The fear of big things may seem weird because humans are literally told to dream big. However, big things may not be for everyone and may even cause life-changing damage to those who have an intense fear of them.
Megalophobia is the term used to describe the fear of large objects. The feared object, in the case of Megalophobia, can run the gamut from giant-sized ships to airplanes and gigantic animals to towering buildings and sculptures.
Megalophobia is the opposite of Megalomania, and It is different for everyone. Thankfully, there is treatment available to help you deal with this phobia.
A Look at the Full Scope of the Fear of Large Objects
If you or anyone you know experiences megalophobia, the things you or that person may be afraid of include enormous animals like elephants or whales or enormous trees such as sequoias or redwoods.
Also, the phobia may be reserved especially for massive man-made objects such as ships, planes, and blimps or stationary objects like huge sculptures, buildings, and statues.
Having an intense fear of big things can significantly limit a person’s social interactions. You must have an understanding of your phobia and get all the help that is required to overcome it.
Below is a good look at the reality behind the fear of big or large things.
Understanding the Fear of Large Objects
This phobia or irrational fear of large objects is often associated with objects or items that are larger than the real objects that they represent.
It may be a larger-than-life statue of a famous person from history or an even animal that does not conform to the typical size that humans generally associate with the species.
For people who have megalophobia, such abnormal sizes create a real feeling of fear for the animal or object, whereas other people may just be in awe at the size.
A perfect example of megalophobia is the irrational fear of gigantic animals. Mythical stories of giant squid have been passed down from generation to generation.
They have existed in folklore since the days of sailing ships. There are also legends of sailors who were lost and never found due to their encounters with the monsters of the deep.
It is quite possible that in the days before the creation of modern navigational systems, most of the ships that reportedly vanished were simply run aground or dashed against rocks.
Still, the rumors of giant monsters persisted, even though many strongly believed that the reported giant squid was only a myth.
The first real photos of a giant squid were eventually shot in 2004. In the 1950s, science fiction and comic books were huge trends, mostly among teenage boys.
It is easy to imagine how a simple obsession with a creature like the giant squid can develop into a full-blown phobia.
Even today, phobias of giant “killer” beasts persist and have been exploited in films such as Anaconda, Deep Blue Sea, and Jaws.
Treatment for Megalophobia?
While back in the ’50s, Freudian psychoanalysis and behaviorism were at their strongest, humanism and also cognitive approaches to psychotherapy had slowly begun to take hold.
In today’s world, the treatment of phobias tends to fall into at least one of a few popular categories. The most common form of treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Here, the person with megalophobia is encouraged to replace phobic thoughts with more rational thoughts, and various exposure strategies are also employed.
A psychotherapist treating a person with megalophobia may literally walk them through what they fear the most about large objects.
In the process, the therapist tries to help the patient understand rationally why their fear may be unrealistic and unfounded.
The goal afterward is to work through a more comfortable and realistic perspective of their fears and deal with situations that the phobia may have caused the person to avoid.
This can be approached via systematic desensitization, which is a more gradual collection of exposure techniques and sometimes flooding, in which the client is fast exposed to the object that is feared.
At no time during the treatment is the client placed in danger. If you have an intense fear of large objects or animals, you must seek treatment. With the right treatment, most fears or phobias can be managed or cured, but if untreated, they tend to get worse over time.
See your mental health professional or doctor develop a personalized treatment plan.
If you feel like you have megalophobia, it is in your best interest to seek help immediately.
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