What is megalophobia?<\/strong><\/h2>\nIt\u2019s an extreme, pathological fear of large things. But it\u2019s more than having a \u2018wooah\u2019 feeling of awe. If you have megalophobia, the mere sight of a large object immediately triggers in you intense anxiety, and possibly panic, out of all proportion to the amount of danger that you\u2019re in.<\/p>\n
In severe cases, you might even get triggered by mere images or thoughts of large things. Bear in mind the specific triggers will vary from person to person and the meaning of \u2018large\u2019 will be highly subjective.<\/p>\n
For instance, for some people, the fear-inducing trigger might be large buildings specifically, such as skyscrapers. For others, it might be mountains, giant cranes, huge waves or even vast UFO spaceships in science fiction movies.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> The \u2018Reclining Buddha\u2019 golden statue at Wat Pho, Thailand, is 15m tall and 46m long \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nAnother person with the condition might have a more generalised fear of large things \u2013 so anything they happen to perceive as large could cause them to freak out, even an oversized bodybuilder or an elephant at the zoo.<\/p>\n
Strictly speaking, to be diagnosed with a specific phobia, such as megalophobia, the phobia would need to be present for six months or more rather than be a transient experience.<\/p>\n
Read more: <\/strong><\/p>\n- What causes trypophobia? The neuroscience behind the fear of closely-packed holes<\/a><\/li>\n
- Thalassophobia: Everything you need to know<\/a><\/li>\n
- What is hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
What are the symptoms of megalophobia?<\/strong><\/h2>\nIn a person with megalophobia, the sight (or sometimes even the thought) of a triggering large thing will typically cause a range of anxiety-related symptoms including:<\/p>\n
- Increased heart rate<\/li>\n
- Increased breathing\/shortness of breath<\/li>\n
- Sweating<\/li>\n
- Trembling<\/li>\n
- Nausea<\/li>\n
- Light-headedness<\/li>\n
- Panic<\/li>\n
- A strong desire to escape<\/li>\n
- A strong desire to avoid similar objects in the future<\/li>\n<\/ul>
What causes megalophobia?<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe exact causes are likely to vary from person to person, but generally speaking, specific phobias like megalophobia are thought to be caused by a mix of genetic vulnerability and particular learning experiences.<\/p>\n
For instance, it\u2019s possible that a person could have had a terrifying experience in childhood that involved a large object, such as getting knocked down by a huge wave or being scared by an unsightly large statue or the shadow of a creepy huge crane.<\/p>\n
A common factor that can then fuel phobias further is avoidance \u2013 so, if a person begins to deal with their fear by avoiding large things, this can paradoxically increase the power of those things to trigger a fear reaction in them.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> At 1,391,000km, the Sun\u2019s diameter is 109 times larger than Earth\u2019s \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nHow can I get diagnosed and treated?<\/strong><\/h2>\nFrom reading our description of megalophobia you probably already have a good sense of whether you have the condition or not.<\/p>\n
On an informal basis, to dig a little deeper, you could check out the Reddit dedicated to megalophobia to see how you respond to some of the imagery that tends to trigger people with the condition.<\/p>\n
To get a formal diagnosis, you\u2019d need to talk to your doctor and get a referral to a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist. They\u2019ll ask you questions about how long you\u2019ve had the problem, how serious your symptoms are and whether it\u2019s causing you distress and interfering with your life.<\/p>\n
Typically, treatment would involve graded exposure to your fear triggers \u2013 your therapist will help you manage your anxiety when thinking about large things and then build up to managing your anxiety when confronted with large things in real life.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Visitors walk along the 150-metre-long Cau Vang \u2018Golden Bridge\u2019 in the Ba Na Hills near Danang \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nDoes <\/strong>megalophobia have a link to other phobias?<\/strong><\/h2>\nFear is a normal human emotion that helps to protect us from danger. It\u2019s only when it grows out of control that it becomes a problem.<\/p>\n
Many specific phobias are related to physical threats \u2013 such as heights or deep water \u2013 which it make some rational sense to be wary it. Megalophobia is in that category.<\/p>\n
Obviously, we can get crushed by big things, so it\u2019s only sensible to take caution around them.<\/p>\n
The problem for people with megalophobia is that their fear reaction is out of control and it gets triggered even when the danger is in fact minimal \u2013 such as the mere sight of a giant plane on the runway or a cargo container ship in a port, even from a safe distance.<\/p>\n
Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n- Where do phobias come from?<\/a><\/li>\n
- What are the most common phobias?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Learn about the strange science behind the phobia \u2013 and find out if you have it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":23625,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist.jpg",1200,500,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist-300x125.jpg",300,125,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist-768x320.jpg",768,320,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist-1024x427.jpg",800,334,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist.jpg",1200,500,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist.jpg",1200,500,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Learn about the strange science behind the phobia \u2013 and find out if you have it.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/23624"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/4\/2023\/02\/statue-8d6bbb0.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Another person with the condition might have a more generalised fear of large things \u2013 so anything they happen to perceive as large could cause them to freak out, even an oversized bodybuilder or an elephant at the zoo.<\/p>\n
Strictly speaking, to be diagnosed with a specific phobia, such as megalophobia, the phobia would need to be present for six months or more rather than be a transient experience.<\/p>\n
Read more: <\/strong><\/p>\n In a person with megalophobia, the sight (or sometimes even the thought) of a triggering large thing will typically cause a range of anxiety-related symptoms including:<\/p>\n The exact causes are likely to vary from person to person, but generally speaking, specific phobias like megalophobia are thought to be caused by a mix of genetic vulnerability and particular learning experiences.<\/p>\n For instance, it\u2019s possible that a person could have had a terrifying experience in childhood that involved a large object, such as getting knocked down by a huge wave or being scared by an unsightly large statue or the shadow of a creepy huge crane.<\/p>\n A common factor that can then fuel phobias further is avoidance \u2013 so, if a person begins to deal with their fear by avoiding large things, this can paradoxically increase the power of those things to trigger a fear reaction in them.<\/p>\n From reading our description of megalophobia you probably already have a good sense of whether you have the condition or not.<\/p>\n On an informal basis, to dig a little deeper, you could check out the Reddit dedicated to megalophobia to see how you respond to some of the imagery that tends to trigger people with the condition.<\/p>\n To get a formal diagnosis, you\u2019d need to talk to your doctor and get a referral to a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist. They\u2019ll ask you questions about how long you\u2019ve had the problem, how serious your symptoms are and whether it\u2019s causing you distress and interfering with your life.<\/p>\n Typically, treatment would involve graded exposure to your fear triggers \u2013 your therapist will help you manage your anxiety when thinking about large things and then build up to managing your anxiety when confronted with large things in real life.<\/p>\n Fear is a normal human emotion that helps to protect us from danger. It\u2019s only when it grows out of control that it becomes a problem.<\/p>\n Many specific phobias are related to physical threats \u2013 such as heights or deep water \u2013 which it make some rational sense to be wary it. Megalophobia is in that category.<\/p>\n Obviously, we can get crushed by big things, so it\u2019s only sensible to take caution around them.<\/p>\n The problem for people with megalophobia is that their fear reaction is out of control and it gets triggered even when the danger is in fact minimal \u2013 such as the mere sight of a giant plane on the runway or a cargo container ship in a port, even from a safe distance.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n Learn about the strange science behind the phobia \u2013 and find out if you have it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":23625,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist.jpg",1200,500,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist-300x125.jpg",300,125,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist-768x320.jpg",768,320,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist-1024x427.jpg",800,334,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist.jpg",1200,500,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/02\/megalophobia-humanitys-bizarre-fear-of-large-objects-explained-by-a-psychologist.jpg",1200,500,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Learn about the strange science behind the phobia \u2013 and find out if you have it.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/23624"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What are the symptoms of megalophobia?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What causes megalophobia?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/4\/2023\/02\/earth-next-to-sun-03feacf.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C365"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>How can I get diagnosed and treated?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/4\/2023\/02\/concrete-hands-80fb576.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Does <\/strong>megalophobia have a link to other phobias?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"