Current:Home > ScamsWhat is trypophobia? Here's why some people are terrified of clusters of holes-InfoLens
What is trypophobia? Here's why some people are terrified of clusters of holes
View Date:2024-12-23 11:43:54
Do sponges make you feel afraid, anxious or disgusted? How about honeycombs? Or strawberries?
If so, you might have trypophobia − the fear of clusters of small holes. Though rare as far as phobias go, this particular one can still be severely debilitating, driving some people to avoid any situations in which they might encounter patterns of tiny circles. Sarah Paulson portrayed a woman struggling with trypophobia in "American Horror Story: Cult" in 2017.
"To be a phobia, it needs to substantially interfere with your functioning, and the person usually knows that it doesn't make sense," says Philip Pierce, a licensed clinical psychologist who has treated clients with trypophobia. "It's a real fear, and they're not faking or anything, and it's very uncomfortable, and it can affect someone's life in lots of significant ways."
What's so scary about clusters of holes?
As with other phobias, psychologists believe trypophobia may have evolutionary origins.
"There's some thought that these things come from some evolutionary fears, like fear of heights is real danger," Philip says. "Here, the repetitive patterns could be from lizards and snakes and things like that, which can be poisonous and dangerous."
Other dangers in nature that involve clusters of holes include beehives and poisonous berries.
Kevin Chapman, a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder and director of The Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, says up to to 19% of people struggle with a phobia. Less than roughly 2%, he estimates, have trypophobia, which is rare.
Still, trypophobia can wreak havoc on the lives of those who do have it. Philip recalls treating one client with trypophobia who refused to go outside, for fear of encountering lizards or snakes. Another client with trypophobia couldn't stand to be around strawberries or raspberries, which became an issue at restaurants.
Something doesn't have to make you afraid in order to be a phobia either; it can also trigger disgust.
"In the case of this phobia, there's fear, there's anxiety, and there's oftentimes disgust," Chapman says. "Disgust is a very important emotional experience that many times people forget about with certain types of phobias."
More:More Americans than ever are afraid of the dark, experts say. Here's why.
How to treat trypophobia
If you struggle with trypophobia to the point where it's taking a significant toll on your life and wellbeing, Chapman and Pierce recommend seeing a qualified therapist.
One method employed by mental health professionals to treat phobias is exposure therapy.
"Treatment often involves doing things a little bit that you don't want to do, so it is helpful to have a professional involved," Philip says.
By gradually acclimating someone to their phobia, exposure therapy aims to show the client that the thing causing them distress is actually harmless.
"The gold standard treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy, particularly exposure therapy, so I want people to know that there's hope," Chapman says. "Exposure requires us to create a menu of situations that involve a cluster of small holes, and we confront those images, the sensations in our body attached to it, places where it occurs."
If you do struggle with trypophobia, or any phobia for that matter, know that you're not alone.
"Fifty percent of the population experiences what we call subclinical fear, so it is very common to experience these sort of reactions," Chapman says. "Be very sympathetic and compassionate for people who have this phobia but also encourage them that there is help available."
Read this next:What is emetophobia and why is it getting so much attention on TikTok?
veryGood! (941)
Related
- Deion Sanders doubles down on vow to 99-year-old Colorado superfan
- U.S. Coast Guard suspends search for missing diver at Florida Keys shipwreck: This was a tragic accident
- Mega Millions is up to $1.55B. No one is winning, so why do we keep playing the lottery?
- Dakota Johnson Shares Rare Insight Into Her Bond With Riley Keough
- Dallas Long, who won 2 Olympic medals while dominating the shot put in the 1960s, has died at 84
- Wild mushrooms suspected of killing 3 who ate a family lunch together in Australia
- Why Ohio’s Issue 1 proposal failed, and how the AP called the race
- Air Force veteran Tony Grady joins Nevada’s crowded Senate GOP field, which includes former ally
- California voters reject proposed ban on forced prison labor in any form
- Maryland detectives plead for video and images taken near popular trail after body found believed to be missing mother Rachel Morin
Ranking
- NBA players express concern for ex-player Kyle Singler after social media post
- Warlocks motorcycle club member convicted in death of associate whose body was left in crypt
- Stock market today: Asia shares mostly decline after Wall Street slide on bank worries
- Trademark tiff over 'Taco Tuesday' ends. Taco Bell is giving away free tacos to celebrate.
- See Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess' Blended Family Photos
- What is the Mega Millions jackpot? How Tuesday's drawing ranks among largest prizes ever
- Commanders coach Ron Rivera: Some players 'concerned' about Eric Bieniemy's intensity
- DJ Casper, Chicago disc jockey and creator of ‘Cha Cha Slide,’ dies after battle with cancer
Recommendation
-
'The Penguin' spoilers! Colin Farrell spills on that 'dark' finale episode
-
Campbell Soup shells out $2.7B for popular pasta sauces in deal with Sovos Brands
-
Students blocked from campus when COVID hit want money back. Some are actually getting refunds.
-
Octavia Spencer Says Her Heart Is Broken for Sandra Bullock After Soulmate Bryan Randall's Death
-
UFC 309: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight card, odds, how to watch, date
-
'Devastating' Maui wildfires rage in Hawaii, forcing some to flee into ocean: Live updates
-
Former Vermont officer accused of pepper-spraying handcuffed, shackled man pleads guilty to assault
-
DJ Casper, Chicago disc jockey and creator of ‘Cha Cha Slide,’ dies after battle with cancer