The fear of Insanity is generally known as dementophobia. People who suffer from this fear are afraid that they are going insane or losing touch with reality. The fear may be triggered by a family history of mental illness or periods of severe stress.
Mental illness has long been associated with confinement, painful treatments, and public derision. At various points in history, those suffering from a mental illness were thought to be possessed by evil spirits, voluntarily acting out, or simply uncontrollable. Only in the late 20th century did the medical establishment and the general public begin to recognize mental illness as a treatable medical condition.
If you have older relatives who went through the early or mid-20th-century asylums, you may fear to undergo the same treatment. Although treatment protocols have changed rapidly, the stories of surviving inmates are often chilling.
You might also be afraid of social stigmatization. Some mental illnesses cause tics, vocal outbursts, and socially inappropriate behaviors. While stigmatization is not as common as it was, it does exist. You may fear losing friends and family or being embarrassed in front of strangers due to mental illness.
Those suffering from a phobia of going mad often exhibit the following symptoms:
- Severe depression
- Social withdrawal
- Panic attacks
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Feeling faint
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Excessive sweating
- Heart palpitations
- Breathlessness
