Rainfall, also known as ombrophobia , is the persistent and intense fear of rain and related events (thunder, lightning, etc.). It is a specific phobia of an environmental stimulus, which can be caused by various factors.

In this article we will see what is pluviophobia, what are some of its main characteristics and what strategies can be used to treat it.

Pluviofobia: persistent fear of rain

The word pluviophobia is composed of the adjective “pluvial”, which means “relative to rain” (it comes from the Latin “pluvialis”), and the word “phobia”, which comes from the Greek “fobos” and means fear.

Thus, rainfall phobia is the persistent and intense fear of rain and those elements that are related to it. It is a fear that can occur during childhood , although it can also occur in adolescence and adulthood .

But this is not the only term used to describe persistent fear of rain. One of the synonyms for “rain” is the term “ombrophobia,” which is a mixture of the Greek “ombro” (meaning “rain”) and the word “phobos.

The latter term has had other derivations. For example, there is a species of plant that cannot withstand much exposure to rain, so they have been called “ombrophobes”. On the other hand, there is a great variety of vegetation that is called “ombrophilous”, due to its high resistance to rain.

General characteristics of this disorder

While the characteristic fear of rain is caused by an environmental element (rain), rain can be considered a type of phobia specific to the natural environment . The estimated age for the development of this type of phobia is about 23 years old, and the one that occurs most frequently is the fear of heights.

The stimulus that is perceived as harmful, in this case rain, can generate expectations of conscious or unconscious dangers. That is, people may respond anxiously to the stimulus even if it manifests itself only indirectly. Likewise, when it occurs in adults, they may recognize that the stimulus does not in itself represent an imminent danger; on the contrary, when it occurs in children this awareness is generally absent.

Rain, on the other hand, is an atmospheric phenomenon that results from the condensation of water vapour located in the clouds. But is rain really harmful? Why can it be dangerous for some people and not for others? What degree of discomfort can it cause? We will see some answers later.

Symptoms

In general, the fear associated with phobias is triggered by exposure to a perceived harmful stimulus. Such fear provokes an immediate anxiety response , which involves signs and symptoms such as tachycardia, hyperventilation, decreased gastrointestinal activity, increased blood pressure, palpitations, among others.

All of the above occurs as a consequence of the activation of the autonomic nervous system, which is stimulated when faced with risk situations. On the other hand, the anxiety response can manifest itself through disgust or repulsion, cardiovascular deceleration, dryness of the mouth, nausea, dizziness and lowering of body temperature. The latter occurs when the specific part of the autonomic nervous system, known as the “parasympathetic nervous system”, is activated.

It should be clarified that the intensity with which these manifestations occur depends largely on the degree of exposure to the stimulus that is perceived as harmful. That is, the intensity of the response varies depending on whether the person is observing the rain from home, or whether he or she is seen to be directly exposed to a storm.

Likewise, the intensity of the response may vary according to the particular characteristics of the noxious stimulus and related associations, and of the escape possibilities it may present (for example, it may vary if it is a light rain or a thunderstorm).

In addition, a specific phobia can lead to secondary behaviors that significantly impact a person’s quality of life, but often provide momentary relief. For example, avoidance of any situation related to the harmful stimulus. It can also cause hypervigilance towards such situations or the appearance of defensive behaviors.

Possible causes

According to Bados (2005) specific phobias can develop in people who do not have a predisposing condition, but who have some previous negative experience (direct or indirect), which generate intense warning reactions. In the specific case of rainfall phobia, fear may be justified by previous experiences related to storms, architectural collapses, floods and other natural disasters.

Thus, specific phobias are produced by an interaction of these experiences with other conditions such as the biological, psychological and social vulnerability of the person. That is, involves both the neurobiological susceptibility and the coping skills and social support of the person.

In addition, depending on the particular characteristics of the interaction mentioned above, the person may learn to respond with disproportionate fear to the stimuli he or she has associated with a danger or risk.

Treatment

In light of the above, treatment of this phobia can begin by assessing both the degree of anxiety caused by the stimulus, and the associated negative experiences and types of vulnerability of each person.

The treatments that have been most researched and used to eradicate phobias are live exposure to the feared situations, the participating model, imaginal exposure , systematic desensitization and reprocessing through eye movements. Each of these interventions can have effective results depending on the particular characteristics of the phobia being treated.

Bibliographic references:

  • Olesen, J. (2018). Fear of Rain Phobia – Ombrophobia. Fearof.net. Retrieved 07 September 2018. Available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GSzxHXnMzgala01LCZLVey9oGuAqDPB9Wx_NtzR6RiI/edit#.
  • Ombrophobia: the strange evil that makes people afraid of rain (2011) Publimetro. Recovered September 7, 2018. Available at https://www.publimetro.cl/cl/ciencia/2011/12/10/ombrofobia-extrano-mal-que-que-personas-tengan-miedo-lluvia.html.
  • Bados, A. (2006). Specific phobias. Faculty of Psychology. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Retrieved 07 September 2018. Available at http://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/360/1/113.pdf.