Mageirocophobia is the excessive fear of cooking. Far from being a lack of preference or taste for such activity, mageirocophobia is characterized by triggering significant anxiety experiences. Although it does not represent a specific clinical category, mageirocophobia is a term that has recently become popular in popular magazines or blogs, so it is worth reviewing where it comes from.

We will now see what mageirocophobia is , what some of its manifestations are and what strategies may be appropriate to modify it.

Mageirocophobia: fear of cooking

The term mageirocophobia comes from the Greek “mageiros” meaning “cook” or “butcher”, and “phobos” meaning “panic”. The word “magiric” also derives from the same word, which means “related to cooking”. The latter, together with the word “magirista” (expert in cooking), was present since the end of the 19th century to refer to the art of cooking and its history.

Thus, mageirocophobia is the fear of cooking . As with all phobias, it is not only the daily rejection of cooking for food. In other words, it is not about the preference for not cooking as it is easier or more convenient to eat out or to feed oneself with food made by someone else. It is considered a phobia only that activity that triggers an irrational panic experience (not explainable by the person’s cultural codes) and therefore generates significant anxiety.

Mageirocophobia, however, is not considered a specific clinical category nor has it been studied or characterized by psychopathology. Therefore, it is not considered so severe as to merit treatment in itself, beyond psychological intervention aimed at several of its consequences.

Possible causes

Fear of cooking may be part of a broader spectrum of fears related, for example, to the small spaces that some kitchens have, to social approval or disapproval, to the rigidity of instructions in some recipes, or to some previous experience with cooking utensils. For this reason, mageirocophobia can manifest itself from a fear of the request to cook, to preparing complex dishes in the oven .

Likewise, this fear may be related to how the person has socialized in relation to the activity of cooking, that is, according to the rules and roles of their immediate environment. The latter includes expectations or demands that have been presented to him socially, and which may have led him to associate the activity of cooking as something unpleasant.

In other words, the above may have generated specific perceptions about the activity of finally cooking triggering discomfort or rejection . Thus, some of the main causes of mageirocophobia may be the following:

  • Fear of suffering some injury or burn related to the cooking process.
  • Fear of spreading viruses or disease.
  • Fear of badly prepared meals.
  • Fear of the complexity of the recipes.
  • Fears related to eating disorders

Symptoms

As we saw before, the manifestations can vary according to the person and their close context . In general, the manifestations of mageirocophobia include the refusal to cook accompanied by excessive avoidance for approaching the kitchen or any place where such activity is taking place.

This means that panic could be triggered even by finding yourself in situations where someone else is cooking. Likewise, the characteristic symptoms of anxiety , present in all phobias by definition, accompany him/her : sensations of suffocation, dizziness, sweating, agitation, chest pain, etc.

Treatment

The most commonly used treatment for phobias is that of cognitive-behavioral perspective , which consists of modifying the thoughts that are generated when the feared stimuli are rejected; in this case it would be the action of cooking. Likewise, it focuses on carrying out a series of successive approximations to the stimulus, which can begin by presenting simple images until getting closer and closer to a kitchen.

Similarly, this is combined with an important emotional accompaniment that reduces the person’s levels of anxiety in the face of the stimulus; and can include a deeper exploration of the meanings associated with cooking, which allows them to be modified or confronted gradually.

Since mageirocophobia is most likely related to broader and more complex anxiety experiences, it is important to treat them as a whole. Mageirocophobia may be only one of the manifestations of a broader spectrum of anxieties, so it is necessary to know other dimensions of the person in order to be able to treat them . Otherwise, one may fall into the error of modifying behaviors only temporarily or superficially and motivated only by social approval, beyond eradicating the conflicts that are in the background or around mageirocophobia.

Some strategies to reduce anxiety in the kitchen

To achieve this, a gradual and more profound accompaniment is necessary. However, some simple strategies that can decrease the experience of anxiety specifically related to cooking are as follows:

  • Make simple dishes that do not involve risks such as burning or cutting, and gradually cook more elaborate dishes.
  • Find a favorite dish or a meal that you enjoy and try to prepare it, familiarizing yourself with the instructions and utensils little by little.
  • Cooking together with someone who inspires confidence and trust.
  • Cooking for other people, preferably nearby, to encourage social recognition.
  • Do any of the above steps once a week and gradually increase the frequency.

Bibliographic references:

  • Jason (2014). Mageirocophobia – Fear/Phobia of Cooking. Most Common Phobias. Recovered 22 August 2018. Available at http://mostcommonphobias.com/mageirocophobia-fear-phobia-cooking/.
  • Albers, S. (2010). Overcoming Mageirocophobia- the Fear of Cooking. Huffpost. Retrieved 22 August 2018. Available at https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-susan-albers/overcoming-mageirocophobi_b_711520.html?guccounter=1.
  • Quinion, M. (2010). Magiric. World Wide Words. Retrieved 22 August 2018. Available at http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-mag1.htm.
  • Soyer, A. (1853). The Pantropheon: The American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection. Andrews McMEel Publishing: Kansas, City.