One of the “young” phobias, trypophobia, manifests itself with extremely unpleasant symptoms. Reasons for developing fear of cluster holes and methods of overcoming them

Lotus seeds (like its other parts) occupy an important place both in the national cuisine of the East and in its medicine. And not because this flower is considered sacred. Quite the opposite - the plant gained holiness thanks to its healing properties.

A few words about the plant

Although this plant is associated with Asian countries (China, Korea, India), the birthplace of the lotus is North Africa. Or rather, Egypt. It was from the banks of the Nile that the flower’s “journey” began tens of thousands of years ago.

And now you can admire the most beautiful water lilies in white, pinkish, lily shades even in Russian reservoirs. The most common habitats of the domestic lotus are in the basins of the Amur and Ussuri rivers, in the floodplains of Lake Prikhan, in the lowlands of the Araks, Kura and Zeya. The floodplain waters of the Volga and its tributaries also abound with blooming lotuses.

The lotus is such a life-loving flower that it can easily settle in a pond in a garden plot. And it will serve not only as a decorative decoration, but also as a “mini-pharmacy” for home emergency care.

Lotus seeds

After the lotus has faded, seeds begin to ripen in its box, which do not at all resemble flowers. Peeled lotus seeds look more like pine nuts. They even taste similar to them, which made it possible to use the fruits as an independent product.

Seeds of this plant have so much vitality, which are capable of germinating even after hundreds of years. This is confirmed by the nuts found by archaeologists during excavations - despite the long “preservation” (more than a thousand years), they gave excellent seedlings.

The fruits were able to survive thanks to their properties, which were actively used in the practice of ancient Greek healers. Warriors also took lotus nuts with them on campaigns, using them both as a healing agent and as a source of nutritional energy (apparently, this is how the plant spread throughout the world).

Lotus is rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements, and other beneficial components that have a beneficial effect on human health. The seeds of a plant are the part that contains genetic memory, and therefore have the most healing properties.

Lotus nuts contain a set of B vitamins and vitamin A, which are “responsible” not only for health, but also inhibit the aging process.
From chemical table The seeds contain potassium, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Macroelements are represented by metals such as iron, copper, manganese, zinc.
The amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in lotus nuts is quite balanced. The product not only saturates the body with proteins, but also triggers the mechanism for producing “ building material» cells. Seed components help break down unhealthy fats, thereby preventing the production of cholesterol.
Enzymes and flavonoids contained in lotus fruits have anti-inflammatory and restorative properties. Thanks to this, the seeds of the plant are actively used in pharmacology and cosmetology.

Scope of application

The Chinese attribute to the lotus magical properties, considering the flower a source of vital energy. To some extent, they are right - the plant (and in particular its seeds) is used to treat many diseases.

Preparations based on lotus seeds can normalize intestinal function, genitourinary system, nervous.
Eating nuts will normalize heart function and “take control” of blood pressure.
Diarrhea, bedwetting, wet dreams - and lotus fruits will help you cope with this.
Psychological factors are also subject to the action of healing nuts - their tonic and sedative properties will help cope with stress, eliminate nervous anxiety and cure insomnia.
Tibetan healers recommend preparations based on lotus seeds to be taken by people with reproductive system disorders.
The great energy power of nuts will not only raise immunity to the desired level, but will also help cancer patients cope with a terrible disease.

Lotus seeds are also considered an excellent aphrodisiac, allowing you to feel the fullness of life.

Nut-seeds are consumed internally raw and fried, and decoctions and decoctions are also made from lotus fruits. healing teas. This product can be purchased at a pharmacy and used as needed, or used as a biological supplement.

The decoction is prepared as follows. Pour 1 teaspoon of seeds into a glass of water and boil (over low heat) for about 5 minutes. Leave to brew for an hour and filter. Use the decoction before meals, drinking half a glass for any of the problems described above.
This drink can be prepared with herbs suitable for treating a particular ailment. Then the number of seeds should be halved, and herbs should be added in a 1:1 ratio.
To treat diarrhea, a decoction is prepared according to a different recipe. IN warm water Soak a tablespoon of seeds and leave for several hours. Then add a spoonful of sugar and boil until the nuts are soft enough. When consumed, the decoction can be tinted with tea - per glass medicinal composition 5 g tea drink.
Wet dreams are treated with a mixture of powders taken in equal proportions– 1 g of lotus and pahina seeds per glass of water. Drink the drink 2 times a day until the problem is completely resolved.
When treating nervous diseases, you can enhance the effects of the medications used by adding a few crushed lotus nuts to them. This will help relieve nervous tension, relieve insomnia and depression.
A delicious porridge with the addition of lotus nuts it will improve memory and sharpen vision and hearing. It is cooked from non-glutinous rice - for half a kilo of cereal, take 20 g of crushed seeds. Seasonings can be added to improve the taste. If you serve such a side dish daily with vegetable, meat and fish dishes, after 7-10 days you can see positive changes.

Recipes for using lotus seeds can be listed for a long time, but any of the preparations should be used only after consultation with a doctor.

Contraindications

Diseases for which it is contraindicated to consume the seeds of this plant are not covered by medicine. But a number of points that should be paid attention to are still present.

There are people in the world who are allergic to all types of nuts. Or rather, the oily components they contain. And lotus fruits are no exception.
The seeds have a binding effect and are contraindicated for constipation.
Since lotus preparations have an effect on libido, pregnant women should avoid taking the seeds so as not to provoke uterine tone (and this already threatens miscarriage).
Due to the impact on reproductive system, it is not recommended for children to take nuts raw (and therefore for nursing mothers).

In conclusion

You should not wait for an occasion such as illness to eat lotus nuts. They can be actively entered into the menu healthy person, adding to vegetable salads or other dishes.

Peeled, fried kernels with sugar will appeal to children (but in moderation). And for adults, you can prepare an aromatic invigorating drink called coffee from lotus seeds ground into powder.

Clusters of small holes in organic objects, such as lotus seeds or bubbles in dough, can cause nervous tremors, itchy skin, nausea and general feeling discomfort. An article written by Wilkins and Cole describes that the reaction is based on the brain's response to associations that associate shapes with danger.

Researchers Arnold Wilkins and Jeff Cole argue that the first scientific research Trypophobia indicates that the reaction is likely based on biological disgust rather than fear. Some modern scientists believe that trypophobia is imprinted in the genetic memory of people and is, so to speak, an evolutionary relic. This is an echo of the times when prehistoric people lived in wildlife. It is extremely difficult, sometimes even impossible, to explain its occurrence in each individual case.

Beneficial properties of lotus seeds

The cultural factor is the customs, views, opinions, stereotypes and clichés that exist in certain social groups, national communities. Depending on the situations experienced by a person, trypophobia may manifest itself with his entry into one or another age period- adolescence, youth, maturity, old age.

IN in rare cases, trypophobia takes on a very severe form, in which the patient periodically experiences convulsions, fits, and spasms. In this case, intensive drug treatment is carried out using anticonvulsants, sedatives, anti-inflammatory drugs. medicines. Trypophobia is a panicky fear of open holes, holes, skin abscesses, etc.

In a state of phobia, a person experiences uncontrollable strong fear in relation to any object, action or living organism. Trypophobia on the skin is expressed as allergic reactions, redness or paleness, increased sweating. With this phobia, the heartbeat quickens, tremors appear in the limbs, and breathing is sometimes difficult. Trypophobia on the skin can manifest itself in the form of bright spots from emotional stress.

Cultural factors in the emergence of trypophobia are views, opinions and phenomena that arise in certain cultural groups or national associations. In some cases, this phobia may manifest itself in a certain social situation.

Often this phobia manifests itself in the form of an uncontrollable surge of fear, obsession, general nervousness and a gag reflex. If necessary, during the treatment of trypophobia, antiallergic and sedatives. Found an error in the text? Each of us from time to time is faced with the fact that other people need immediate assistance. Beautiful, gentle, passionate and at the same time windy, impetuous, and nervous.

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Trypophobia (also fear of cluster holes) - the term was coined in 2004, a combination of the Greek trypo (punching, drilling or boring holes) and phobia. Lotus is one of the most ancient flowers on Earth. This plant is adapted to live in water. In Latin, “lotio” means bathing, washing. Vishnu, the demiurge of the universe, holds a lotus in one of his four hands. “Lotus Goddesses” are depicted with a lotus flower in their hair.

Lotus preparations are used as a tonic, cardiotonic, tonic. Therefore, many Indian gods were traditionally depicted standing or sitting on a lotus or holding a lotus flower in their hand. Buddha sits on a lotus and Brahma rests. Heine dedicated one of his lyrical poems to this original plant and called it “Lotus.” In China, the lotus was revered as a sacred plant even before the spread of Buddhism.

Sometimes human fears take on truly bizarre forms. An example of this unusual fear is trypophobia. Of course, trypophobia is much more than just an ordinary fear. The word phobia itself means that this fear is uncontrollable, very intense, and in fact it destroys the life of the person suffering from the phobia. There are still ongoing discussions in medicine about whether everything that is called a phobia is a phobia. Such a discussion did not escape this situation. However, the reaction of people to the subject of fear suggests that there are still signs of a phobic disorder. More on this later.

The term was first introduced in medical practice in 2004. Trypophobia is a panic fear of so-called cluster holes (phobia of holes in the body or on other objects). Cluster holes are small repeating holes on a small surface. The most common things for humans, such as sponges or coral, cause genuine horror in trypophobes.

Trypophobia - fear of various holes and openings, reaching the point of horror

The study of such a phobia as the fear of holes and openings was carried out by British research institutes. Researchers Jeff Cole and Arnold Wilkins paid special attention to the reasons for the occurrence of such a reaction. In their article, they focused on the fact that the panic reaction carries not so much signs of real fear, but rather strong disgust.

The state of phobia is characterized by severe changes in the usual way of life, therefore it is quite natural that a person suffering from such fear wants to find its cause and eradicate it. There is still no consensus on the reasons; many researchers even question the very existence of such a phobia.

Violent emotional and physiological reactions to repetitive holes are usually caused by holes:

in living tissue of animals and humans, pimply rashes (acne, demodectic rash), scars from acne, necrosis of the skin surface with holes, open holes of many glands;
small recurring holes in food, for example, honeycombs, holes in bread, pasta, foam on coffee;
on plants - seeds, seaweed spongy structure;
natural geological cavities and porous rocks;
tunnels dug by animals and insects.

Returning to the research of Cole and Wilkins, it becomes clear that hole phobia is caused by vestigial fear, that is, it is a relic of evolution. The thing is that our brain historically associates such holes with poisonous animals. A simple test led scientists to this conclusion, during which subjects were shown photographs of multi-colored poisonous animals, in particular the color of a blue-ringed octopus, mixed with photographs of objects typical of trypophobes. At some point, one of the subjects noted that the sensations from these objects were as unpleasant as from the image of a blue-ringed octopus.

Trypophobes are afraid of even the image of holes

The arguments are dubious, but have been confirmed by several similar studies. Indeed, even a person who has not been overtaken by such a phobia - fear of holes - experiences several discomfort at the sight of such holes in the skin. This is natural and is not some kind of pathology.

One more probable cause phobias of holes, is their possible association with diseases and skin lesions. But the above-described research by scientists returns even this fear to the fact that this is a vestige from our ancestors. It is also worth adding here a certain social context underlying this disease. The fact is that aesthetic appeal in modern world plays a very significant role. And many unattractive phenomena that have a strong emotional connotation for a person are instantly applied to him. Trying on numerous unpleasant-looking holes (associated with ulcers, for example) causes a corresponding reaction.

From a psychological point of view, trypophobia, like many other fears, is a manifestation anxiety disorder. And the accumulation of cavities is a trigger that triggers the release of this alarm.

Among the factors provoking

Symptoms

If most phobias are characterized by common features manifestations panic fear, then trypophobia brings us back to the theory that it is caused rather by disgust. This is supported by a special physiological picture, which develops in people with a fear of cavities and holes.

Holes in the body cause real horror in trypophobes

Physical symptoms of a phobia, the fear of holes in the body or other surfaces, are:

feeling of chills and trembling at the sight of multiple holes;
"goosebumps" on the skin;
severe nausea and a feeling of lightheadedness, sometimes accompanied by vomiting;
a feeling as if something is moving and crawling on the skin and inside it;
itching on the body and scratching on the skin;
allergic reactions on the skin, inflammation;
feeling of danger at the sight of holes.

A person who is faced with very intense experiences and the symptoms described above will quite naturally avoid contact with the irritant. If the experience was excessively intense, a full-fledged phobic reaction– breathing problems, shortness of breath, sweaty palms, dizziness, loss of control over your body, excessive sweating.

There have been a few cases where an attack of disgust, and this is how one can describe the manifestation of a phobia in the form of a fear of holes and openings in this case, was accompanied by spasms, compulsive movements, convulsions, loss of consciousness - such cases require serious medical attention.

Treatment

Fear of small holes is a phobia that requires treatment. Don't devalue emotional experiences that people who suffer from it face psychological disorder. Despite the fact that the American Psychiatric Association has not included trypophobia on any list, the manifestations of the disorder are really intense and poison a person’s life.

As this disease is researched, various ways therapy. Today a combination is used drug treatment with psychotherapy.

Sedatives help treat hole phobia

If we talk about the treatment of phobia - fear of cluster holes - with medications, then we're talking about about three groups of drugs:

Sedatives- from the lightest herbal ones, to tranquilizers and barbiturates.
Anti-inflammatory drugs- they help relieve irritation from scratching areas, reduce inflammation and swelling at the site of irritation.
Antiallergic (antihistamine) drugs- needed to relieve itching and redness. They also have some sedative effects.

Of course, medications will help reduce the “quality” of symptoms and improve the quality of life. However, what then to do with fear itself? You cannot do this without the help of a psychotherapist. The first thing to remember about this specialist is that he is a doctor. Secondly, no treatment aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease works quickly.

Psychotherapy for any phobia, including fear of holes, is aimed at eliminating the painful fixation of consciousness on unpleasant sensations.

If we talk about the fear of holes, with a phobia the consciousness is fixed not on the very fact that it is a hole or a cavity, but on the fact that something unpleasant, painful, poisonous is associated with this hole.

To eliminate this fixation, the psychotherapist works in two directions:

Cognitive level.
Subconscious.

At the cognitive level, it is necessary to remove all the “X’s” in the phobia. Regain your right to distinguish between danger and safety and to be afraid of what is still dangerous. In this case, cognitive behavioral therapy works well, even excellently. It allows you to eliminate cognitive distortions and make fear, which is irrational in nature, understandable. And this reduces the level of anxiety significantly.

As for a deeper level, they use methods such as fear visualization, EMDR (a recent development in working with affective disorders), hypnotherapy. A method that is accessible to everyone is to use a video sequence in which a person is first shown pleasant and calming pictures, gradually “diluting” them with elements of a phobia. Over time, they completely switch to photos on the topic of hole phobia.

In parallel, in both cases it is necessary to work on the following:

reduction of anxiety - what underlies the phobia;
formation of stress resistance (stress reduces protective function psyche);
working with relationships (family conflicts provoke an increase in anxiety);
training in self-help methods during a phobic attack (breathing techniques, “anchoring”, switching the focus of attention).

In combination with drug support psychotherapy gives very noticeable results after 2-3 months.

To cope with a phobia, a person must be stress-resistant

Whether phobia of small holes is considered a disorder or a phobia in general is up to everyone to decide. The fact remains that there are people who are terrified of the accumulation of small holes and this greatly affects the quality of their life. Whether it is archaic fear or simple disgust is not known for certain. But if a person suffers from the symptoms of trypophobia, he should seek qualified help.

This term (trypophobia) appeared relatively recently - in 2005. Officially, trypophobia is understood as the fear of clusters of holes, or, as they also say, “cluster” holes.

In some cases, the same term refers to the fear of holes, cavities, abscesses on the skin, etc. Official medicine has not yet officially recognized this phobia.

There hasn't been much research done on trypophobia. So far, the best known is the work of Jeff Cole and Arnold Wilkins, who studied the body's reactions when such a disorder occurs.

The result of their work was the conclusion that this phobia is one of the most common and, in fact, represents one of the evolutionary advantages of humans.

From this point of view, it is not difficult to explain the subconscious fear of many holes - primitive man was also afraid of wasps, poisonous animals and insects that live in holes.

The “scheme” for responding to such objects was laid down back in those days when almost any hole in the ground, rock or tree could hide a danger to humans.

Well, a beehive or a wasp nest is generally a kind of “sample” of cluster holes.

Features and manifestations of trypophobia

Like other forms of phobias, trypophobia causes severe discomfort or even uncontrollable fear. In this case, the fear itself can be directed both at a living being and at an object, or simply a photo of such an “irritant” (in in this case- holes).

Symptoms in this case can appear very different - a person may experience dizziness, nausea, feel the urge to vomit, lose coordination of movements, and experience itching. Usually an attack of such a phobia manifests itself as a kind of obsession, which causes uncontrollable fear and general nervousness.

Trypophobia is “undemanding” to objects that can cause such a reaction in a person - it doesn’t really matter where exactly a person sees cluster holes, the reaction in most cases will be the same.

So, there are yeast pores on the cut of bread and on pancakes, there are holes in cheese, seeds in vegetables and fruits can also very well become the impetus for the development of another attack.

But we are talking about very common food products. Holes can also become an object of fear natural origin- corals, for example.

But the most serious object in which trypophobia is fully manifested are various openings in human tissues or in other living organisms.

Another feature of this phobia is that a person often begins to project this condition onto himself, which leads to itching, allergic reactions, sweating, redness and the appearance of bright spots on the skin, etc.

Moreover, all of the listed symptoms are based on self-hypnosis, and therefore largely depend on the level of empathy and emotional state.

At acute attacks fear due to the sight of the object of phobia on skin a person (in some cases, even a photo is enough), trembling may also appear, a rapid heartbeat may be observed, breathing becomes difficult and a feeling of disgust may appear.

Like most similar violations trypophobia often manifests itself spontaneously and is inherited.

The reasons for the development of such a disorder are often explained in terms of cultural perception or psychology, since in most cases it is the result of exposure to a very specific situation.

Trypophobia can worsen during age-related crises, with problems in relationships with others, but at the same time it can completely disappear in the absence of such irritants. This phobia is also influenced by age - over the years a person experiences various situations, which can contribute to the accumulation of fears.

How is this condition treated?

Since trypophobia is not recognized as an official diagnosis, it is classified as an obsession and fear, using appropriate methods psychological correction. The doctor’s task in this case is to restore normal psychiatric and physical condition in a patient upon seeing a stimulus.

The most common technique is quite simple - a person is shown a calming picture for some time to consolidate a state of peace, after which they are shown a photo of an object with cluster holes (stimulus).

The course of treatment is also complemented by relaxing and breathing exercises. During the treatment process, the feeling of disgust and fear gradually disappears, the state of internal comfort is restored and no longer depends on the type of stimulus.

But if the patient has psychosomatic disorders, then such therapy will not be enough - in this case, antiallergic drugs and sedatives are prescribed.

If the disease becomes severe and symptoms such as cramps appear, headache, convulsions - must be carried out intensive care in a hospital setting with the use of anticonvulsants and sedatives.

There are many phobias in the world, some of them, like fear of heights or the dark, are quite common, while others make you wonder how anyone can be afraid of such a thing. One of these is the fear of holes and holes, and some are only frightened by indentations in the body, while others are shuddered by the sight of honeycombs.

Fear when there are a lot of holes, what kind of phobia?

A very strange fear that appears at the sight of a cluster of holes is called trypophobia. Not all people who experience discomfort when seeing holes can explain what exactly scares them. Some feel as if the holes could completely swallow them, while others shudder at the thought of the darkness inside such holes. While research on trypophobia is underway initial stage, therefore, it is not yet possible to accurately determine the causes of such fears. British scientists suggest that the phobia of holes and holes is caused by an evolutionary fear of poisonous animals. As a result of the test, it turned out that the coloring of some animals causes trypophobes to experience similar sensations to the contemplation of various holes. Other researchers believe that hole phobia is caused by a natural fear of various diseases, and the abundance of holes does not look healthy.

Do not confuse ordinary disgust at the sight of holes with trypophobia. The latter is characterized by the appearance of tremors, dizziness, nausea, loss of coordination and decreased performance. Also, the appearance of irritants can lead to increased sweating, the appearance of allergic formations and paleness. Such sensations can be caused by holes in foods (bread, cheese, honeycombs, bubbles on the surface of coffee), pores on the skin, freckles, caterpillar passages, mole holes, holes in plants, etc.

It should be noted that trypophobia is not considered separate disease, including it in the section on obsessive states and. That’s why they treat it with psychocorrection methods. In the case of trypophobia, desensitization is often used, replacing disturbing images with other, more vivid ones in a state of deep relaxation. Also, if necessary, a specialist can prescribe antidepressants, sedatives and anti-allergy drugs. In addition to individual classes, group classes and independent exercises are used to treat trypophobia. In very rare cases severe forms disease, there is a need for enhanced drug treatment.