The fear of dancing or chorophobia is derived from the Greek word “Choro” which means dance. A person with chorophobia is scared and extremely uncomfortable when dancing, and is afraid of getting too excited or overjoyed. A chorophobic person is distressed by any situation, ceremony, or people associated with dance. The person may be upset by simply seeing other people dance in front of them. This type of phobia is also related to another phobia to be touched known as haphephobia or aphephobia.
Have you ever felt like a lump stuck in your throat when someone asked you for a dance? If you have, you are not alone. In fact, many people go through an inexplicable avalanche of fear when asked to dance. This type of irrational and intense fear of dance is known as Chorophobia.
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What Causes Chorophobia?
Different factors that are seen as probable causes of Chorophobia in people are:
A harrowing event
A phobia is always supported by a related event that caused the distress in the first place. Also in the case of chorophobia, a traumatic event can trigger this fear. A person is likely to become chorophobic if they have previously faced embarrassment while dancing, or if they have faced dress problems during performance. Any such disturbing situation can cause a person to become chorophobic.
Other phobias and depression
Chorophobia can be a consequence of other specific phobias. One of those phobias is the fear of being touched, known as haphephobia. Other phobias that can cause chorophobia in a person are agoraphobia (fear of public places) and social phobia (fear of social situations). A person is also vulnerable to Chorophobia if they had or have suffered from depression and other mental health problems. This makes your mind weak and unable to cope with sudden excitement and excitement.
Crianza
The fear of dancing can also be reflected in the education that one has. If a child has been strictly educated and prohibited from dancing and other similar activities, he may be very afraid of dancing. In fact, he / she may view dance as a sin, and conducting a dance act may lead to punishment.
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Symptoms of the fear of dancing
The main symptoms of chorophobia can be:
- Extremely fearful and aware of dance and the places where it takes place.
- Uncomfortable and distressed seeing other people dance too
- Aggressive combat when asked or pressured to dance
- Completely avoid venues and events that involve dance
- Isolation during such social situations
- Realize that fear is unreasonable (except in children)
Panic attacks with signs such as chills, nausea and vomiting, dizziness and fainting, feeling confused, numb and red, heart palpitations, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, profuse breathing, sweating, and clammy hands.
When to visit a doctor?
The different ceremonies and social situations involve dancing and having fun. The chorophobic person may have extremely low self-esteem and a low level of confidence due to this fear. If the above symptoms have been observed for a long time, more than six months, and have prevented you from participating in social events, you should consult a doctor.
How is chorophobia treated?
Chorophobia can be treated using different psychotherapies. In severe cases of panic, medications can also be used.
Exposure Therapy with Relaxation
Exposure therapy is a very effective psychotherapy used to slowly reduce fear and anxiety associated with dance. The therapist sets up a scene where the person has to dance, or related pictures and movies, and studies how the person reacts. Then the person is regularly exposed to such scenes and taught to relax slowly. The therapist teaches various relaxation methods such as breath control, muscle release exercise, and mind visualizations that will be used during the exposure sessions. Eventually, the person will be able to tolerate the feelings of fear.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT is another effective psychotherapy used to treat chorophobia. Its objective is to unearth the root causes responsible for the appearance of said phobia. Generally, these are negative thoughts and behavioral traits associated with dance. The therapist conducts regular counseling sessions to change these negative thoughts into positive ones and create appropriate behavior.
Sometimes a therapist can also use hypnotherapy , that is, hypnosis to recognize the underlying negative thoughts and images within a person’s subconscious mind.
Medicines
In severe cases of panic, medications can also be used to control fear and anxiety. Commonly used medications are anxiolytics and antidepressants to balance brain chemicals such as serotonin. They help keep symptoms under control.
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