Butterflies can be wonderful, but many people have a phobia of this insect. butterfly fear and how it can affect the lives of those who carry it.

When the fear of butterflies is chronic

First of all, the fear of butterflies is not so strange, for as much as the arts want to make these animals an object of adoration, they are still a kind of insect, which with their flight can suggest a certain danger. Not to mention the repulsion it can produce when touching it.

On the other hand, animals are the object of phobias, and we know, above all, that fear of spiders that is talked about so much. But there are more animals, such as butterflies or moths, that can develop fear in people. This is called motophobia.

Mothphobia or butterfly phobia

Motephobia is the A phobia of butterflies or moths. In general, the species are called Lepidoptera. There is such a well-known person as Nicole Kidman who has claimed to suffer from this disorder. Also, the person with motophobia has a real panic of these creatures that for some are still adorable.

Moteophobia or metophobia

First of all, there is always a confusion in how to write this phobia, which is the fear of butterflies or moths, something that can lead the individual to even avoid leaving the house.

In this case Motephobia is written with the vowel "o", but people often write with "e", a grammatical error that is called orthoepia, which is very common, when the letter is changed places.

Problems that motrophobia does to a person

If you suffer from motophobia, you will have problems as soon as you see a butterfly or a moth. If you see it in the living room, you will not dare to leave the room. After all, it is the avoidance behavior that occurs in all phobias and that, depending on the stimulus, can cause many problems in your daily life.

Besides having to avoid butterflies or moths, and all that entails, people with motophobia suffer from the usual anxiety symptoms, such as:

• tachycardia;
• dizziness;
• feeling of unreality;
• and even panic attacks.

But why does motophobia develop?

If one can understand that rejection of spiders becomes a phobia by adding an anxiety disorder, it is not difficult to imagine that the cause is the same in the case of butterflies.

Anxiety generates fear, irrational and excessive fear. In this case, the stimulus is these animals. Likewise, it is not ruled out, as is the case with most phobias, to have had a traumatic experience as a trigger for the phobia.

It is certain that you were not attacked by a butterfly in your childhood, but perhaps you experienced an unpleasant moment in the countryside, with a strong negative emotional charge, and the role of this animal has been engraved in your memory.

Causes and therapies for butterfly fear

It is ideal to treat phobias even if they don't condition you too much in everyday life, because the appearance of a phobia indicates an emotional disturbance that can lead to problems such as de:

• anxiety;
• obsessive-compulsive disorder;
• or even depression.

In other words, the most effective treatment to overcome a phobia is cognitive-behavioral therapy, which works on both the thinking that causes the fear and the behavior.

As well, in the case of fear of butterflies, the therapy of gradual exposure to the stimulus that causes fear is convenient, and of course, all treatment must be accompanied by relaxation techniques.

Cause of butterfly fear

Beforehand, finding the exact reason that causes this phobic disorder in people is not an easy task. However, like most irrational fears, several causes can be established as a starting point.

Among which are the following:

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• experiences are proven, that the origin of this condition develops mainly during childhood or even during the gestation period;
• associate this event with a threat that poses a danger to the person's life;
• A common cause related to the development of phobias is induction, so people who have had an allergic reaction to a butterfly or moth will be more susceptible to motophobia.

Therapies to control butterfly fear

At first glance, motrophobia can be a difficult condition for a person to control, who may experience unpleasant situations in public. Nevertheless, the most common methods for treating this phobia include:

• Exposed therapy:

This method is very effective in eliminating a person's fear. It consists of desensitizing the fear through direct, gradual exposure sessions to butterflies or moths, so that the patient becomes familiar with the insects and loses the fear they cause.

This is why it is a therapy that requires a lot of perseverance and, if done in the right way, can help the patient to control his or her fears.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy:

The basis of this technique is the restoration of negative thinking in relation to the cause that generates the disorder. In this case, the emotions and thoughts in relation to the butterflies are modified through relaxation and grief tolerance techniques.

• Medications for motrophobia:

It is rare for doctors to apply this option to indicate medication for the phobia. Instead, it is recommended only in extreme cases, where the disorder is severe and the patient suffers panic or anxiety attacks.

Importance of knowing the cause of motrophobia or fear of butterflies

Nevertheless, this phobia is a disorder that does not have the same importance as other more common ones, such as claustrophobia or acrophobia. However, it is a behavior that represents a problem both for the victim and for close relatives, who cannot understand the fear caused by moths and butterflies. That is why it is important to know its causes.

Psychology of Myophobia or Butterfly Phobia

There is a theory that is not proven by the scientific community, but that associates this phobia with femininity, which considers effeminate women and men to be the most likely to suffer from this disorder.

Symptomatic responses to butterfly fear

Among the most common symptomatic responses are:

Stress

In this case, an occasional butterfly or moth can cause stressful behavior in the person with motophobia.

Anxiety

It is an anticipated emotional condition when faced with external stimuli, such as butterflies. This behavior can be very intense and prolonged. In these cases, it is best to control it through treatment.

Panic

It consists of a physical and emotional change in the person's behavior in situations that he or she cannot control. Whereas for people with motrophobia, panic attacks can happen anywhere in an unexpected way.

Tachycardia

Caused by an increase in the heart rate, this symptom puts the body on alert for a dangerous situation. Thus, the mere presence of a flying butterfly can trigger an episode of tachycardia.

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Instantaneous or temporary paralysis

The person's mobility is limited by the fear that the phobic disorder induces in butterflies. This neutral reaction is a behavior that can be observed in people with a fear of moths.

Final considerations

In short, the fear of butterflies has several stages, and often the case can get worse and lead the person to be treated with medication. This phobia directly affects the person's social relations and results in him/her not wanting to leave the house.

If you liked the article we made especially for you about fear of butterflies, we invite you to enroll in our online course on clinical psychoanalysis, to learn more about these and other fears that can impact your life and the lives of others.