The fear of God or theophobia , is one of the fears that can lead you to deep reflection. Faith and spirituality can be an inseparable component of people’s lives. But the story may not be the same for everyone. There are people who are very afraid of God and religion. The person can be completely isolated from any activity related to religion, God and spirituality.
Theophobia has been derived from the Greek word “Theo” which means god or deity. It is signified by an inexplicable and intense fear of God, with a great display of avoidance behavior. The person can be unreasonably repulsive and avoids all kinds of spiritual activities. The person may not even make any interaction with other people who believe in religion.
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Index
What Causes Theophobia?
The main causes that may be causing Theophobia in people are:
Religious predispositions
A person who has been raised under a strict religious environment, and who has been extensively taught about how the Lord or God can punish wrongdoing, can instill this kind of unexpected phobia. The person may not fear God directly, but fear the wrath of God if he does something wrong according to religion. Such kind of religious conjecture could cause Theophobia in many people.
Related distress
Any distressing incident, such as failing grades, or not being successful at work and in relationships that has been associated with “punishment from God,” can create fear of God. The person may begin to believe that all anguish has been caused by God, and begin to fear you.
Symptoms of fear of God
Common symptoms that can occur with anyone who has theophobia are:
- Persistent, intense and inexplicable fear of God and religion or anything related to it.
- Constant thoughts about God or God’s wrath
- Avoid houses or temples that have the image of God, worship, or religious interactions.
- Immediate revulsion and ignore any religious talk and activity
- Agitation over religious encounters
- Panic attacks at religious gatherings
Physical symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, increased heart rate, tremors, crying, frequent urination, and abdominal discomfort.
When to visit the doctor?
Theophobia can be a real problem if the person needs to live around other people who are really strong and religiously active believers. In such cases, the person needs the help of a doctor. Also, if the above symptoms have been occurring for more than six months and have created discomfort in the person’s daily life, one should choose to start the treatment process.
How is theophobia treated?
Theophobia can be mostly treated using:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT is used primarily for the treatment of theophobia. The main cause of theophobia can be the result of disbelief and misunderstanding of God or religion. The therapist conducts counseling sessions to understand what, how and why a person has developed this fear. The main goal of CBT is to recognize those negative thoughts and images within a person and replace them with positive ones.
Additionally, the therapist may also practice some religious and spiritual sessions to help the person build resistance over fear and anxiety .
Medicines
Medications are used only in rare and severe cases of theophobia. Anxiolytic and antidepressant medications are used to control phobic symptoms to some degree.
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.