Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is It?SymptomsDiagnosisCausesTreatmentCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is It?
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Causes
Treatment
Coping
Phasmophobiais a persistent and intense fear of ghosts. People with phasmophobia might know that theiranxietyis unfounded. Still, they can’t control their fear, which can cause significant distress.
Read on to learn more about phasmophobia, including its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
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What Does Phasmophobia Mean?
Phasmophobia is an intense, persistent fear of ghosts. According to the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM-5), phasmophobia is classified as aspecific phobia. These phobias fall under the broader category ofanxiety disorders.
How Common Is Phasmophobia?Specific phobias are fairly common anxiety disorders. In fact, around 12.5% of adults in the United States will experience a specific phobia in their lifetime. They’re more common in women than in men.
How Common Is Phasmophobia?
Specific phobias are fairly common anxiety disorders. In fact, around 12.5% of adults in the United States will experience a specific phobia in their lifetime. They’re more common in women than in men.
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What Are the Symptoms of Phasmophobia?
Someone with phasmophobia will experience intense anxiety and fear when exposed to images or ideas related to ghosts or the supernatural. This might lead to symptoms ofanxiety, including:
How Phasmophobia Affects Daily Life
For some people, this type of phobia can interfere with day-to-day life. Persons with a fear of ghosts may:
What’s the difference between phasmophobia vs. thanatophobia?Phasmophobia refers to a fear of ghosts, whereasthanatophobiarefers to a fear of death or dying.
What’s the difference between phasmophobia vs. thanatophobia?
Phasmophobia refers to a fear of ghosts, whereasthanatophobiarefers to a fear of death or dying.
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How Is Phasmophobia Diagnosed?
Phasmophobia isn’t a diagnosis in the DSM-5. Instead, your healthcare provider can diagnose you using the criteria for a specific phobia. They may ask you questions about how often you experience an intense fear of ghosts and how that fear affects your daily life.
To qualify as a phobia (rather than a temporary or situational fear), someone’s fear of ghosts must meet the following criteria, according to the DSM-5:
Other ConditionsBefore a formal diagnosis, your healthcare provider will likely want to rule out other possible health conditions that could be mistaken for phasmophobia. These could include conditions such asdementia, some forms ofepilepsy,psychosis, nocturnal panic attacks, and other phobias.
Other Conditions
Before a formal diagnosis, your healthcare provider will likely want to rule out other possible health conditions that could be mistaken for phasmophobia. These could include conditions such asdementia, some forms ofepilepsy,psychosis, nocturnal panic attacks, and other phobias.
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What Are the Causes of Phasmophobia?
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How Is Phasmophobia Treated?
Some people with specific phobias, such as a fear of ghosts, feel embarrassed about their condition and avoid treatment. But there’s effective treatment available for phasmophobia and its related avoidance behaviors.
These are the three main approaches to treatment for phasmophobia and other specific phobias:
What Is a Mental Illness?
Outside of formal treatment, there are a few techniques you can do on your own to help manage the symptoms of the specific phobia or other anxiety disorder. They include:
Summary
Phasmophobia is an intense, persistent fear of ghosts. It’s a specific phobia under the larger umbrella of anxiety disorders, according to the DSM-5.
Many people don’t seek help for their specific phobia, such as a fear of ghosts, out of a sense of shame. However, phasmophobia and other specific phobias can be treated effectively, usually with exposure therapy or CBT.
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What Is Phasmophobia (Fear of Ghosts) and How to Cope?
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Table 3.11, DSM-IV to DSM-5 specific phobia comparison.National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.de Oliveira-Souza R.Phobia of the supernatural: A distinct but poorly recognized specific phobia with an adverse impact on daily living.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:590. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00590de Oliveira-Souza R.Phobia of the supernatural: a distinct but poorly recognized specific phobia with an adverse impact on daily living.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:590. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00590APA Dictionary.Thanatophobia.Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.Specific phobias.Van Houtem CM, Laine ML, Boomsma DI, Lighthart L, van Wijk AJ, De Jongh A.A review and meta-analysis of the heritability of specific phobia subtypes and corresponding fears.J Anxiety Disord. 2013;27(4):379-388. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.04.007APA Dictionary.Magical thinking.Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-XMSD Manual.Specific phobic disorders.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Table 3.11, DSM-IV to DSM-5 specific phobia comparison.National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.de Oliveira-Souza R.Phobia of the supernatural: A distinct but poorly recognized specific phobia with an adverse impact on daily living.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:590. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00590de Oliveira-Souza R.Phobia of the supernatural: a distinct but poorly recognized specific phobia with an adverse impact on daily living.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:590. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00590APA Dictionary.Thanatophobia.Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.Specific phobias.Van Houtem CM, Laine ML, Boomsma DI, Lighthart L, van Wijk AJ, De Jongh A.A review and meta-analysis of the heritability of specific phobia subtypes and corresponding fears.J Anxiety Disord. 2013;27(4):379-388. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.04.007APA Dictionary.Magical thinking.Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-XMSD Manual.Specific phobic disorders.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Table 3.11, DSM-IV to DSM-5 specific phobia comparison.National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.de Oliveira-Souza R.Phobia of the supernatural: A distinct but poorly recognized specific phobia with an adverse impact on daily living.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:590. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00590de Oliveira-Souza R.Phobia of the supernatural: a distinct but poorly recognized specific phobia with an adverse impact on daily living.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:590. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00590APA Dictionary.Thanatophobia.Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.Specific phobias.Van Houtem CM, Laine ML, Boomsma DI, Lighthart L, van Wijk AJ, De Jongh A.A review and meta-analysis of the heritability of specific phobia subtypes and corresponding fears.J Anxiety Disord. 2013;27(4):379-388. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.04.007APA Dictionary.Magical thinking.Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-XMSD Manual.Specific phobic disorders.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Table 3.11, DSM-IV to DSM-5 specific phobia comparison.
National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.
de Oliveira-Souza R.Phobia of the supernatural: A distinct but poorly recognized specific phobia with an adverse impact on daily living.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:590. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00590
de Oliveira-Souza R.Phobia of the supernatural: a distinct but poorly recognized specific phobia with an adverse impact on daily living.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:590. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00590
APA Dictionary.Thanatophobia.
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.Specific phobias.
Van Houtem CM, Laine ML, Boomsma DI, Lighthart L, van Wijk AJ, De Jongh A.A review and meta-analysis of the heritability of specific phobia subtypes and corresponding fears.J Anxiety Disord. 2013;27(4):379-388. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.04.007
APA Dictionary.Magical thinking.
Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-X
MSD Manual.Specific phobic disorders.
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