2023-12-21 08:00:48
According to a survey carried out in France in 2022, 40% of women and 25% of men would be anxious regarding the end-of-year holiday period. An anxiety which, for some people, can become a real phobia, natalophobia. A few days before Christmas, Health On the Net looked into this seasonal phobia.
What is natalophobia?
Phobias belong to the family of anxiety disorders. The phobic subject is unable to resist the irrepressible need to avoid the object of his fear. Multiple phobias are described: arachnophobia for spiders, agoraphobia for crowds, acrophobia for high places, etc. On the long list of phobias, one of them is seasonal and associated with the end of year holidays, Natalophobia or Christmas phobia.
For natalophobic subjects, the arrival of December marks the start of a complicated period, before a return to normal life in January. While the majority of children and adults rejoice in this festive period, natalophobes experience the end-of-year holidays as a chore and can do everything possible to avoid it. As with other phobias, natalophobia is generally benign, except when it forces the phobic person to restrict their activities by impacting their quality of life.
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From the stress of preparing for the holidays to natalophobia
In the context of natalophobia, these severe forms of phobia are expressed by the refusal to celebrate Christmas and the New Year, often with a significant withdrawal into oneself during this period usually considered friendly. The arrival of these festivities is associated for natalophobes with a source de stress, anxiety or even depressive symptoms, which can lead to psychosomatic signs (pain, sleep disturbances, heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, etc.). How to explain such a phobia? For some specialists, natalophobia arises from the constraints and pressure exerted by this holiday period:
Finding Christmas gifts, obtaining them and financing their purchase (organizational and financial stress); Organize New Year’s Eve parties; Do the shopping and prepare holiday meals; Managing family reunions, sometimes with tensions or angry subjects.
Another aspect, temporality. Christmas comes at the very end of the year, when the days are shortest, when winter begins. A season which does not make everyone smile and which can also revive certain childhood memories, a complicated family past or difficult periods in life. Christmas is sometimes seen by natalophobes as the end of a cycle, with a form of end-of-year review, which is not always very peaceful.
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Don’t hesitate to ask for help
In the majority of cases, natalophobes have moderate symptoms. They prefer to avoid large tables, prolonged meals and multiple festivities. As long as this phobia does not isolate them socially and family-wise, they can adapt this period to their wishes. After all, there’s no obligation to celebrate Christmas and New Years with the whole family, around a meal prepared days or hours in advance. The natalophobe can opt for more simplicity and thus calm his anxieties. On the financial side too, it is not obligatory to see the big picture. A reasonably priced Christmas is also possible.
But in certain cases, natalophobia, like other phobias, can become problematic on a personal but also family level. Talking regarding it with a professional (doctor, psychologist) is recommended to find solutions together to feel better during the end-of-year holidays. : psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation and meditation techniques, even drug treatment… solutions exist. People suffering from depression may also be more vulnerable during this time. Watch out for signs of relapse or worsening of symptoms. In summary, to fight once morest Christmasphobia, you must try not to put pressure on yourself for the holidays, choose festivities adapted to your desires and not hesitate to consult if necessary.
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Estelle B., Doctor of Pharmacy
Sources
-Who are the natalophobes, these people who suffer from a phobia of Christmas. www.ina.fr. Accessed December 4, 2023.
– Natalophobia: they hate Christmas.www.psychologies.com. Accessed December 4, 2023.
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#Natalophobia #Christmas #phobia
