No one wants to be burned out, but most individuals are not afraid of a little hard work. Some employers consider it an effective growth tool in stretching their employees by asking them to accept greater responsibility. Many individuals thrive in an environment where stressful situations are dealt with and conquered. There are those, however, who find the idea of fatigue something to be feared, and avoided. This phobic condition is known as Kopophobia.
Many people often feel as if they are simply hanging on by a thread, and that if anyone demands anything more of them they will fall apart. This may be a close cousin to a fear of control loss, but the circumstances surrounding the fear may hinge on the belief that the individual might not be able to manage fatigue.
What Causes the Fear of Fatigue?
When an individual is overwhelmed with responsibility they don’t often forget the emotional and metal toll fatigue has taken when confronted with the experience in the past. The individual may feel that they are less likely to manage the stress as well in any new experience. The fear can develop as they obsess about living through an intense moment of fatigue again.
This individual may also have experienced the outcome of fatigue in a trusted adult. It is possible they witnessed a breakdown that caused them to fear ever being under such stressful circumstances that they, too, might experience something similar.
It is even possible that the individual may believe they are simply not capable of managing fatigue. They may not have personal response data to prove this, but for the sake of caution alone they will resist strenuous assignments up to, and including, leaving a job if they feel it has become too stressful.
Symptoms of Kopophobia
These individuals will refrain from strenuous exercise, stressful jobs and outdoor adventure. They will believe in solid rest, good health practices and may resist friendships with those who speak positively about the benefits of a little fatigue. This can also lead to social anxiety.
Other symptoms may also include…
- Air hunger
- Panic attacks
- Trembling
- Elevated heart rates
- Elevated body temperature
- Nausea
- Screaming
- Crying
- Control loss
- An urge to flee
Fatigue is always considered the enemy to those living with Kopophobia.
How to Overcome the Fear of Fatigue
It can be helpful to understand that fatigue is normal in human beings. The fatigue can help us appreciate moderate stress, but also may prepare us for other stressful circumstances we may face in the future. It can be a bit like an athlete training for a sport. They can find success through fatigue.
However, while this sounds good in theory, the kopophobe may need the assistance of a therapist to understand the fear they experience and why that fear has such a strong grip on their way of thinking and responding to the world around them. A therapist can also help unlock the reasons for the fear that may actually result in learning about other fears you may not even know you struggle with.
The fear of Fatigue is also referred to as:
- Fatigue fear
- Kopophobia
