Tachophobia - Meaning, Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Test

Tachophobia, also known as tacophobia, is characterized as an abnormally persistent and extreme level of fear of speed during driving, biking, sitting in roller coasters, or flying. Tachophobia is derived from the Greek word tachos meaning speed and Phobos, meaning deep dread or aversion. In extreme cases, speedy talking or eating may also trigger Tachophobia.

Generally, it is irrational and Overwhelming dread of speed that triggered during an extreme level of speed. A threshold level of tacophobia is not the same for all people like some people only experience only during the extreme levels of motions, e.g., roller coasters ride, jet flying, Paragliding. While others feel it when driving, walking quickly, or doing sports activities in a fast manner like bicycling, running, or skating.

Tachophobia is common worldwide without regard to age, gender, and ethnicity. In most cases, people are aware of their speed phobia, but they don't seek any medical attention rather than that they prefer to avoid such speedy motion activities that trigger tachophobia. If you are having difficulties in performing your routine activities like driving due to speed phobia, then you need to seek medical attention without any delay.

Contents

  • Tachophobia Meaning
  • Tachophobia Definition
  • Tachophobia Symptoms
  • Tachophobia Causes
  • Tachophobia Treatment 
  • Tachophobia Test
  • How to overcome Tachophobia

Tachophobia Meaning


Tachophobia (misspelled as tacophobia) derived from Greek word tachos meaning speed and Phobos meaning deep dread or fear. In general, it is termed as fear of speed, but the level and threshold of fear vary from person to person.

Tachophobia - Meaning, Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Test

Tachophobia Definition


It can be defined as the abnormally persistent and extreme level of fear of speed during driving, biking, sitting in roller coasters, or flying. For some people,  it remains persistent throughout their life span while others feel it in a specific age period like in their childhood.

Tachophobia Symptoms


Tachophobia symptoms are obvious in 90% of people while 10% of people have tachophobia with some other kind of psychic problems due to which it is difficult to identify them as they are living with tachophobia. Some cardinal manifestations of tachophobia are Body shaking and trembling during the experience of high speed or in some cases even if he/she thought it shivering may get started.

Similarly seeing speedy motions or speeding vehicles on the big screen may leave you in panic attack followed by increasing heart rate, sweating, hyperventilation, palpitations. If a person is psychic or mentally disturb then symptoms might be different than regular patients like crying, nervous breakdown, temporary unconsciousness, scary shouting, etc.


Tachophobia Causes


Tachophobia is idiopathic in nature as far as its etiology is concerned. The exact underlying the mechanism behind tachophobia is still unclear to somehow but many researchers proposed that negative experience in early childhood, loss of someone who is very dear to him/her,
disturb mental state, genetically predisposed, living in a fearful environment, personality issues are strongly linked with such phobias.

In recent case studies, it is observed that people who excessively watch fast action and thrilling movies are more prone to get tachophobia at some point of their age. Similarly, living in a panic environment creates a lot of personality disorders, along with such kinds of phobias. Research is still ongoing to find out the exact underlying cause of this phobia or aggravating factors that play a key role in these phobias.

Tachophobia Treatment 


There is no single magic bullet to treat such kinds of phobias, but with the help of certain therapies, we can manage these phobias. Recent studies revealed that people suffering from certain phobias respond very well to exposure therapy. In certain case your health care provider may recommend you some anti-psychotic medications along with these therapies to increase response out, focus
and overall results of the treatment.

Basic aim of treatment is to restore routine patient activities like driving, bicycling, sports activities, walking, etc. Patient compliance is the key to making treatment successful so, all you need is to co-operate with you health care providers at maximum level in order to get rid of tachophobia completely.

Psychotherapy


Spending time with mental health professional provide you a lot of energy to manage your phobia very efficiently. There are two kinds of psychotherapies more commonly utilized for such phobias.

  • Exposure therapy
The basic aim of this therapy is to change patient response towards certain phobia. In this therapy, your health care provider may give you some instructions or tips to manage such a situation that won't let you feel fear from speed in case of tachophobia.  With the passage of time, your health care provider may dramatically expose you to such events, things, or incidents that trigger your fear or phobia. Exposure therapy may take 6 months or a year, but its results are magical as recent case studies revealed it.

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)  

CBT or Cognitive behavioral therapy is another kind of mental therapy, your health care provider utilizes multiple methods to restore patients' routine activities. These methods include Q&A sessions, behavioral aversion, situation management skills, exposure therapy and few anti-psychotic medications to increase patient focus.

Pharmacological Treatment


Pharmacological treatment as a stand-alone therapy does not provide effective treatment unless it is combined with exposure therapy or Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Moreover, pharmacological treatment poses certain adverse effects like the risk of addiction, lethargy, vertigo, inability to perform motor functions. Pharmacological treatment includes administration of beta blockers to reduce anxiety episodes and atypical or typical anti-psychotics to create a balance between certain neurotransmitters.

Tachophobia Test


As far as neurological examination is concerned, there is no fixed test for tachophobia, but your health care provider performs some special neurological tests to rule out any other underlying disease. These tests are divided into four types, e.g., Cognitive assessment, motor function tests, radiographic scanning, and electrophysiological tests. If your physician may feel necessary to rule out some other possible complications, then you must recommend you have these tests.

Cognitive Assessment Test


In this test, a patient visits mental health professionals for a short period of time for evaluation of cognitive functions and mental activity. This test is very important if patients have some kind of cognitive impairment or mental activity disorder. During a visit to a mental health professional, he may conduct a small Q&A session, may give you a task that requires mental skills or simply
ask you to fill questionnaires. During this visit, he may also conduct a mental examination with the help of different medical types of equipment.

Motor Function Test


MFT or Motor Function Test is used to evaluate the neuronal activity of the central nervous system, learning abilities like memorizing capacity. These tests are also conducted to examine reasoning capacity, logical thinking gauge, ability to recall events.  These tests include the visual-motor functions test, lateralization, executive function test, pattern recognition test, language ability test

Radiographic Scanning


Radiographic scanning is used to evaluate internal structures of the central nervous system to rule out deformity in neuronal structures. These tests include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test, computerized tomography (CT-Scan) test

Electrophysiological tests


Electrophysiological tests are used to evaluate patterns of mental activity of the cerebral area. These tests include electroencephalograph (EEG) etc.

How to overcome Tachophobia


  • Face your Phobia
It is better to face your phobia with courage rather than to just think in your mind with negative feelings about it. This practice will create courage and energy in you to face your fears.
  • Don't hesitate to talk about your fears.
Do not hesitate to talk about your fears because talking with others may give you some space to fight with it, and you may get some valuable tips from your loving ones on how to overcome it.
  • Increase your self-esteem
To cope with your phobias, you must have high self-esteem. It will give you enough strength to fight with it and to live with it.
  • Follow positive attitude
Put your energy and attitude in the right direction. Negative feelings may provoke your phobia to somehow so, always be positive.
  • Put your focus on practical work.
Don't live in a world of fantasies. Try to be practical because practical work will give confidence that it is very necessary to overcome your fears.
Tachophobia - Meaning, Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Test Tachophobia - Meaning, Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Test Reviewed by Simon Albert on June 07, 2020 Rating: 5
Powered by Blogger.