What is the fear of silence called and how is it treated?

Every second a person hears something. Conversations, the sound of a radio or TV, the ticking of a clock and even the sound of the wind create a certain background. Sounds, regardless of a person’s desires, surround him, becoming an integral part of existence. And all this is connected with the psyche so tightly that a fear of silence can develop.

This phenomenon in psychology is called silensophobia. It is expressed by the difficulties of adapting the psyche to silence.

Are we afraid of silence?

A person is constantly exposed to emotions, even when alone. Its negative form can even be obtained from the influence of one’s own thoughts, which manifest themselves when a person is left alone with himself. In the presence of a phobia, the patient experiences discomfort from a strong attack of emotions, which by their nature perform adaptive functions. The human psyche cannot independently cope with the manifestation of emotions, which leads to stress. The phobia itself, like chronic stress, is acutely manifested when the patient is in unfavorable conditions - a stressful background.

Many people suffer from silensophobia, and more than 90% of them are unaware of their psychological problems. A phobia prevents a person from working, communicating with loved ones and making any plans. After all, even trips to nature on weekends or vacations will not bring pleasure. A person will try to engage himself by talking, listening to music, etc. The human psyche is constantly in a tense state, and without the help of a psychotherapist, such problems can cause serious health problems. The use of sedatives relieves signs of phobia only temporarily.

Psycho-emotional and pathological causes of jeremophobia

Like other unusual, specific fears, silensophobia develops in response to traumatic shocks or situations involving a threat to health and life.

The most common reasons for developing a fear of silence:

• Childhood traumas. In order for the child to sleep soundly, parents reliably isolate his room from extraneous noise: install double and triple glazed windows, lay soft flooring, turn off the TV and other sound sources. Against the background of such all-consuming silence, any sharp sound, be it a pen falling to the floor or a door slamming, frightens the child. Impressionable kids may completely refuse to sleep in their room without the TV or other sound source on, giving silence negative associations.
• Silence as a punishment. Jeremophobia, as well as the fear of the dark or closed spaces, often develops in children who are locked in remote rooms, basements, dark closets or closets as punishment.
• Self-identity problems. Often people who lack self-confidence and suffer from a lack of realization of their own skills are afraid to remain in complete silence. They tend to keep themselves busy so as not to be left alone with negative thoughts.
• Negative associations. The fear of silence can be imposed by books and films in which moments of complete and oppressive silence are accompanied by negative events.

Fear of silence can also be a sign of serious pathologies:

• hormonal disbalance;
• disorders of the adrenal glands;
• deep chronic depression;
• schizophrenia, paranoia accompanied by audiovisual hallucinations.

Causes of silensophobia

Psychologists often associate the fear of silence with other fears. The fact is that a person is constantly in contact with others, talking on the phone, listening to music, watching movies, etc. It is from these little things that life and the social role of people are built. These are like established rules, the violation of which a person feels discomfort.

That is, silensophobia itself is a psychological sign of more serious problems.

Psychologists are confident that such problems arise:

• when you refuse to realize your loneliness;
• due to fear of being left alone with your thoughts;
• due to emotional turmoil experienced.

Common phenomena of modern life allow a person to escape from some of his own problems, forget about the past (or not think about the future). Therefore, psychologists often draw parallels between the feeling of silence and the perception of one’s own problems. When it becomes quiet around a person, he is left alone with his own thoughts and often the individual’s psyche is not ready for this. With such “communication,” a person feels discomfort and tries in any possible way to get rid of it (turns on the radio, TV, talks on the phone, etc.).

A person may also feel anxious during periods of silensophobia due to loneliness. Akin to the fear of perceiving oneself, one’s experiences and problems, a person tries to dilute his life with sounds. Such people often have many acquaintances with whom they try to constantly keep in touch. And in their free moments, they prefer to watch TV or spend time listening to music on headphones.

The emotional shocks experienced, which can cause the manifestation of a phobia, vary from person to person. Often, problems begin in early childhood, when caring parents try to ensure complete silence at night while their child is sleeping. A phobia arises from sharp sounds (unexpected phone calls, creaking doors, rattling dishes, etc.). Such little things can have a detrimental effect on the child’s psyche. In addition, signs of a phobia may appear in adulthood.

What is the fear of silence called?

Fear of silence is one of the most common phobias that can occur in a person of any age. Before starting her treatment, it is worth finding out what the fear of silence is called and how it differs from the usual discomfort when being alone and in an information vacuum.

Doctors call the fear of silence iremophobia. Another term also found in the medical literature is silensophobia. The disorder is an irrational, pathological reluctance of a person to be silent for even a short time. The psyche of such a person cannot fully adapt to silence, which causes serious discomfort and even a panic attack.

Iremophobia or silensophobia?

The fear of silence was first diagnosed by psychotherapists in the 60s of the last century. It has been found that millions of men and women working in noisy offices and shopping centers, crowded factories and factories cannot adapt to the lack of background noise.

Today, the fear of silence is designated in the medical literature by two terms - iremophobia or silensophobia. These names mean the same condition - a pathological reluctance to be in a quiet place, without noisy sounds. The absence of sound stimuli leads to severe discomfort, because a person is forced to be left alone with his thoughts and emotions.

We recommend reading: How to overcome the fear of pain?

When a phobia develops, even going to the library or writing a written test can cause severe stress. Technological progress, television and the Internet only exacerbate this problem. If a silensophobe is forced to abandon the usual sound background even for a short time and remain in silence, psychological trauma cannot be avoided.

Signs of a phobia

The manifestation of silensophobia can be characterized by both physiological, behavioral and mental signs. The consequences of silence, the absence of extraneous sounds, even before going to bed, can be:

• sudden panic;
• headache and dizziness;
• insomnia;
• chest tightness and increased heart rate;
• attacks of nausea;
• muscle tension.

Often, when the patient is left in an empty, silent space, other problems appear. A person may think about problems at work, about relationships with others, and even about his own death. He transforms his anxiety into a negative psycho-emotional background, the consequence of which can be prolonged depression.

Symptoms and manifestations

Other Possible Causes

The prerequisites for the development of fear of silence are individual in nature. Sometimes negative emotions experienced in early childhood contribute to the emergence of a phobia in an adult. Some people, for example, say that the emergence of fear is associated with news of the death of a relative or other unpleasant events. Such situations are usually accompanied by silence. Therefore, a person experiences fear in the absence of sound stimuli. In addition, parents often scold their children for noisy behavior. Babies are naturally energetic and restless. They always try to attract attention to themselves. If a child does not shut up at the request of adults, he is punished.

Sensitive individuals may develop a fear of silence. In addition, the absence of sound stimuli is typical for uninhabited areas and forests. Superstitious people believe that evil spirits live there. They try to avoid being in such places.

Is it possible to determine the presence of a phobia on your own?

The main sign by which silensophobia can be determined is the duration of its manifestation. Unlike the usual sudden psychological discomfort that appears in certain life situations, people with a phobia may be subject to its symptoms for several months or even years. But, most often, experiencing anxiety, suffering from insomnia, and even depression, the patient does not understand the reason for his negative psychological background.

Silensophobia can only be recognized by the following signs:

• the presence of a phobia is confirmed when a person systematically refuses to remain in silence;
• if nervousness often turns into a panic attack;
• the impact of unpleasant symptoms affects everyday life.

The main thing is to contact specialists when identifying psychological problems. Most phobias can be treated with or without medication.

Features of the pathology

Every person is familiar with the state of fear. However, if this feeling occurs frequently and interferes with leading a normal lifestyle, experts speak of a mental disorder. One of these pathologies is the fear of silence. This fear is called silensophobia. It lies in the inability to normal perceive the absence of sounds. People refuse to be in a quiet place. They strive to constantly receive information from the outside world. Audiobooks, radio, telephone conversations, and TV are used for this. With a phobia of silence, the absence of sound stimuli provokes discomfort. Indeed, in this situation, a person is left alone with his emotions. In severe cases, even performing a written test and being in the library causes discomfort.

Psychological assistance to the patient

A psychologist and psychotherapist are specialists who can help a patient without the use of drugs. You can get rid of a phobia using specially developed methods, including conversations with the patient (to determine the cause of the phobia of silence), subsequent analysis of information and interpretation of the content of the problem itself.

Professional methods can speed up the patient’s recovery process and completely rid his psyche of obsessive problems. Methods of neurolinguistic programming and even hypnosis can be used. The choice of method and its effectiveness depend on the severity of the disease and the qualifications of the specialist.

Art therapy methods also received special credit in the fight against phobias. The fact is that art is the most convenient way of personal expression, transmission of problems and phobias. Art therapy has earned particular popularity in working with children. The process of mental correction using this method is based on the following areas of working with phobias:

• image;
• verbalization;
• expressive dramatization.

The use of drawing, modeling, creating photo collages, etc., allows you not only to find out the main reasons for the fear of silence, but also to partially realize it in your creations.

The result of the psychotherapist’s work is to formulate adequate ways of human behavior and the preconditions for anxiety.

Work with the patient can be based on both group and individual sessions. Group classes are less effective. They are used more often to familiarize a specialist with the psychological health of the patient. The patient also gets used to the new requirements and rules that the doctor sets for him. Individual lessons are more effective. As a result of working with the patient, the doctor determines negative trends in the patient’s personal development and behavior. Based on the results of the meetings, therapeutic work is built.

Treating the fear of silence

But self-medication is not always able to cope with the phobia of silence. In many advanced cases, you cannot do without the help of a specialist. Irrational fear can be treated with medication and psychotherapy. Everyone has their own fears and weaknesses. You shouldn’t try to hide them, be ashamed, or ignore them. It's easier to accept and fight.

You can cope with any situation if you overcome your fears and continue your work. © Theodore Roosevelt

Psychological help

The first stage of treatment is contacting a psychotherapist. The doctor will find out where the fears come from, how long ago they have settled in your brain, and prescribe a course of treatment.

Professional techniques of neurolinguistic programming or hypnosis relieve the psyche of anxious panic moods and speed up the recovery process. Cognitive behavioral therapy and systematic desensitization help cope with anxiety.

Art therapy methods are used to combat phobias. Drawing, sculpting, and creating photo collages promote personal self-expression by correcting mental processes. As a result of psychotherapeutic treatment, the phobia of silence decreases in size, and ways of human behavior that are adequate to the situation and the corresponding preconditions for anxiety are formed. Group and individual forms of classes are used.

All these treatment methods help to clarify the origins of the fear of silence, analyze them, and allow you to overcome the phobia once and for all.

Medication methods to combat silensophobia

Most often, drug therapy is used to get rid of the fear of silence. 1. Tricyclic antidepressants are used to combat depression: Moclobemide, Sertraline, Fluoxetine. Neurotransmitters, which are part of the drug, effectively restore the psyche. 2. For panic attacks, benzodiazepines are prescribed: Imiprapine, Phenazipam, Alprozolam. 3. To eliminate problems of the cardiovascular system caused by phobia, beta blockers are used. 4. Psycholeptics, in particular Busporin, reduce anxiety. All sedatives consist of components of plant origin, but you should not take them yourself, since the wrong dosage can be dangerous to health and cause harm instead of benefit. Only the attending physician is able to take into account all the pros and cons of using medications and select the ones that are suitable for the patient.

Drug treatment for silensophobia

Not only psychologists and psychotherapists, but even psychiatrists will help you get rid of phobias. The patient may need the help of the latter during acute manifestations of the disease. The most common is drug therapy.

The following types of medications have become widespread in treatment:

• Tricyclic antidepressants. Most often used to combat depression. The action of the components of the drug, neurotransmitters, is based on the restoration of the psyche. The most common drugs: Moclobemide, Sertraline, Fluoxetine, etc.
• Benzodiazepines. Also used for panic attacks. The most popular drugs are: Imiprapine, Phenazipam, Alprozolam, etc.
• Beta blockers. They are used to eliminate signs of phobias, most often problems with the cardiovascular system.
• Psycholeptics. Reduce anxiety. The most popular medicine is Busporin. The selection and specifics of the use of drugs are carried out by the attending physician.

Herbal sedatives

It is prohibited to take medications on your own due to health hazards in case of incorrectly calculated dosage and side effects.

Manifestations

Many people associate the fear of silence with the fear of death. A person suddenly experiences an inexplicable panic that he cannot overcome on his own. Coping with such fear is actually not very easy.

Fear of being alone with yourself

Iremophobia forces a person to constantly look for something to do. Even when preparing for bed, a person avoids completely disconnecting from the outside world. He has a need to watch films, listen to the radio. When it is necessary to take some decisive steps in relation to other people, he acts without hesitation. If he is immersed in his own world, such a person becomes lost and does not know what to do correctly.

Other fears

The fear of silence is often accompanied by the fear of being alone. Such a person is very afraid of the prospect of immersing himself in his own thoughts. They seem scary to him. Often against this background there is tinnitus, dizziness and general disorientation in space. This condition frightens a person even more, makes him withdraw into his inner world and become isolated.

Basic rules for getting rid of a phobia on your own

Self-medication for the fear of silence also has its power. The main thing is to know the main directions of therapy. Psychotherapists often advise patients:

• Realize your problems. The main thing is not to be afraid of silence and perceive it as a normal psychological background. This will help you get started in the fight against your phobia.
• Meet silence more often. You can overcome your problems only by meeting them more often. Psychotherapists call this method “reaction burnout.” The fact is that, constantly encountering a phobia, a person gradually gets used to it, since defensive reactions also intensify.
• Get rid of tension. With any manifestation of anxiety, it is important to learn to control yourself and relax in a timely manner. You can use deep breathing techniques, meditation and even muscle relaxation. And yoga can help prevent obsessive thoughts.
• Learn to control your own thoughts. The phobia of silence is constantly fueled by negative emotions that arise during thought processes. By learning to control yourself and the “direction” of your thoughts, you can avoid the signs of silensophobia.

Psychologists advise realizing your phobia by creating certain objects and images. The easiest way is drawing. In moments of anxiety and other signs of silensophobia, creating a drawing will help a person express his emotions and give free rein to his feelings. In addition, this is a good way to understand the nature of your illness. There are methods that transform the problem expressed by visual art into something humorous and caricatured. Such work also has advantages - the phobia ceases to have a strong influence on the person, he learns to control it.

A person’s internal resources are sometimes stronger than his physical capabilities. Thus, in patients with silensophobia, silence even causes problems with sleep. By putting on headphones or turning on the TV, the patient creates for himself a comfortable psychological background of involvement in the world. Having lost it, a person suffers. Therefore, initial work on a phobia is based on working with a psychological problem without barriers or interference. Only by facing your fear “face to face” can you defeat it.

Reasons for the development of the disorder

Technical devices are constantly present in the life of a modern individual. Background sounds fill every second of human existence. Persons with a fear of silence cannot remain calm in a lonely hut in the middle of the forest or in protected areas.

This situation makes them uncomfortable. Today many people face a similar problem. The question of what the phobia is called - fear of silence - and why it occurs is quite relevant. Experts say that the phenomenon is associated with negative or dangerous events.

The most common causes of the disorder are:

1. Severe fear in childhood. Many caring mothers and fathers try to protect their sleeping baby as much as possible from sound stimuli. They make double glazing, install soft coverings on the floor, turn off the radio. In the absence of noise, even the dropping of a pencil or the creaking of a door can cause a feeling of fear in a child.
2. Using isolation from sound stimuli as punishment. The fear of silence develops in children who were locked in basements, pantries, closets, and dark rooms.
3. Associations. They are often associated with reading books or watching horror films in which, after a long absence of sound stimuli, frightening events happen to the characters.
4. Personal problems. Lack of self-confidence and inability to realize aspirations leads to the fear of being left alone. In this situation, a person tries to fill the void and cope with the flow of negative thoughts. To do this, he turns on the TV or music, talks on the phone.