Graphophobia

Graphophobia is defined as the fear of writing. Writing is a very common thing that everyone is taught and has a habit of doing. A person’s life will become difficult without learning how to write. Now imagine the life of a person suffering from a fear of writing. This can adversely affect his academic and occupational life. Often people suffering from this fail to even develop the skill of gripping a pencil to write. Though there are therapies for it, the fear to write may persist. Often yoga and meditation are recommended to patients suffering from any kind of phobia or anxiety disorder. 

Graphophobia

Graphophobia is a phobia where people avoid writing and is very similar to Scriptophobia which is the fear of writing in public. People suffering from this disease can experience panic attacks even at the thought of writing. The extent of this fear can be to a level where the person even refuses to sign a paper. Often people suffering from this try to avoid their fear, but it only worsens their situation and symptoms.

Causes

The exact cause of the fear of writing is unclear, but there can be many reasons behind developing such a fear. Some of them are genetics, environment, traumatic experience, and many more.

• Genetics- It is often believed that genes play an essential role in developing such fear in a person. For example, suppose a person has a family history of anxiety disorders or specific phobias. In that case, their offspring have a high chance of developing any phobia.
• Environment- the environment in which the person has spent his childhood plays a significant role in developing this kind of fear. Any traumatic incident can lead to the onset of this fear or can even bring it to the suffering or worsen its symptoms. If someone already has a genetic history of phobia, then even the slightest traumatic incident can worsen their situation. Any fear can lower that person’s self-esteem, and so is the case with this phobia of writing.

Symptoms

Any person suffering from anxiety disorders can develop graphophobia. People can develop anxiety by seeing another person writing or merely thinking about writing. The worst part is that trying to avoid these symptoms can worsen the person’s situation.

Physical symptoms

These symptoms are severe and can occur without any notice.

• Hot flashes
• Headache
• Nausea
• Sweat
• Breathlessness
• Choking sensation
• Rapid heartbeat
• Dizziness
• Ringing in ears
• Increased blood pressure
• Dry mouth and throat
• Muscle tension

Psychological symptoms

These symptoms are experienced during a panic attack by a person suffering from graphophobia.

• Fear of being involved in some academic work
• Feeling of Dread
• Fear of losing control
• Self-blame
• Low-esteem
• Hopelessness feeling
• Feeling disconnected from everything
• Confusion
• Lack of concentration
• Extreme anger
• Mood swings
• Incapability to enjoy the company of friends and colleagues
• Fear of self-harm
• Fear of holding a pencil, pen, or any writing tool

Treatment

There are different ways of treating people who have this phobia.

• Exposure therapy- A therapist exposes people to their fear slowly and gradually over a while. In this situation, the patient is initially made to write words on a white paper and then progressively made to write lines; the therapy proceeds in this way. Here, the patients are exposed to their fear to desensitise them from it.
• Cognitive behaviour therapy- It is standard for treating patients with anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Here, the therapist helps the patients discover their fear and the cause of their behaviour. Like in this case, the patient is asked about the reason and made to think about why they have a fear of writing.
• Medicines- When the patient’s condition is out of control, anti-anxiety drugs and anti-depressants are often given to the patients to reduce their suffering.
• Meditation and Yoga- Meditation and yoga are beneficial for anyone who has any phobia as they help in relaxing the mind and improving thoughts.

Conclusion

Graphophobia is the phobia of writing where the patient fails to sign a piece of paper under extreme conditions. The exact cause of this fear is unknown, but genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a crucial role in the onset and development of this fear. A family history of anxiety disorder and traumatic childhood can lead to such phobias. The common symptoms are anxiety, panic attack, fear of embarrassment, nausea, and many more. Different treatment methods include therapies, meditation, and yoga; in severe conditions, medicines are also given to the patients.