Fear of small objects, or microphobia

Phobia is a well-known term describing a person’s strong, unreasonable and constant fear of a particular problem, thing, action, etc. The main symptom of such pathological fear is an irresistible and incomprehensible desire for a person to avoid contact with the phobic object or situation by any means. There are many known varieties of such fears – more than half a thousand. One of them is the fear of small objects, or microphobia, which can “haunt” a person from birth or appear with age, exist separately or intertwine with other types of phobic disorders. [ 1 ]

Epidemiology

Obsessive fearful states can be divided into a number of categories, depending on the factors of their appearance, on the signs, on the object and plot of fear. Fear of small objects, or microphobia, often occurs after unfavorable situations or events related to these objects that have happened in life. In addition to the size of objects, fear can also relate to their shape or color.

According to statistics, almost every second person at least once in their life faces serious psychological trauma, accompanied by fear, despair, and a feeling of helplessness. In approximately every fourth case, the consequences of this mental trauma are recorded, and the condition becomes chronic.

Specific phobia is one of the most common mental disorders in the general population, with lifetime prevalence estimates ranging from 7.7% to 12.5%. Prospective studies have shown a high incidence of specific phobia. The cumulative incidence was 26.9% in those aged 20 to 50 years.[ 2 ]

Experts say that this figure may be several times higher, since not all people suffering from pathological fear admit that they have a disorder and seek medical help.

Among the many phobias, the leading place in the modern world is occupied by fears related to health and life. Fear of small objects, or microphobia, refers to a wide range of more specific and rare phobic disorders.

Causes microphobia

The question of how a person develops a fear of small objects, or microphobia, is still open in the scientific world. The most probable causes of the disorder are considered to be the following:

• negative experiences gained in childhood (possible pathologies and injuries caused by small parts and pieces of toys);
• phobias cultivated by parents and close people (overly violent reaction of adults to a child playing with small objects);
• suspicious nature, excessive sensitivity, tendency to suggestion (inadequate reaction to a video seen on TV, a story heard, etc.);
• genetic predisposition (this theory is possible, but it has not yet been reliably confirmed).

In general, the formation of an inexplicable fear in the form of microphobia requires the influence of individual risk factors: biological, psychological, genetic or social. [ 3 ]

Risk factors

One of the probable biological factors in the development of microphobia is considered to be a deficiency in the human body [ 4 ], which causes an increase in the feeling of fear and anxiety and contributes to the formation of fears. In turn, such a deficiency occurs as a result of brain injuries, prolonged drug therapy, prolonged stress or depression.

The genetic factor of microphobia is an innate tendency to pathology. If one of the close relatives (parents) suffers from a fear of small objects, then with a high degree of probability a similar disorder will appear in the child.

The social factor includes certain connections and events that happened to a person in early childhood - that is, the so-called childhood psychological traumas, to one degree or another associated with the presence of small objects in the scenario. Such negative situations eventually develop into the most unpredictable phobias.

The psychological factor is usually difficult to recognize, and often impossible. The reasons for the development of fear of small objects, or microphobia, can be deep in the patient's subconscious. They are associated with an incorrect explanation of a phrase or action, an incorrect interpretation of an event, etc.

The social factor includes overly strict or overly critical parenting, pickiness, negative experiences of communication with adults or peers. Traumatic situations adversely affect the still weak psyche of the child, which can be aggravated by the peculiarities of the social and material situation.

Pathogenesis

Fear of small objects, or microphobia, most often occurs in people with social phobias, who are fixated on the fact that they can be humiliated or ridiculed, not live up to expectations, or be subjected to close attention from other people. [ 5 ] Microphobes often experience increased sweating, a feeling of heat and blood flow to the face, tremors in the limbs, and digestive problems. Such people may be afraid of public speaking, as well as other ways of attracting everyone's attention. As the pathology spreads further, anxiety appears in a variety of social situations.

Patients with microphobia in most cases admit that their fear of small objects is unfounded and excessive. The disorder most often starts in early childhood. The basic criterion determining the formation of the pathology is fear arising as a result of a specific situation.

Microphobia is a specific type of fear and is a complex condition that includes constant expectation and search for a phobic factor, its avoidance, as well as fear of developing a panic attack.

Microphobia can be imposed: for example, if a child constantly sees and hears how his relatives panicky avoid small objects, then he automatically develops the same fear. Additionally, reproaches and negativity, as well as praise from parents, contribute to the formation of a phobia. For example, a child is praised for not playing with small parts of a construction set, and sharply reproached for taking any such thing. Thus, the likelihood of fear formation increases significantly.

Over the years, a minor microphobic disorder can transform into a threatening one, which leads to the emergence of a panic fear of small objects, even despite growing up and understanding its logical groundlessness.

Symptoms microphobia

Fears most often bother children, and here we are not talking about pathology, but about the child's misunderstanding of many things and actions. Thus, most children are afraid of the dark, negative fairy-tale characters, snakes, etc. In adults, the nature of fear is somewhat different: the overwhelming majority of sensible people can be afraid of diseases, death, unemployment, etc. Such fears are quite logical and also do not carry pathology. But the fear of small objects, or microphobia, is already a pathological condition that gradually destroys and annihilates a person as an individual, takes away his confidence and deprives him of vital energy.

People with microphobia lose the ability to decide anything, to act rationally. If the disorder is not detected in time, it can negatively affect personal and social development.

Nuts, pushpins, pins, construction set parts – all of this plunges a person with microphobia into a deep stupor or makes them panic. At the same time, the patient cannot explain the origin of such a condition, but simply tries in every possible way to avoid contact and even seeing phobic things. Such fear is present with a person almost always and everywhere, and the symptoms can expand over time, becoming more diverse. Over the years, one microphobia can develop into a whole phobic complex. As a result, the patient loses the ability to adequately exist in society. [ 6 ]

First signs

The initial manifestations of microphobia do not always attract attention, since in most cases they arise selectively, depending on the emotional and psychological state of a person at the moment. Most often, a microphobe tries to do everything possible to avoid contact and especially interaction with any small objects. If it happens that it is not possible to avoid contact, the following more specific signs appear:

• increased heart rate;
• difficulty breathing and shortness of breath;
• tremors of the limbs, general trembling;
• increased sweating, dry throat;
• dizziness;
• abdominal discomfort, intestinal cramps, digestive upset;
• an irresistible desire to run away, to hide;
• fear of losing control over the situation.

Sometimes the fear of small objects becomes so ingrained that a person begins to see phobic objects in a dream, which leads to nighttime insomnia against the background of daytime sleepiness, as well as irritability, apathy, neuroses, and depressive states. A person withdraws into himself, gets fixated on his problems, and becomes asocial.

Diagnostics microphobia

A practicing psychotherapist or psychiatrist diagnoses fear of small objects, or microphobia, in a child or adult patient. Their task is to collect complaints from the patient and/or their relatives, to compile an anamnesis and a medical report on the full picture of the pathology.

In order to correctly determine the diagnosis, the doctor uses a comprehensive approach, including examination, interview, testing, questionnaires, etc.

The diagnosis of microphobia is established in the case of noticeable persistent (more than six months) strong fear or anxiety concerning small objects. The fear should include a negative assessment from the environment, as well as other signs:

• any small objects that come into the field of vision always cause fear or anxiety;
• the patient actively tries to avoid contact with phobic objects;
• fear or anxiety is not related to the actual threat;
• fear, anxiety and/or avoidance of phobic objects cause severe discomfort and negatively affect a person’s socialization and professional activity.

In addition to microphobia, other mental disorders may also be detected simultaneously.

Treatment microphobia

Fear of small objects, or microphobia, is a specific phobic disorder. Psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and psychologists treat them.

Most often, specialists resort to the following methods of treating microphobias:

• psychotherapeutic methods;
• medicines.

Psychotherapy is appropriate when patient support is needed in the cognitive-behavioral plan. During treatment sessions, the doctor brings the patient into contact with phobic objects – small objects, while simultaneously correcting the person’s sensory and mental activity. Such procedures change and redirect the patient’s reaction.

Confrontational techniques or desensitization can also be used, which involves gradually “acquainting” the patient with the objects of microphobia with subsequent correction of his attitude towards them.

Medicines are not always prescribed, but only in cases of proven serious pathology. Complex cases require the use of antidepressants, anxiolytics (anti-anxiety drugs), as well as β-blockers, which minimize the negative impact of stress on the body. [ 7 ]

Some patients respond positively to the practice of various relaxation techniques, although it is quite difficult to find a qualified and competent specialist in this area.

Prevention

To prevent the fear of small objects, or microphobia, there are quite a few techniques that help to establish control over your condition and bring the nervous system to emotional balance. All these techniques are available, and you can learn about them at a psychotherapist's appointment. The specialists themselves give their potential patients the following recommendations:

• It is important to learn to avoid overreaction to stressful situations;
• systematically practice relaxation techniques (meditation);
• avoid the use of psychoactive and stimulant substances, strong coffee and so-called energy drinks, as they aggravate anxiety;
• engage in physical exercise and sports, maintain physical activity;
• do not be afraid of fears and learn to confront them;
• rest more, restore not only physical strength, but also the nervous system.

It is important to understand that fear, such as microphobia, is a complex pathology that can seriously affect many aspects of a person's life, break social chains, which will lead to isolation and loss of interests. Timely seeking psychotherapeutic help is important not only for prevention, but also for eliminating already existing microphobia. Therefore, you should not delay a visit to a specialist, even if there is the slightest suspicion of such a disorder.

Forecast

The prognosis for microphobia depends on many factors. These include the severity of clinical symptoms and the presence of background pathologies. Recovery is more likely to occur if there are no mental disorders, and the disorder is caused by personality and emotional shifts.

Microphobia can worsen if the patient is not treated comprehensively. Complications are usually associated with the physiological and psycho-emotional state of the patient. In a panic state, the load on the heart and nervous system increases, which can lead to the development of a heart attack, infarction. Increased work of the adrenal glands, excessive production of stress hormones negatively affect the state of the musculoskeletal system and the immune system.

Under severe stress, the digestive system suffers, sweating and salivation increase. A long-term phobic problem worsens the patient's quality of life and prevents normal social adaptation. Common adverse effects of microphobia can be isolation, depressive states, and social isolation. More serious complications manifest themselves in neurotic personality development.

Fear of small objects, or microphobia, can appear in a variety of pathologies - from mild neurotic disorders to schizophrenia. The prognosis in each case is assessed individually, as it has a direct dependence on the form of the disease. Microphobia can either disappear, or be gradually compensated, or, in complex cases, progress, which is often noted in patients with various types of schizophrenia.