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What is a phobia? -

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, "a phobia is an uncontrollable, irrational, and lasting fear of a certain object, situation, or activity."

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What is a phobia? -

Phobias can be extremely overwhelming to those who suffer from them. People may try many things to avoid their fears and may even have panic attacks. 

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Who is affected by phobias? -

Approximately 19 million Americans have one or more phobias and they can range from mild to very severe. Phobias most often occur between 15 and 20 years of age and impact men and women the same.

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What is ergophobia? -

Also sometimes called ergasiophobia, work aversion, or workplace phobia, ergophobia is the irrational and excessive fear of work.

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What is ergophobia? -

Someone who has ergophobia can experience a lot of fear and anxiety before they go to work or when they're at work. This stress can mean an inability to perform the required tasks for the job.

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Symptoms of ergophobia -

Some common symptoms include a racing heart, sweating, dry mouth, feeling suffocated, and even difficulty holding down a job. Long periods of unemployment are common for those who suffer from ergophobia.

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Causes -

In the following slides, some causes of ergophobia will be discussed.

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Performance anxiety -

Making mistakes is a natural part of life, however, for someone with ergophobia, there can be a lot of anxiety about making said mistakes. They might fear that their performance could result in punishment, embarrassment, or otherwise.

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Conditioned response -

A traumatic work event, like getting in major trouble for a mistake, can cause lasting fear. If your boss frequently yells at you, for example, it could condition you to have an emotional response in the workplace.

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Modeling -

Ergophobia may develop if someone is exposed to a colleague experiencing traumatic consequences at work. Though the person in question didn't personally have the negative experience, seeing it second-hand can still be enough to trigger ergophobia.

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Genetics -

Some studies indicate that there is a strong link between family and the development of certain phobias. 

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Brain functioning -

Neurobiological studies of fear and phobias suggest that people with phobias may have an increased sensitivity to fear that causes the phobia to develop.

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Treatments -

In the following slides, you'll find some potential treatments for individuals with ergophobia.

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Behavioral therapy -

There are behavioral therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that can help someone with ergophobia tolerate distress better and manage their fearful emotional responses more calmly.

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EMDR -

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of trauma therapy. Within this therapy, the person is "gradually exposed to their fear or traumatic memories, with the view to desensitize, increase tolerance, and alleviate ongoing distress."

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Virtual reality therapy -

Virtual reality therapy can be used to safely desensitize an individual to stressful and anxiety-provoking situations.

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Exposure and response prevention -

Exposure and response prevention (ERP) has been used for those with OCD and other anxiety disorders. This particular therapy aims to increase tolerance while teaching new ways to respond.

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Other therapies -

Other therapies such as family therapy can be helpful so the person with ergophobia can receive support and validation.

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Medications -

A doctor or medical professional should first be consulted before trying any of the medications listed in the upcoming slides. Some medicine-based options could help someone with symptoms related to ergophobia.

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Antidepressants -

According to MeantalHealth.com, the following are regularly used for the treatment of anxiety disorders: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and tricyclic antidepressants (TCA).

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Antihistamines -

Antihistamines like Hydroxyzine are FDA-approved for treating anxiety disorders.

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Anxiolytics -

Anxiolytics are usually not prescribed long-term due to possible addiction. However, on a short-term basis, benzodiazepines can help treat anxiety disorders.

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Beta-blockers -

Propranolol, a beta-blocker, is sometimes used to help alleviate the physical symptoms of acute anxiety and phobias.

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Self help -

People who have ergophobia may be able to manage symptoms by using some of the following self-help techniques. 

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Speaking with others -

Make space for your fears and it may help reduce some of the associated negative emotions. Talk with friends, family, or a professional.

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Relaxation exercises -

Meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises can help alleviate anxiety-based symptoms. They can also help avoid a panic attack or other severe responses.

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Support groups -

Think about attending a support group to garner support and acceptance of your phobia. It could help to speak to others in the same or a similar situation.

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General wellbeing -

General well-being is extremely important to help manage the anxiety symptoms caused by ergophobia.

Sources: (MentalHealth.com) (Johns Hopkins Medicine) (Choosing Therapy) (Merriam-Webster)

See also: Rare phobias you've probably never heard of

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