The Fear Of Speed(Tachophobia): Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

Fear of speed or Tachophobia is the abnormal, often unjustified fear of doing something too fast. This could include driving, biking, sitting on roller coasters, or even simple activities like walking too fast. In some surprising cases, the phobic might even fear talking or eating too fast or experiencing a fast-paced life. However, fear of speed is only related to fear of movement in most cases. The word Tacophobia comes from the Greek “tachos,” which means “speed,” and “Phobos,” which means deep fear or aversion.

The fear of speed is a fairly common phobia, and many men and women worldwide suffer from it. To some extent, it is also a very usual phobia since everyone knows that speed is exciting, but it can also kill. In most technophobic individuals, fear does not interfere with their daily life; however, in some cases, it may affect your work and personal activities. For example, the person may refuse to travel by plane, car, bus, train, etc., or even refuse promotions because the job involves travel. Others refuse to leave their homes due to fear of running into fast buses, trains, or cars.

You might also like to read:  Fear Of The Future: Causes, Symptoms, Overcoming.

Causes of Tachophobia

Tachyphobia usually comes from a negative experience in the past; the phobic (or someone dear to them) could have been seriously injured due to the speed.

• Apart from a negative experience, stress can also cause fear of speed phobia.
• Any form of stress leads to anxiety which, in turn, leads to negative thought patterns that are often difficult to change.
• The fear of driving is also closely associated with Tachophobia.
• People may be afraid to drive alone or refuse to get into a vehicle.
• Also, fear of speed is closely related to fear of death or thanatophobia.
• When sitting in a speeding vehicle, the phóbos might experience thoughts of death or death.
• Even a fast-paced life can trigger fear in people who suffer from speed anxiety.
• The idea of ​​children growing up too fast and then going off to college, getting married, moving away, etc., can lead to anxiety and depression.

Recently, a case in the UK where a driver suffered a panic attack because of speed cameras on the road.

• This individual had never been caught speeding, but the mere thought of being watched by such a camera led him to experience a complete panic attack, forcing him to seek professional help.
• News, TV shows, movies with fast action sequences that ultimately lead to accidents, etc., can also cause speed phobia in people with already anxious mindsets.

Therefore, no single cause can lead to fear of speed. It may be due to an adrenal deficiency, a problem in the amygdala (the part of the brain that deals with emotions and fears ), or simply a negative experience in the past.

Symptoms of fear of speed

From mild anxiety to a full-blown panic attack, fear of speed can lead to several symptoms:

• The patient may tremble, thinking of speed.
• Movie scenes with speeding cars, etc., can also cause panic attacks.
• The phobic may experience a racing heart, sweaty hands, shortness of breath, etc.
• Some may refuse to leave their homes, especially when riding buses, cars, or trains.
• The idea of ​​riding roller coasters, motorcycles, etc., could make one freeze.
• Depression and anxiety are also an essential part of the phobic’s life.
• Friends and family often do not understand what the phobia is experiencing as a result of which, you feel even more isolated.

Treatment of tech phobia

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most effective methods to treat this phobia.
• Doctors may also prescribe anxiolytics in extreme cases, although they are not the best solution due to their side effects.
• Hypnotherapy and NLP or neuro-linguistic programming can also help overcome the fear of speed.
• Both therapies help get to the bottom of fear to change negative thought patterns.
• Systematic desensitization – gradually exposing the phobia to speed under the guidance of an expert – can help overcome the phobia.
• Additionally, phobics could also try self-help remedies like meditation, positive visualization, etc., to reduce the anxiety experienced due to your Tachophobia.