The penteraphobia it is irrational fear and aversion to mothers-in-law. This can be unjustified and persistent, being a problem for the affected person who may see his life very limited in certain aspects.
Although it may seem like a joke, due to the jokes that have always been created around the figure of the mother-in-law, the truth is that it is totally real and there are many people who in some way or another have to live with the constant fear of such a close relative.
It is not exactly one of the most common phobias, but it is worth defining and knowing the symptoms, causes and treatment of this disorder.
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Penteraphobia is the irrational and sick fear of the mother-in-law. Its origin comes from the combination of the Greek words "penthera", which means mother-in-law and "phobos", which means hatred or fear..
It is a specific phobia of which it must be clarified that it is distinguished from simple repulsion or discomfort because it can seriously affect the person suffering from the disorder. To do this, they must meet a series of requirements that are established in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). These are:
If the patient recognizes these symptoms and admits that they are excessive considering the danger of his fear, it can be said that he really suffers from the phobia.
Penteraphobia is closely linked to other similar disorders: soceraphobia (fear of the in-laws as a whole), vitrophobia (fear of the stepfather) and novercaphobia (fear of the stepmother).
Symptoms vary according to the mental state of the person suffering from the disorder, in addition to the exposure that they suffer or not. That is, as with any other phobia, the level of fear varies depending on the person himself..
Some of the most common symptoms in mother-in-law phobia are:
Faced with this situation, the son-in-law or daughter-in-law choose to avoid any type of contact with their mother-in-law. In addition, it will be difficult for you to find a photo or a gift of her, since she will get rid of any element that reminds her of her presence..
Being such a peculiar phobia it is difficult to determine what are the causes that can develop this irrational fear.
Generally, phobias are believed to arise from traumatic events in childhood. Something that has to be discarded because it is rare that no infant has a mother-in-law at such an early age.
In any case, it may be due to the bad experience of one of his parents with his mother-in-law, who is in turn the grandmother of the affected person. In that case it would be due to what is called family conditioning.
Some scientists have the theory that genetics have a lot of influence when it comes to developing a phobia, being prone to think that if you have a family member with this problem, you may have more chances than another person to develop it as well.
Presumably sociology plays an important role in this case as well. Throughout the different eras, mothers-in-law have been classified as heavy, envious, controlling or competitors. True or not, this has greatly influenced the vision of them.
As we always warn, when you suffer from any type of phobia, make sure that it meets the requirements of the DSM and put yourself in the hands of a psychologist or any other professional who is specialized in the subject.
They will help you cope and understand what is causing your problem so that it can be resolved..
Some of the most common types of treatment by these specialists are:
The person, with the help of a specialist, opens his subconscious mind to allow himself to change his behavior patterns. If the cause is also found, the problem will be resolved sooner and the therapy will be more effective.
The professional will introduce positive ideas about your mother-in-law into your mind. A kind of correction of the mind to overcome fear.
Although it is a therapy approved by the American Medical Association in 1958, many people are reluctant to let someone else play with their mind..
NLP is based on personal development therapies and psychotherapy that are applied to modify the behaviors or abilities of the person suffering from the phobia. To apply them it is necessary to get to the root of the problem.
With this, you can reshape your thoughts and modify preconceived notions about mothers-in-law..
Section related to the psychology of energy. This type of therapy uses techniques such as yoga, Pilates, tai-chi or acupressure..
This will modify some lifestyle habits that will improve the energy on the surface of the skin and stimulate electrochemistry in the brain..
It should be noted that although it has more and more followers within the experts, it is still a somewhat controversial therapy because it is not very clear if it can really help to overcome or improve a phobia.
Surely today you have discovered one of the rarest phobias that exist. In your case, do you have problems with your mother-in-law? Are you unable to be in the same room as her? Tell us about your experience!
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