Almost everyone in this world has some kind of fear due to certain circumstances they face in the past. Some have a fear of darkness, some have a fear of heights, and some have a fear of theft. All these fears are typically called phobias or mental incapability to accept something.
It is not a big deal if you are afraid of something. It is the mental capacity of a person to accept that it is not that frightening. Still, for many people, it can be very frightening.
You or someone you care about might be suffering from the fear of theft then you should know that there are ways to overcome this fear. It is naturally occurring and can be controlled by a few sessions and changes.
But before we talk regarding how you can deal with this fear, we will discuss what this fear is and other details.
So let’s get started.
What is Scelerophobia?
Scelerophobia is referred to as the fear of bad men. It could be the fear of thieves and other criminals like rapists, murderers, etc. It is common in people who have encountered such an incident before and become afraid of such incidents. It is also the excessive fear of intruders or bad men.
It can cause psychological issues in such people. These phobias usually develop during childhood due to any mishap. But it can also be due to genetic reasons. If your father or mother had such fear, then it can be passed on to you.
If this fear becomes excessive, you might end up locking up yourself inside the house and stop hanging out with your friends. It will further cause a mental issue for such people.
You can treat this condition by securing your house and also through Medication and therapy. Proper treatment can help cure such diseases. If not, then it can cause insomnia, hypertension, and panic attacks.
What is Harpaxophobia?
Harpaxophobia is the fear of being robbed. It is almost the same as Scelerophobia. In Scelerophobia, the person is afraid of Strangers or burglars. But in Harpaxophobia, we have the fear that someone might rob our precious items on the streets.
The symptoms of Harpaxophobia include:
- Dry Mouth
- Nausea
- Heart Palpation
- Clammy hand
- Panic attacks
- Headaches
- The feeling of legs turning into a rubber-band
These symptoms are involuntary and cannot be controlled. These can also cause anxiety and depression that can be dangerous for a person’s well-being.
There is no cure for this disease’s root cause, but some medications can suppress the symptoms. You can try out different therapies, but this condition usually gets resolved when the person accepts that it is okay and nothing will happen.
Causes of Fear of Theft
The causes that produce the fear of theft inside a person can be different; they can either be genetic or trauma. When a specific stimulus and its dangers continuously reinforce a person, it can also cause Harpaxophobia.
The fear of theft is also related to the fear of intruders. People don’t feel safe in their own house as they think someone might break in and rob our precious items. These people might have seen such incidents in real life in the past.
Media and Fear or Intruders
Social media also plays a role in creating such fears inside a person. There are many videos and real-life stories on media that can cause anxiety among individuals. They start thinking as if it will also occur to them and start to remain frightened every time.
It can be dangerous as that fear converts into psychological problems. There is the loss of sleep, loss of appetite, and many more. You can only treat these phobias by accepting the fact that they won’t happen to us.
Symptoms of Such Fear
There is a long list of symptoms that might be the cause of these fears. Let me discuss a few of them with you.
Panic Attacks And Lack Of Concentration
You can have panic attacks, even due to any sudden change in the state of your surroundings. The fear won’t let you relax as it is continuously overpowering your thoughts.
It can also be a cause of lack of concentration because of the fear inside of you. It happens when you think about the bad circumstances and keeps your mind busy with them.
Other Symptoms
The more severe conditions can be Excessive sweating, breathlessness, migraines, and headaches. They cannot be consciously controlled as the part of the brain handling those emotions is stuck on the fear and is only concentrating on it so that you might feel a bit safe.
Avoidance Behavior
In cases, avoidance behavior can better a person’s situation, but if we apply them to these fears, they will hurt them. They are only suppressing the feeling and avoiding and not accepting it. If there will be taken, the person can get back his normalized life.
A majority of people suffer from such conditions. Still, the good news is that they get cured by any Psychological therapy. It helps in eliminating the root cause and thinking behind the fear.
Treatment for Fear of Theft
There are many different treatments available for overcoming the fear of intruders and thieves. We will discuss all the treatment methods/options in detail to have a good idea of which of the following you can opt for.
- Enhancing Your House’s Security
If someone in your family has this fear, you should consider enhancing your house’s security system. You can have a guard outside your home, deploy security alarms, and other preventive measures like CCTV cameras, etc.
All this will decrease the fear of that person as now they know that their house is secure and no one will rob them or hurt them.
- Exercise and Yoga
Exercise and Yoga can help you relax and get yourself distracted from the fear. Yoga will help calm your mind and body, and exercising will help you enhance your body’s strength to mentally prepare you for any threats.
- Self Defense Classes
If you are afraid of strangers or thieves, the best way to get over it is to have self-defense classes. It will help you gain confidence that you can easily fight back whenever someone might try to be forceful.
Every individual should have self-defense classes due to the threats and crimes all around the world. It will give them a sense of security and self-confidence.
- Medication
Another way to cure fear is through Medication because the fear of theft is somehow connected to mental states. Some Medications will help ease your mental activity and assist you in relaxing.
The people facing fears can have problems while sleeping, so they might have to take sleeping pills to sleep. You need a take a course of Medication to treat the condition permanently.
You will be given Anti-depressants, Beta-blockers, and Tranquilizers to improve the condition of depression and anxiety. You can have a few side effects such as dry mouth or headaches, etc., but they are just for a short time.
- Counseling
Counselling has been a very effective way of treating the mentally embedded fears and phobias. The counselors help them understand how they can control their emotions and feelings and create a sense of security for themselves.
I have been to counseling too, and I must say that it is very much useful. You might think that you are not a mentally unstable person, but counseling is also for people who need to find a way when they feel all the doors have been closed.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
It is the type of therapy that can help you change your thinking to improve your lifestyle. It teaches the fundamental and practical ways to deal with phobias and fears. After the CBT, the patient faces his fear to ensure that he has recovered from it. It is then called Exposure therapy.
Conclusion
Fears and phobias are a part of life, and most people suffer from them at some point in their lives. These phobias can be cured and overcome with time. You can head into counseling with a specialist, or even talking to a family member or loved one will do the trick.
I hope now you know all the treatments by which you can effectively deal with fears. Choose any one of the mentioned treatment according to the stage you think you or your loved one is in.
Now I will take my leave and if you want to add anything, then feel free to comment down below. I will make sure to respond to everyone. CWP
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