Scopophobia

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Scopophobia, scoptophobia, scopeophobia or ophthalmophobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by a morbid fear of being seen in public or stared at by others. [1]

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Similar phobias include erythrophobia, the fear of blushing, and an epileptic's fear of being looked at, which may itself precipitate such an attack. Scopophobia is also commonly associated with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Often, scopophobia will result in symptoms common with other anxiety disorders. Scopophobia is considered both a social phobia and a specific phobia.

Origin of the term

The term scopophobia comes from the Greek σκοπέω skopeō, "look to, examine", [2] and φόβος phobos, "fear". [3] Ophthalmophobia comes from the Greek ὀφθαλμός ophthalmos, "eye". [4]

Signs and symptoms

Individuals with scopophobia generally exhibit symptoms in social situations when attention is brought upon them like public speaking. Several other triggers exist to cause social anxiety. Some examples include: Being introduced to new people, being teased and/or criticized, embarrassing easily, and even answering a cell phone call in public. [5]

Often scopophobia will result in symptoms common with other anxiety disorders. [6] The symptoms of scopophobia include an irrational feelings of panic, feelings of terror, feelings of dread, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, nausea, dry mouth, trembling, anxiety and avoidance. [7] Other symptoms related to scopophobia may be hyperventilation, muscle tension, dizziness, uncontrollable shaking or trembling, excessive eye watering and redness of the eyes. [8]

Though scopophobia is a solitary disorder, many individuals with scopophobia also commonly experience other anxiety disorders. Scopophobia has been related to many other irrational fears and phobias. Specific phobias and syndromes that are similar to scopophobia include erythrophobia, the fear of blushing (which is found especially in young people), and an epileptic's fear of being looked at, which may itself precipitate such an attack. [9] Scopophobia is also commonly associated with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. It is not considered indicative of other disorders, but is rather considered as a psychological problem that may be treated independently. [10]

Sociologist Erving Goffman suggested that shying away from casual glances in the street remained one of the characteristic symptoms of psychosis in public. [11] Many scopophobia patients develop habits of voyeurism or exhibitionism. Another related, yet very different syndrome, scopophilia, is the excessive enjoyment of looking at erotic items.

Causes

Scopophobia is unique among phobias in that the fear of being looked at is considered both a social phobia and a specific phobia, because it is a specific occurrence which takes place in a social setting. [8] Most phobias typically fall in either one category or the other but scopophobia can be placed in both. On the other hand, as with most phobias, scopophobia generally arises from a traumatic event in the person's life. With scopophobia, it is likely that the person was subjected to public ridicule as a child. Additionally, a person with scopophobia may often be the subject to public staring, possibly due to a physical disability. [12]

According to the Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Association, U.S. government data for 2012 suggests that social anxiety affects over 7% of the population at any given time. Stretched over a lifetime, the percentage increases to 13%. [5]

Psychoanalytic views

Building on Freud's concept of the eye as an erogenous zone, [13] psychoanalysts have linked scopophobia to a (repressed) fear of looking, [14] as well as to an inhibition of exhibitionism. [15] Freud also referred to scopophobia as a "dread of the evil eye" and "the function of observing and criticizing the self" during his research into the "eye" and "transformed I's." [16]

In some explanations, the equation of being looked at with a feeling of being criticized or despised reveals shame as a motivating force behind scopophobia. [17] In the self-consciousness of adolescence, with its increasing awareness of the Other as constitutive of the looking glass self, shame may exacerbate feelings of erythrophobia and scopophobia. [18]

Treatments

There are several options for treatment of scopophobia. With one option, desensitization, the patient is stared at for a prolonged period and then describes their feelings. The hope is that the individual will either be desensitized to being stared at or will discover the root of their scopophobia. [8]

Exposure therapy, another treatment commonly prescribed, has five steps:

In the evaluation stage, the scopophobic individual would describe their fear to the therapist and try to find out when and why this fear developed. The feedback stage is when the therapist offers a way of treating the phobia. A fear hierarchy is then developed, where the individual creates a list of scenarios involving their fear, with each one becoming worse and worse. Exposure involves the individual being exposed to the scenarios and situations in their fear hierarchy. Finally, building is when the patient, comfortable with one step, moves on to the next. [19]

As with many human health problems support groups exist for scopophobic individuals. Being around other people who face the same issues can often create a more comfortable environment. [20] [ unreliable source? ]

Other suggested treatments for scopophobia include hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and energy psychology. [21] In extreme cases of scopophobia, it is possible for the subject to be prescribed anti–anxiety medications. [12] Medications may include benzodiazepines, antidepressants, or beta-blockers. [19]

History

Phobias have a long history. The concept of social phobias was referred to as long ago as 400 B.C. One of the first references to scopophobia was by Hippocrates who commented on an overly-shy individual, explaining that such a person "loves darkness as light" and "thinks every man observes him.” [22]

The term "social phobia" (phobie sociale) was first coined in 1903 by French psychiatrist Pierre Janet. He used this term to describe patients of his who exhibited a fear of being observed as they were participating in daily activities such as talking, playing the piano or writing. [23]

In 1906 the psychiatric journal The Alienist and Neurologist, described scopophobia: [24]

Then, there is a fear of being seen and a shamefacedness, which one sees in asylums. [...] We called it scopophobia — a morbid dread of being seen. In minor degree, it is morbid shamefacedness, and the patient covers the face with his or her hands. In greater degree, the patient will shun the visitor and escape from his or her sight where this is possible. Scopophobia is more often manifest among women than among men.

Later in the same paper (p. 285) scopophobia is defined as "a fear of seeing people or being seen, especially of strange faces". [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

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A phobia is an anxiety disorder, defined by an irrational, unrealistic, persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Phobias typically result in a rapid onset of fear and are usually present for more than six months. Those affected go to great lengths to avoid the situation or object, to a degree greater than the actual danger posed. If the object or situation cannot be avoided, they experience significant distress. Other symptoms can include fainting, which may occur in blood or injury phobia, and panic attacks, often found in agoraphobia and emetophobia. Around 75% of those with phobias have multiple phobias.

Neurosis is a term mainly used today by followers of Freudian thinking to describe mental disorders caused by past anxiety, often that has been repressed. In recent history, the term has been used to refer to anxiety-related conditions more generally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anxiety disorder</span> Cognitive disorder with an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations

Anxiety disorders are a cluster of mental disorders characterized by significant and uncontrollable feelings of anxiety and fear such that a person's social, occupational, and personal functions are significantly impaired. Anxiety may cause physical and cognitive symptoms, such as restlessness, irritability, easy fatigue, difficulty concentrating, increased heart rate, chest pain, abdominal pain, and a variety of other symptoms that may vary based on the individual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agoraphobia</span> Anxiety disorder

Agoraphobia is a mental and behavioral disorder, specifically an anxiety disorder characterized by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe with no easy way to escape. These situations can include public transit, shopping centers, crowds and queues, or simply being outside their home on their own. Being in these situations may result in a panic attack. Those affected will go to great lengths to avoid these situations. In severe cases, people may become completely unable to leave their homes.

Specific phobia is an anxiety disorder, characterized by an extreme, unreasonable, and irrational fear associated with a specific object, situation, or concept which poses little or no actual danger. Specific phobia can lead to avoidance of the object or situation, persistence of the fear, and significant distress or problems functioning associated with the fear. A phobia can be the fear of anything.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claustrophobia</span> Fear of small spaces

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avoidant personality disorder</span> Personality disorder

Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) or Anxious personality disorder is a Cluster C personality disorder characterized by excessive social anxiety and inhibition, fear of intimacy, severe feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, and an overreliance on avoidance of feared stimuli as a maladaptive coping method. Those affected typically display a pattern of extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation and rejection, a belief that one is socially inept or personally unappealing to others, and avoidance of social interaction despite a strong desire for it. It appears to affect an approximately equal number of men and women.

Ergophobia is described as an extreme and debilitating fear associated with work, a fear of finding or losing employment, or fear of specific tasks in the workplace. The term ergophobia comes from the Greek "ergon" (work) and "phobos" (fear).

Aquaphobia is an irrational fear of water.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social anxiety disorder</span> Anxiety disorder associated with social situations

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Autophobia, also called monophobia, isolophobia, or eremophobia, is the specific phobia or a morbid fear or dread of oneself or of being alone, isolated, abandoned, and ignored. This specific phobia is associated with the idea of being alone, often causing severe anxiety.

Ommetaphobia is an irrational fear of eyes.

References

  1. ↑ The Free Medical Dictionary, 2012, http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/scopophobia
  2. ↑ σκοπέω, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  3. ↑ φόβος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  4. ↑ ὀφθαλμός, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  5. 1 2 "Social Anxiety Fact Sheet". Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Association. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  6. ↑ "What is Scopophobia?". Wise Geek.com. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "Symptoms of Scopophobia". Health Grades. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 "Scopophobia". All About Counseling. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  9. ↑ M. Matsuura/Y. Inoue, Neuropsychiatric Issues in Epilepsy (2010) p.??
  10. ↑ "Scopophobia". The Free Medical Dictionary. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  11. ↑ Erving Goffman, Relations in Public (1972) p. 415
  12. 1 2 Duffey, Tammy. "Phobias: Scopophobia, The Fear of Being Stared At". Yahoo. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  13. ↑ Sigmund Freud, On Sexuality (PFL 7) p. 84
  14. ↑ D. W. Allen, The Fear of Looking (1974) p. 6
  15. ↑ O. Fenichel, The Psychoanalytic Theory of Neurosis (1946) p. 177
  16. ↑ Henelly Jr., Mark (September 1998). "The 'Surveillance of Desiree': Freud, Foucault, and Villette". Victorian Literature and Culture. 26 (2): 421–440. doi:10.1017/s1060150300002497.
  17. ↑ Fenichel, p. 139
  18. ↑ Fenichel, p. 112
  19. 1 2 "Treatment and Cure: Two Very Different Things". Change That's Right Now. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  20. ↑ Duffey, Tammy. "Phobia's: Scopophobia, The Fear of Being Stared At". Yahoo. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  21. ↑ "Scopophobia Treatment". Phobia Treatment. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  22. ↑ Cuncic, Alan. "A Brief History of Social Anxiety Disorder". About.Com. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  23. ↑ Leora R. Heckleman, Franklin S. Schneierer; Social Phobia Diagnosis, Assessment, Treatment. 1995
  24. 1 2 "The Alienist and Neurologist", edited by Charles Hamilton Hughes, 1906, p. 165, p. 285 (digitized by Google)
  25. ↑ Michael Ende, The Neverending Story (1983) p. 260-1

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