Astraphobia is an extreme fear of thunder and lightning. It can affect people of all ages, though it may be more common in children than adults. It’s also seen in animals.
Many children who have this fear will eventually outgrow it, but others will continue to experience the phobia into adulthood. Astraphobia can also manifest in adults who didn’t have it as children.
Being caught in a thunderstorm or preparing for extreme weather conditions can create reasonable levels of anxiety or fear.
In people with astraphobia, thunderstorms cause an extreme reaction that can be debilitating. For people with this phobia, these feelings may be overwhelming and feel insurmountable.
Astraphobia is a treatable anxiety disorder.
Many children who have this fear will eventually outgrow it, but others will continue to experience the phobia into adulthood. Astraphobia can also manifest in adults who didn’t have it as children.
Being caught in a thunderstorm or preparing for extreme weather conditions can create reasonable levels of anxiety or fear. In people with astraphobia, thunderstorms cause an extreme reaction that can be debilitating. For people with this phobia, these feelings may be overwhelming and feel insurmountable.
What are the symptoms?
In people without this phobia, news of an impending storm may lead to cancelling or relocating outdoor plans. Or if people find it in a lightning storm, they may seek shelter or move away from tall trees. Even though the chances of getting hit by lightning are slim, these actions represent an appropriate response to a potentially dangerous situation.
A person with astraphobia will have a reaction that goes beyond these seemingly appropriate acts. They may have feelings of panic, both before and during a storm. These feelings can escalate into a full-blown panic attack and include symptoms such as all-over body shaking, chest pain, numbness, nausea heart palpitations, trouble breathing, and other symptoms of astraphobia may include: sweaty palm, racing pulse the obsessive desire to monitor the storm, the need to hide away from the storm, such as in a closet, bathroom, or under the bed, clinging to others for protection
uncontrollable crying, particularly in children
The person may also understand that these feelings are overblown and irrational without the ability to curtail them.
These symptoms can be triggered by a weather report, conversation, or sudden sound, such as a clap of thunder. Sights and sounds that are similar to thunder and lightning may also trigger symptoms.
What are the treatment plans?
To help overcome astraphobia if the individual is a child, the parent or guardian may try to soothe their child’s fears while remaining calm. A combination of reassurance and distraction can help the child cope. Parents also find that having a routine or presenting a distraction, such as a movie, on a rainy day can help give the child something to look forward to during a storm.
For adults, cognitive-behavioural therapy techniques are often used in astraphobia treatment. Mental health professionals may teach the individual soothing messages to repeat during storms or visualisation exercises that can be used to calm fears. Overall, cognitive behavioural therapy can allow the individual to realise that their fear is in fact irrational and the likelihood of their worst fears coming true is very low. Exposure therapy is another common technique used to overcome phobias, in which the individual is gradually exposed to their source of fear without posing any real danger.
