Foot Phobia
Understanding Foot Phobia
Foot phobia is called podiaphobia by professionals in the mental health field. It is rare to find an individual that does not have a phobia, or fear, of something. Sometimes the fear is rational, or makes sense. Other times the fear is not explainable. Either way, it becomes a problem that needs to be dealt with when the fear starts to interfere with daily activities or your ability to enjoy life.
Two people can have the same phobia with the same intensity with very different effects on their lives. For example, if I live in the Mid-West and am afraid of the ocean, I could live my entire life without this fear really affecting any of my activities. If I am afraid of the ocean and live and work in San Diego, then this fear could become debilitating. It is this type of phobia that needs to be addressed.
Phobias in general are thoughts that results in physical symptoms. The physical symptoms then reinforce the thoughts. Symptoms of foot phobia and other phobias include sweating, an increased heart rate, breathing difficulties, extreme anxiety and dread often felt as a knot in your stomach. You also may feel irritated.
The cycle of fear being reinforced goes like this. You are afraid of something so your heart rate increases and you begin to sweat. These are physical reactions to fear that are a part of our “fight or flight” genetic makeup. The fact that you feel your heart racing tells your brain that there really is something to fear, which causes further physical reactions, which then reinforce the fear again. This process can become so out of control that medical attention is eventually sought. For some, the exact cause of the fear may not be known at first.
Foot phobia can cause a range of distresses. A person may just not like the look of feet and will try to avoid seeing them. This can lead to wearing socks 24 hours a day. Some people with this problem can’t stand for their feet to be touched or to touch others’ feet. This is generally not a life-limiting fear, but it can be uncomfortable in relationships.
There are situations where these fears can intrude into everyday life and cause problems. Diabetics need to have their feet inspected for sores due to the risk of infection. You may have stepped on a piece of glass or a nail. Imagine the horror someone could feel having to take off their shoes and socks and have a medical professional handle their feet. Another time that people suffering from foot phobia tend to have problems is when they go to a friend’s house and then are asked to take off their shoes at the door.
The most simple way to deal with a fear of feet is to avoid what causes you distress. If the sight of feet is what triggers your uncomfortable feelings, then do what you can to avoid this. If you are at a point where extreme measures have to be taken to avoid feet, and if the fear is causing you a lot of distress and is apparent to others, it is time to get help to concur your fear.
Therapists have worked with people to get past their phobias for centuries. There are many different techniques. It is not usually necessary to find the origin of your fear in order to conquer your fear. Therapy usually includes of combination of methods. Therapists will help you understand that the thoughts do not have to lead to physical symptoms and that the presence of physical symptoms does not mean that the fear is reasonable.
Once you understand that the circle of thoughts, emotions, and physical symptoms, the therapist can venture into something called exposure therapy. Sometimes it’s easier to begin this type of therapy through hypnosis, but that is not always the best method. It really depends on what the therapist and you are comfortable with. Exposure therapy will take you through different levels of controlled exposure to feet. The therapist will help you to understand that nothing bad will happen and will talk you through each level of exposure until you are able to be comfortable enough with feet that you are again able to function in life.