Have you ever heard the term ombrophobia or rain phobia?
While many people enjoy the rain in the afternoon, sipping a warm cup of coffee or tea—especially when accompanied by a partner for light conversation—not everyone feels the same way.
For some, rain isn’t pleasant at all. Just hearing the sound of raindrops, or even seeing the drops fall from the sky, can cause fear.
Some people feel anxious and scared of rain. This condition is called ombrophobia. Let’s take a closer look at the full explanation of ombrophobia or fear of rain below.
Ombrophobia or Fear of Rain: Symptoms, Causes, and How to Overcome It
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What Is Ombrophobia?
Ombrophobia is an irrational fear or phobia of rain, drizzle, or cloudy skies. Learn what rain phobia is, its symptoms, causes, and how to overcome it.
Ombrophobia, also known as pluviophobia, is a fear of rain, including overcast and drizzly conditions. While some people enjoy the calm atmosphere during rain, those with ombrophobia feel threatened, scared, and anxious irrationally about rain—even when it is light and harmless.
This fear is often accompanied by fear of strong winds, thunder, lightning, and aquaphobia (fear of drowning).
Who Can Experience Ombrophobia or Fear of Rain?
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Anyone can suffer from ombrophobia, from children to adults. However, it is usually more common in children. Why? Because children tend to have stronger fear reactions that often start with something very small, like fear of light drizzle.
Symptoms Shown by Those with Ombrophobia
People with ombrophobia often experience excessive or uncontrollable fear, panic, and anxiety during rain. Specifically:
- In extreme cases, they may start feeling afraid as soon as the sky becomes cloudy, even before the rain begins. They then feel restless, stressed, and uncontrollably panicked while it rains.
- They have negative or irrational thoughts, such as fearing flooding or drowning.
- They avoid being outdoors during rain and stay away from windows to avoid seeing the rain.
- Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, chest pain, trembling, shortness of breath, muscle tension, and a rapid heartbeat. In severe cases, they may cry hysterically during rain.
Although people with ombrophobia are aware of their fear, they often do not know how to overcome it.
What Are the Common Causes of Ombrophobia or Fear of Rain?
Here are some common causes of ombrophobia:
- Traumatic events: Like other phobias, ombrophobia is often triggered by past traumatic experiences related to rain, which then manifest as excessive fear. For example, experiencing severe flooding that resulted in loss of property or important documents.
- Deep sorrow: The sufferer lost a loved one during the rain, and since then, rain always reminds them of that painful memory.
- Mental health disorders: Overcast or rainy weather can create a darker, more melancholic mood. For people with depression, this atmosphere can worsen their symptoms and cause mental imbalance.
- Natural disasters: Similar to traumatic events, but here the fear is of experiencing the same disaster again, such as storms, landslides, tsunamis, or other rain-related catastrophes.
Is It Necessary to See a Doctor?
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If the fear of rain severely disrupts daily activities such as work, social relationships, or academic performance (especially in children), consulting a doctor or psychiatrist is necessary. The condition is no longer normal and requires further examination and treatment.
This phobia must be taken seriously because if the fear intensifies, the sufferer may experience worsening symptoms.
The sufferer may develop phobia complications
People with severe ombrophobia will struggle to carry out normal activities, especially during the rainy season or in areas with high rainfall. If left untreated, rain phobia can develop into other phobias such as fear of drowning, aquaphobia, depression, and anxiety disorders.
Preventing loved ones from developing ombrophobia can be challenging since traumatic events are unpredictable. However, if someone you care about is suffering from this phobia, you can help reduce or manage its severity by encouraging them to seek psychological and mental health care from a doctor or psychiatrist as soon as possible.
This is a brief overview of ombrophobia. Hopefully, this information is helpful to you.
Originally published on theAsianparent Indonesia
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