Sometimes it is the simple things in life such as reaching a steady hand out to take hold of something that we use as a sense of personal equilibrium. We find balance in what we are capable of doing. When our bodies tremble we may find ourselves embarrassed or perhaps even fearful about what may be happening. Those who have a strong fear of trembling are said to have Tremophobia.
To some it may seem odd and perhaps even slightly humorous that someone would struggle with trembling as an irrational fear, but the truth is all of us have fears that we try to hide and some we just can’t succeed at hiding. Those fears are as real to us as trembling is to the tremophobe.
What Causes Tremophobia?
Any negative experience can provide the framework for a phobia. For the tremophobe this may be due to a variety of events such as living through an earthquake or observing an older relative who develops a disease like Parkinson’s in which the body trembles uncontrollably. Some might even develop the fear from an event of extreme cold in which they shivered uncontrollably and for an extended period of time. This can be amplified if there was personal injury from the experience such as frost bite or a state close to hypothermia.
This fear can be pushed along by a person of influence in your life speaking in negative terms of the potential for body trembling. If you observe others expressing great apprehension you might also be inclined to believe that trembling is an event to be feared.
Symptoms of Tremophobia
One of the key symptoms of tremophobia is avoidance of circumstances in which trembling might occur. An individual with this fear would not likely do well living in a state like Florida (earthquakes). Nor would they feel comfortable in Alaska (shivering from cold temperatures).
Other symptoms may include…
- Nausea
- Dread
- Panic attack
- Air hunger
- Feeling as though you have lost control
- Crying
- Screaming
Oddly enough one of the symptoms of trembling is – trembling. This can be because the fear is so pronounced your body shakes in fear. which simply adds to the fear you may be experiencing.
How to Overcome Tremophobia
This fear is especially potent because if you fear trembling and trembling is a symptom of the fear it can become a cycle that can leave the tremophobe feeling as if they are going crazy.
In most cases you will experience some relief by talking with a trusted therapist who can assist you in dealing with the fear and ultimately the reaction to the fear.
These professionals can also help you understand what led to the fear-based reaction and how a few tools they can teach you will help in reducing the stress related to the fear as well as assisting you in learning why the fear may be less fearful than you imagine it to be.
The fear of trembling is also referred to as:
- Trembling fear
- Shaking fear
- Tremophobia
