Much is said today about telephone addiction (nomaphobia) and how many people have become so accustomed to their use that they are unable to live without them. Mobile phones accompany us everywhere, and with technological advances and the appearance of smartphones, they are like having a small computer in our pocket. Even though these devices are addictive, they are really useful.

However, there are individuals who do not enjoy the benefits of having a mobile device and suffer from what is known as phonophobia , that is, irrational fear of telephones, either mobile or fixed. In this article we will talk about this phobic disorder and go into detail about its causes, symptoms and consequences.

The importance of telephones in our lives

Phones allow us to communicate with people who are far away from us. They are an indispensable tool for our daily life and for many jobs, so they are considered one of the most important inventions in the history of mankind. For many years it was thought that the creator of this device was Alexander Graham Bell, along with Elisha Gray, but in reality, he only patented it. The inventor of the telephone was Antonio Meucci .

Since then, the phone evolved and gave way to mobile phones and later to smartphones, from which it is not only possible to talk, but also to connect to the internet, and therefore, to social networks, to different “apps” and different websites where it is possible to make purchases, make transactions and many more functions.

It is clear that we can live without mobile phones, but nobody doubts that they are really useful

Telephonophobia: what is it?

Not everyone enjoys the benefits of mobile phones, as some individuals suffer from a condition called phonophobia, which is an irrational fear of phones. These pathologies, according to the DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), belong to anxiety disorders.

Telephonophobia is a specific phobia, and therefore an irrational fear of certain objects or situations . Some specific phobic stimuli are spiders, injections or snakes.

Specific phobias are known as simple phobias. However, there are other types of phobic disorders that are considered complex: social phobia and agoraphobia.

  • You can learn more about these types of phobias in our article: “Types of Phobias: Exploring Fear Disorders”

Phobias and their development by classical conditioning

Phobias are frequent phenomena, and many patients seek psychological therapy to treat them. Fear is a feeling that we all experience, and it is relatively common to feel uneasy and afraid of something. However, in some cases, these fears are truly irrational, so it is necessary to seek professional help.

Phobias develop due to a type of associative learning called classical conditioning , which occurs when a person experiences a traumatic event and associates the phobic stimuli with this event. Classical conditioning was first investigated by a Russian physiologist named Ivan Pavlov, but the first to conduct experiments with humans was John B. Watson.

  • We invite you to learn more about this concept in our article: “Classic conditioning and its most important experiments”

Other causes of phobias

However, phobias can not only be learned by direct experience, but also by observation, it is what is known as vicarious conditioning, a type of learning is similar to modeling and imitation, but it is not the same. In our article “Vicar Conditioning: How This Type of Learning Works” we explain this in detail.

As you can see, phobias are learned, although some theorists think that there is a genetic origin and that phobias are hereditary . Although this option is increasingly being ruled out, experts think that we are biologically predisposed to fearing certain stimuli, since fear is an adaptive emotion that provokes the fight-flight response, which has been key in the survival of the human species. This would explain why fears do not respond well to logical arguments, since they are formed by primitive and non-cognitive associations.

Symptomatology

The symptomatology is common to all phobic disorders, since the only thing that varies is the stimulus that causes it . As it is an anxiety disorder, this is its main symptom, together with fear and discomfort, which provokes an avoidance response, which has to do with the fight-or-flight response to dangerous situations. The discomfort and anxiety are so great that the phobic wants to get out of the situation as soon as possible to reduce the symptoms.

These symptoms occur at three levels: cognitive, behavioral, and physical. Cognitive symptoms include fear and anxiety in front of mobile phones, as well as distress, confusion, lack of concentration, irrational thoughts, etc. Avoidance of any situation where the person can visualize having a mobile phone nearby is their main behavioural symptom. Physical symptoms include: rapid pulse, hyperventilation, stomach pain and nausea, choking sensation, dry mouth, etc.

Treatment

Phobias are disorders that cause great discomfort but are treatable and with some success. In fact, research states that there is a high success rate when a patient goes to psychological therapy and is treated with cognitive behavioral therapy. This form of therapy includes different techniques, and relaxation techniques and exposure to phobic stimulation, either through imagination or live, are especially helpful in overcoming phobias.

In fact, one widely used technique that encompasses the above is automatic desensitization, a technique developed by Joseph Wolpe in 1958, which aims to expose the patient to phobic stimuli gradually while teaching coping skills (particularly relaxation techniques).

  • Therefore, this technique consists of 4 phases, which you can find detailed in our article “What is systematic desensitization and how does it work?

However, other forms of therapy that have proven to be very useful for anxiety disorders in general are now also used. These are Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MCBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). In addition to psychological therapy, drugs can also be used in extreme phobias, but always in combination with psychotherapy.