As the name implies, fear of furniture is the extreme, irrational, and often unjustified fear of furniture. Some people might only be afraid of certain types of furniture; still, others are specifically scared only of antiques. One of the celebrities who has an extreme fear of antique furniture is Billy Bob Thornton, also afraid of silver.
However, in an interview, Billy stated that his furniture phobia is greatly exaggerated. He can easily support chairs and tables and is only afraid of antiques with carved lion/tiger heads or old French / English curtains, or furniture with mold. Says the actor, he cannot bear “what the kings had around.” As a result of this phobia, he has refused to stay in residences or hotels with pre-1950 stuff.
Most phobics who suffer from a severe fear of furniture cannot bear very tall or tall furniture items. In such cases, your Furniture Phobia could be closely linked to Bathophobia (fear of very tall objects) which, in turn, could be linked to Acrophobia ( fear of heights ). Some phobics are also unable to stop to look at the stairs or may refuse to knock over objects placed on top of the shelves.
And others might refuse to go to grocery stores as they have row after row of tall shelves with items stacked on top. This fear usually comes from the fear of looking up. That said, the fear of furniture is one of the rarest phobias in the world.
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Causes of Furniturephobia
- There are no fixed reasons why the fear of furniture could occur.
- In general, children can get it for genetic or environmental reasons.
- A close relative who suffers from anxiety disorders could pass the condition on to the child.
- A negative or traumatic event related to furniture can also lead to a lifelong fear of furniture.
- A child, for example, who has been abused or confined or tied to furniture for long periods is more likely to suffer from an extreme phobia.
- Adults with ongoing mental or health conditions may also develop a sudden fear of chairs or tables.
- Traumatic brain injuries are also known to cause these irrational fears in patients.
Fear is a natural reaction – the response of our mind and body to protect us.
- It is preprogrammed in our nervous system and warns us to be careful.
- Sometimes fear can be triggered by a surprising or loud noise. A chair or table crashing during a storm, an abusive parent throwing a chair or furniture at a child, etc., are some examples of scenarios that could trigger this fear of furniture phobia.
- Antique furniture, as in the case of Billy Bob Thornton, has terrifying faces and carvings that could seem, to a child, quite scary.
You can also read: Fear Of Human Figures: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
Symptoms of fear of furniture
Like other common specific and social phobias, fear of furniture phobia is also known to produce physical and emotional symptoms:
- Racing or pounding heart
- Difficulty breathing
- Sweaty palms
- Shaking, shaking, shaking
- Having high blood pressure chest tightness.
- Feeling nauseous or experiencing gastric distress.
- The person may try to run or flee upon seeing antiques or certain types of furniture.
The constant film, like the stills, can be played back in the mind of the phobic, where they experience thoughts of death or dying. This could leave you speechless or unable to formulate ideas.
Treatment of furniture phobia
- Today, there are several treatment options to overcome all types of phobias, including the fear of furniture phobia.
- In most cases, people do not need treatment as their phobia does not affect or interfere with their daily life. If it does, then one should not hesitate to seek treatment.
- Psychiatrists or psychologists usually recommend talk therapy, medications, or both to treat Furniture Phobia.
- Medications such as antidepressants, beta-blockers, etc., often have several side effects and should only be used as a last resort.
- Desensitization therapy is an effective technique that helps patients alter their response to the object of their fear, in this case, antique chairs or furniture.
- It is essential that patients gradually expose themselves to their fears and progressively move on to the following steps to deal with them.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy is another way to deal with the fear of furniture phobia.
- In this way, patients learn different ways of perceiving the root of their fears and methods of conditioning and altering their response to them.
- These are some practical ways to deal with severe furniture phobia.
Hello, how are you? My name is Georgia Tarrant, and I am a clinical psychologist. In everyday life, professional obligations seem to predominate over our personal life. It's as if work takes up more and more of the time we'd love to devote to our love life, our family, or even a moment of leisure.