Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is a fear or phobia of long words. When someone feels fear, shame or ridicule for mispronouncing long words may cause anxiety or distress. This phobia is also known as sesquipedalophobia, this word is based on a Latin term that means “long word.” Understanding this phobia can help you overcome it and make your daily life easy. It is the longest word in the dictionary.
When hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia includes reading aloud or using long words in front of other people, it is considered a type of social phobia. The fear of long words is very common. This phobia can cause a person to avoid social groups or events.
The American Psychiatric Association doesn’t officially admit this phobia. Instead, it is reviewed as a social phobia. However, health consults use the method to treat the phobia called the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
According To DSM-5 Criteria For Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia Include
- A phobia or anxiety about social situations where a person may be investigated, like having a conversation or meeting new people.
- The fear or phobia is disproportionate to the social situation.
- Fear or phobia is resolute and the social situation is excessively avoided.
- The fear, phobia, or anxiety causes clinical distress.
What Are The Symptoms?
If you’re feeling this phobia and come across a long word, it might cause anxiety and fear of shame. If you’re facing this problem, then you should avoid reading these long words in front of others because that may cause you to panic. You may feel embarrassed when reading or pronouncing these long words.
Symptoms Of Phobia Of Long Words May Include
- Trembling
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Trouble breathing
- Pronouncing or reading avoidance
- Feeling distressed
- Discomfort
There Are Also More General Fear Symptoms That You Could Watch Out For, Including
- Being aware that your fear is unnecessary, but feeling powerless to control your fear.
- Facing troubles to function as you normally would because of your fear.
- Feeling nauseated
What Causes The Fear Of Long Words?
The causes of Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia are not clear. However, there are some risk factors and causes that are seen most common in these types of phobias. These may include:
Past Negative Event: If someone faced a bad experience of learning or pronouncing a long word then they may panic when they see the long word again. Some people experience traumatic or stressful situations that may cause social phobia in their minds.
Environment: People who have a medical history of such phobia, anxiety or any other mental disorder may have more chances of developing the social phobia.
Brain Functions: According to the research, changes in the brain’s activity may also increase the chances of developing such a phobia.
Environment: This phobia may also develop through learned behaviours, such as hearing about traumatic experiences or negative experiences about such phobia. Some bad childhood experiences may also cause these phobias.
Personal Issues: Having issues in your family or office can also trigger your anxiety or fear. If someone is facing troubles in his/her life then it is common that they may have the phobia of reading long words.
How Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia Can Be Diagnosed?
Generally, people with this phobia don’t seek out medical help. Such people always try to avoid pronouncing or reading long words. They even don’t talk to anyone about their fear, they just choose to avoid such situations until they become unbearable.
However, You should go to a mental health expert so that you can get to know more about it and how to overcome it.
Your specialist may ask you some questions regarding your symptoms to determine whether you have Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia or other anxiety disorders. They also examine your family, medical, social, or psychiatric history. Your mental health expert will let you know about the DSM-5. According to the DSM-5 criteria, the diagnosis of Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is as follows:
- Anxiety or fear that is resolute and the social situation is excessive to stay away from.
- Fear, anxiety, discomfort, or avoidance that causes clinical distress.
- Resolute, intense fear or anxiety regarding specific social situations because you think you may be embarrassed, judged negatively, or humiliated.
- Uncontrolled anxiety that’s out of proportion to the situation.
- Anxiety or fear that troubles with your daily living.
What Are The Treatment Options For Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?
There are some treatment options available to help treat or decrease the phobia. The treatment depends on your severity of symptoms or your specific diagnosis. Some treatment options to treat your phobia of long words may include:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): This therapy is a type of psychotherapy. It can help to get over your developed symptoms due to phobia. It involves determining the harmful or unhealthy thinking and behaviour patterns and helps change them into healthy ones.
Exposure Therapy: This therapy can be effective in decreasing your fear and anxiety. However, it involves desensitization and helps you develop the confidence to handle the traumatic situations and ease your anxiety or fear.
Medication: It’s now always necessary to take medications for your mental issues, some drugs can help you manage your symptoms of social phobia.
Self-care is another way to help yourself to fight with your fear or anxiety. Things you can do yourself to help, include:
Talking to a trusted friend: Opening up with someone you trust is always good it will make you feel comfort, light and support. They’ll also help you to get over this phobia.
Get enough sleep: Sometimes, lack of sleep may also cause this type of phobia, a good sleep will help you feel fresh and get over your fear.
Meditation: We all know meditation is the solution to many of our mental issues. This will help you to get over your phobia of long words.
Avoiding Nicotine, coffee, alcohol, and sugar: These substances can make your anxiety or fear worse, so try to avoid intake of these things.
Coping With Hippopotomonstro-Sesquipedaliophobia
Living with a fear or phobia can make your daily life difficult. However, look out for medical help to reduce your fear and anxiety, and also find activities that help you decrease the severity of symptoms. Some ways that can help you deal with your fear of long words include:
Breaking long words into smaller: when you come across long words that can’t able to read or pronouns, it will help to split them into smaller words. For example, the fear of reading long words can be split into hippo photo mon stro ses quip peda lio phobia.
Taking your time: If you’re feeling anxious when you see the long word, just take a deep breath and take your time. There is no need to rush, and slowly read the word and break it into smaller ones and then pronouns.
Use Substitute words: Relax, just replace the word with the shorter ones. For example, use a limo for a limousine, a fridge for a refrigerator, a lab for a laboratory, and rea hab for rehabilitation.
Using technology: When we’ve many smart technologies then why feel fear? Take advantage of smartphones, computers, or other technologies. The technology will read the word aloud or provide phonetic pronunciations to help you learn it.
Conclusion
Most of the people start living with their phobia without even trying to treat it. However, with good treatment, you can get over these types of phobias early. If you also experiencing the fear of long words or any other fear that is disturbing your daily life, seek out medical help immediately.
Punit