Heliophobia

Obsessive fear of sunlight and avoidance of sun exposure is heliophobia (derived from the combination of the Greek words "helyos" - sun, and "phobeo" - I am afraid). This phobia is a consequence of psychological fear - such patients are afraid that the sun can physically harm their well-being and health. They feel as if the sun's rays are pressing on them and burning them.

Risk factors

As a rule, the causes of heliophobia are other phobias or diseases:

• fear of the sun, which is part of the fear of various diseases - for example, the development of cataracts or melanoma;
• the presence of eye pathologies in a person, as a result of which an acute reaction of the eyes (cutting pains) to bright light develops, and in addition, also eye damage. These factors can cause a fear of the sun - due to a person's personal negative experience;
• agoraphobia (a fear of large open spaces), which causes a fear of sunlight.

In some cases, this phobia develops as an independent pathology - suddenly, without any other visible diseases or fears, a person begins to feel anxious when in the sun. And this anxiety eventually grows to the size of a phobia - avoidance of any contact with sunlight begins, the person refuses to leave the room during the day. The basis of such a phobia is some frightening incident that happened to a person, and he himself correlates it with the impact of sunlight.

Heliophobia can also be one of the symptoms of developing schizophrenia in a person.

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Symptoms heliophobia

A heliophobe has unhealthy-looking, pale skin along with symptoms of hypovitaminosis (deformation of bones and teeth, as well as caries, the appearance of muscle cramps, weight loss, the development of severe sweating, feelings of weakness and stoop, growth retardation, and in addition, frequent fractures).

Among the most characteristic signs of the disease is a refusal to stay in the sun, which is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• permanent residence in an apartment or house;
• a complete change in daily routine – being awake at night, sleeping during the day;
• the appearance of the "hood" symptom in the patient.

In addition to the signs of vitamin D deficiency, as well as the characteristic external manifestations, heliophobes often experience panic attacks. If a person who is afraid of sunlight suddenly finds himself in the sun, he usually experiences the following symptom complex:

• increased heart rate and breathing;
• dizziness;
• nausea with vomiting;
• panicky attempts to escape and hide in a safe place;
• irrational fear for one's life and health.

In such a situation, it is necessary to urgently take the person into the shade (a darkened room or place), because otherwise his condition may significantly worsen - loss of consciousness, development of arrhythmia or hypertensive crisis are possible.

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Complications and consequences

Fear of sunlight is a rather dangerous social phobia, as it forces a person to isolate themselves from the world and limit themselves in many aspects. There is a sharp narrowing of the circle of acquaintances and communication, many professions become inaccessible, as well as education at school/university, etc., because most of them work during the daytime.

The phobia also has a negative impact on the patient’s health, because without sunlight the body cannot synthesize calciferol.

Heliophobia, which is aggravated by a deficiency of calciferol, provokes the development of constant depression, incessant headaches, and a chronic feeling of fatigue.

What is the difference between Gunther's disease and heliophobia

Unlike heliophobia, which is purely psychological in origin and in which the sun's rays do not cause any physical harm to the patient, Gunther's disease is a genetic pathology transmitted in an autosomal recessive manner. With this disease, ulcers and scars appear on the skin of a person after contact with the sun. Along with this, severe deformation of the tendons (as a result of which the fingers sometimes twist), ears and nose also develop. These symptoms appear due to a recessive mutation in a non-sex chromosome, which causes increased photosensitivity of the skin, as well as metabolic disorders.

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Treatment heliophobia

Heliophobes are usually prescribed medications that help replenish the calciferol deficiency. This helps prevent complications that develop as a result of hypovitaminosis.

Also, with this phobia, it is imperative to undergo a course of therapy with a psychoanalyst, because it greatly affects a person’s social interactions and is fraught with dangerous consequences for his health.

The problem is eliminated by gradually getting used to the phenomenon that frightens the patient and gradually coming out into the daylight. This happens with the involvement of medications and psychotherapeutic treatment methods in the process.

Psychotherapeutic methods:

• hypnosis - the patient is put into a trance, and then the idea is suggested to him that reasonable exposure to the sun does not pose a danger to him;
• cognitive-behavioral method - in this case, the doctor identifies a person's painful attitudes and then corrects them using the encouragement method. As a result, the patient develops a different, positive attitude towards the sun's rays and their impact on the body;
• neurolinguistic programming procedure - this method is based on copying the behavioral model of any healthy person, during which the patient begins to get used to the correct behavioral reactions;
• auto-training – self-hypnosis procedures with thoughts that the sun and its rays are safe.

Treatment with medications consists of the administration of tranquilizers, sedatives, as well as β-blockers and antidepressants.

It is also important to do independent exercises to help get rid of heliophobia. With the help of self-confidence, as well as gradually going beyond the comfort zone, it is quite possible to get rid of the fear of the sun. If the patient feels the approach of a panic attack, it is necessary to use relaxation procedures: switch attention to something else and do breathing exercises.

Forecast

Heliophobia has a favorable prognosis with a full recovery, but only if timely and adequate treatment is provided. Proper therapy can rid a person of the phobia, which will allow him to return to society, as well as maintain both physical and mental health.

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