Advance preparation – thinking about where you will take shelter, making sure you have several ways to get weather warnings and information, and having a plan for you and your family – can help reduce your fear and stress levels when storms are in the area.
People with astraphobia are terrified of the weather. They may watch anxiously for signs of bad weather, hide in areas of the home where they feel safe during a storm, or experience severe stress in their heart rate and breathing until the storm passes.
Weather-related anxiety is common, especially in children and people who have previously experienced major weather events. Signs of weather-related anxiety include obsessive thoughts about the potential for storms, distress when you know a thunderstorm is forecasted, and extreme fear or dread during weather events.
Climate anxiety skews young.
Nearly half of 18-to-34-year-olds who've experienced climate change firsthand described having mental health problems as a result — a response that was much smaller in the 65+ population (10%).
Climate anxiety, or eco-anxiety, is distress related to worries about the effects of climate change. It is not a mental illness.
Experts don't know exactly what causes astraphobia. For some people, a traumatic childhood event during a storm can lead to astraphobia. You're also more likely to develop astraphobia if a parent or sibling has the condition. Sometimes, people develop astraphobia for no known reason.
Clomipramine (Clomicalm®): This tricyclic antidepressant is often used for panic disorders in humans. It's been approved for use in dogs for separation anxiety, but it works well for some storm phobia sufferers too. This medication must be used regularly (e.g., for the entire storm season) for it to be effective.
About agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder. A person with agoraphobia is afraid to leave environments they know or consider to be safe. In severe cases, a person with agoraphobia considers their home to be the only safe environment. They may avoid leaving their home for days, months or even years.
Hot temperatures can increase stress hormones, and the feelings and symptoms of anxiety. Adverse weather events, such as intense thunder storms, strong winds, hail, and tornados can cause an increase in anxiety for those who worry about adverse weather events.
When atmospheric pressure decreases body tissues swell slightly. This can put increased pressure on joints and sinuses. Low temperatures also causes blood viscosity, or thickness. Your blood pressure gets a double whammy.
Some people experience increased anxiety and panic attacks in the summer. This can be due to disrupted sleep, climate anxiety and pressure to make the most of the summer months. Thinking about overheating symptoms like high heart rate, sweaty palms and shortness of breath can also trigger anxiety and panic attacks.
Storms can trigger inward fears of not feeling safe and feeling out of control. The back emotional part of the brain, responds to these fears of not feeling safe by activating the sympathetic nervous system. This activation triggers the fight/ flight response to protect a person in danger.
Benzodiazepines (also known as tranquilizers) are the most widely prescribed type of medication for anxiety. Drugs such as Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), and Ativan (lorazepam) work quickly, typically bringing relief within 30 minutes to an hour.
Astraphobia is a type of specific phobia that is typically diagnosed by a licensed mental health professional following the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V).
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words. Understanding the phobia can help you overcome it and live a fulfilling life. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary, and ironically, it means the fear of long words.
1. Arachibutyrophobia (Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth) Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. While the phenomenon has happened to everyone at one point or another, people with arachibutyrophobia are extremely afraid of it.
Eco-anxiety received more attention after 2017, and especially since late 2018 with Greta Thunberg having publicly discussed her own eco-anxiety. In 2018, the American Psychological Association issued a report about the impact of climate change on mental health.
About 27 percent of Americans say they are very worried about climate change. This also is reflected in our Global Warming's Six Americas research.
If you're feeling overwhelmed with climate anxiety and have been unable to manage it on your own, anxiety therapy can help. There are currently no evidenced-based treatments specifically for climate anxiety, but some available forms of therapy may be helpful.
Sociologists who measure anxiety levels of entire nations have concluded that the US is, by far, the most anxious nation on Earth. About one in three Americans can be expected to suffer anxiety at some point in their lifetime, compared with one in four Colombians, who occupy the second world-anxiety slot.