze your fears more deeply than you typically would.

Besides learning to be more fastidious with regards to understanding one’s specific fears, someone with scoleciphobia engaging in CBT can also expect to learn various other skills aimed at helping to relieve the anxiety caused by their condition.

If you think you may be suffering from some of the symptoms of this condition, then you may benefit from therapy. Feel free to reach out to your doctor or local mental health clinic to see what your available options are and to see if there is any sort of discount or promo code available to help you with the costs of treatment, as well as if your health insurance will cover treatment costs.