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Trypophobia: Symptoms and Causes

Trypophobia is an aversion or repulsion to objects like honeycombs and sponges that have repetitive patterns or clusters of small holes. People with trypophobia are disgusted by the pattern of holes, but do not necessarily fear holes. Experts don't know the cause, but theories include associating hole patterns with danger or the brain using more energy to process them. Treatment may involve exposure therapy to gradually expose people to triggers while helping them manage their response.

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82 views5 pages

Trypophobia: Symptoms and Causes

Trypophobia is an aversion or repulsion to objects like honeycombs and sponges that have repetitive patterns or clusters of small holes. People with trypophobia are disgusted by the pattern of holes, but do not necessarily fear holes. Experts don't know the cause, but theories include associating hole patterns with danger or the brain using more energy to process them. Treatment may involve exposure therapy to gradually expose people to triggers while helping them manage their response.

Uploaded by

Jessie Pasian Jr.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Trypophobia

Trypophobia brings on feelings of disgust or fear when you see patterns with lots of
holes. Sunflowers, honeycombs, sponges and seedy fruits can cause this response.
Trypophobia is a type of anxiety disorder. Most people don’t have a true fear of holes.
Exposure therapy may help you manage repulsions to holey patterns.

 A PPOI N T
S & AC
 C ON T A

 Symptoms and Causes

 Diagnosis and Tests

 Management and Treatment

 Prevention

 Outlook / Prognosis

 Living With

OVERVIEW
What is trypophobia?

Trypophobia (trip-uh-FOE-bee-uh) is an aversion or repulsion to objects like honeycombs and


sponges that have repetitive patterns or clusters of small holes. People with trypophobia are
disgusted by the pattern of holes. They don’t necessarily have a fear of holes.

What are trypophobia triggers?


A person is more likely to have an adverse reaction to a holey object or image the closer they are
to it. Trypophobia triggers may include:

 Bread and bagels with seeds.


 Cheese with holes.
 Fruits with small seeds like strawberries, raspberries, papaya and kiwi.
 Honeycombs, sunflowers and lotus seed pods.
 Insects and bees.
 Skin on snakes, lizards, frogs and other reptiles.
 Soles of shoes.
 Sponges.

How common is trypophobia?

Some studies suggest that as many as 17% of children and adults (about one in six people) have
some degree of trypophobia. It’s a fairly new disorder first named in 2005.

More people became aware of trypophobia after news stories reported that people reacted
negatively to clusters of tiny camera lenses on certain smartphones. In addition, the TV show
“American Horror Story: Cult” featured a character who had trypophobia. The show included
triggering images that repulsed some viewers and increased awareness of the phobia.

SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES


What causes trypophobia?

Experts don’t know why some people develop trypophobia. One theory is that the brain
associates clusters of holes with danger. For example, you may associate a pattern of small holes
with the skin of a venomous snake or the eyes of a tarantula. Or the holes may remind you of
skin diseases or skin rashes.

Another theory is that your brain uses more energy and oxygen to process holey patterns,
triggering feelings of distress. It may also be a feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

How do you get trypophobia?

Trypophobia affects more females than males. You may be more prone to trypophobia if you
have:

 Anxiety.
 Depression.
 Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

What are trypophobia symptoms?


Trypophobia can cause:

 Chills.
 Choking or dry mouth.
 Fast breathing and heart rate.
 Intense feeling of disgust or terror.
 Pale skin.
 Profuse sweating (hyperhidrosis).
 Nausea.
 Trembling or shaking.

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS


How is trypophobia diagnosed?

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) doesn’t recognize trypophobia as a disorder in its
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This may be because the
condition is often uncomfortable but not debilitating. Because it’s not recognized as a disorder,
there aren’t established criteria for diagnosing it. However, there is a trypophobia test.

Completing the online trypophobia test (which is solely for research purposes) may help
determine whether you have this aversion. The test doesn’t collect your personal information.
Your participation is anonymous.

The trypophobia test:

 Displays a variety of images for one to eight seconds each. Some of the images have
patterns or clusters of holes, while some do not.
 Asks you to estimate how long you saw each image.
 Compares your estimates for viewing trypophobic images and neutral images (those
without holes) and gives you a ratio at the end of the test.

A ratio higher than two may indicate trypophobia. You may want to talk to a mental health
professional like a psychologist about the test findings and your adverse reactions to holey
patterns.

MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT


Is there a trypophobia cure?

If trypophobia affects your ability to engage in certain activities or enjoy life, you may benefit
from exposure therapy. This therapy gradually exposes you to trypophobia triggers, helping you
to manage your reactions. This type of psychotherapy (talk therapy) helps as many as nine in 10
people overcome specific phobic disorders.
During exposure therapy, your healthcare provider:

 Teaches you breathing and relaxation techniques to use before and during exposures.
 Shows you images or videos of clusters or patterns of holes while helping you manage
your response.
 Gradually expands the exposures until you are touching or holding something with a
holey pattern, like a sponge.

You may also get cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This therapy helps change your
perceptions and responses to situations that trigger trypophobia.

Anti-anxiety medications generally don’t help people with specific phobic disorders. If you
know you’ll be in a situation that might trigger a reaction, your provider may prescribe anti-
anxiety medicine for short-term help.

What are the complications of trypophobia?

In extreme situations, trypophobia may affect your ability to work, go to school or socialize. You
may experience:

 Depression.
 Increased stress and irritability.
 Insomnia or sleep problems.
 Panic attacks.

PREVENTION
Can you prevent trypophobia?

Relaxation techniques like meditation, mindfulness or visualizing soothing images may help you
avoid feelings of trypophobia.

OUTLOOK / PROGNOSIS
What is the prognosis (outlook) for people who have trypophobia?

Most people who complete exposure therapy see improvements in their symptoms. Once you
have a handle on trypophobia triggers, you can use breathing or relaxation methods to manage
your body’s reactions.

LIVING WITH
When should I call the doctor?
You should call your healthcare provider if you experience:

 Depression, anxiety or OCD.


 Extreme irritability.
 Insomnia
 Panic attacks.

What questions should I ask my doctor?

You may want to ask your healthcare provider:

 What causes trypophobia?


 What is the best treatment for me?
 Should I try exposure therapy?
 How long will I need therapy?
 Should I watch for signs of complications?

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Trypophobia refers to disgust or fear of a pattern of holes. Seeing clusters of holes in foods,
flowers and everyday items like sponges can trigger feelings of revulsion. Trypophobia is
gaining recognition as an anxiety problem that can affect quality of life. Don’t be embarrassed to
talk to your healthcare provider if you think you have trypophobia. (You can take the
trypophobia test to find out.) If needed, your provider can connect you with a mental health
professional who may use exposure therapy to help you overcome this issue.

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