The psychologist told about the symptoms of phobia before Friday the 13th

Signs of a Friday the 13th phobia may include tachycardia, lack of air, trembling, nausea, darkening of the eyes, and a person's refusal to perform important tasks on that day. Maria Galkina, a practicing psychologist and cognitive behavioral therapist, told Izvestia on February 13.

According to the expert, paraskavedekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th) and triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13) do not imply a biological or objective threat — these are classic examples of fear formed by culture. Fear arises not because of the real danger of the date, but because of the fact that a stable association is fixed in culture: "Friday + 13 = alarm."

"The roots of the fear of Friday the 13th in our country are not in ancient beliefs, but in Hollywood cinema. During the Soviet period, no one thought about this day in a mystical way, but the massive distribution of horror films fixed in people's minds a stable connection between the date and the image of impending danger," she added.

In addition, as the doctor noted, despite the fact that some phobias can be inherited, there are no direct genes for "fear of Friday the 13th." In this case, only an alarming type of reaction to a given date and cultural scenario can be transmitted.

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So, the symptoms may appear on the eve of the date or on the same day. For example, a person may deliberately refuse to do important things, meetings, trips, because "the date is not good." Or he may experience severe physical symptoms such as tachycardia, shortness of air, trembling, nausea, darkening of the eyes (symptoms of a panic attack).

In addition, another sign can be considered a person's reaction when any minor nuisance is interpreted by them as a "sign" and confirmation of an impending catastrophe.

"If fear limits the quality of life, this is a direct indicator for contacting a specialist. Different methods can work with paraskavedekatriaphobia — drug treatment, psychotherapy, methods of self—struggle (self-support) and support for loved ones," she concluded.

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