ARITHMOPHOBIA: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES AND TREATMENTS - ARTE - 2024

The aritmofobia, numerofobia or phobia of numbers is a condition of pathological fear of numbers, mathematics or arithmetic. This alteration constitutes an anxiety disorder in which the person has an abnormal, persistent and unjustified fear of any stimulus related to mathematical calculation.

Arithmophobia is included within the disorders known as specific phobias. This alteration shares many similarities with other pathological fears such as the phobia of spiders, heights or blood.

Nowadays it is well documented that this alteration can notably affect different areas of life, especially in the academic and / or work environment. However, daily tasks such as calculating the cost of expenses or managing the family finances can be highly complex situations for a person suffering from this type of phobia.

Currently there is good documentation about arithmophobia. Likewise, psychological therapies have been postulated that allow the pathology to be intervened with very satisfactory results.

Characteristics of arithmophobia

Arithmophobia is an anxiety disorder, specifically one of the diagnostic categories known as specific phobias. These alterations are very well documented and are characterized by an excessive and irrational fear of a certain stimulus.

In the case of arithmophobia, the dreaded stimulus has to do with calculation, numbers, arithmetic or mathematics. In this way, the person who suffers from this alteration fears these elements in an excessive way.

This fact translates into a very high anxiety response every time the individual is exposed to elements related to numbers or mathematics. For example, people with arithmophobia will become highly nervous when they have to do a math problem.

Apart from this, the fear of these elements is so high that the individual with arithmophobia will try to avoid them by all means. For this reason, this disorder can affect and harm the day-to-day of the person who suffers from it.

Thus, arithmophobia does not define a situation of a certain nervousness when performing mathematical operations, but rather an extreme and intense fear of any stimulus related to arithmetic.

Unlike other types of phobias, this one can be very disabling, since mathematics are elements that appear in everyday life with some frequency. Carry out a calculation to find out how much the purchase will cost, use mathematics in studies or at work, manage the family economy…

All these aspects are part of the daily life of most people, but an individual with arithmophobia will be totally unable to cope and will avoid them completely.

The fear of numbers

To be able to speak of a phobia requires the experimentation of a certain type of fear. This also happens with arithmophobia, so the simple fact of being afraid of mathematical calculations does not have to imply the presence of the disorder.

To be able to speak of arithmophobia, the fear about stimuli related to numbers, mathematics and arithmetic must be very high. But it must also meet a number of requirements.

Disproportionate

Evidently, the fear of numbers and mathematics is out of proportion to the demands of the situation. An arithmetic operation results in a harmless situation in which a fear and anxiety response is not required.

However, math operations can often be related to more demanding situations. An important math exam that is difficult for us, a complex work operation, a delicate management of the family economy, etc.

The experimentation of fear or unease in these circumstances does not define the presence of arithmophobia. In order to associate fear with disorder, fear of mathematics must appear in any situation and must always be very high.

Irrational

The fear of numbers is irrational, because in principle mathematics does not have to be a fearful element. However, in arithmophobia the fear of numbers is irrational even for the individual who suffers from it.

He will not be able to justify the reason for his fear or reason what elements of mathematics cause him fear. You will simply experience the feelings of anxiety whenever you are exposed to these stimuli, without being able to explain why.

Uncontrollable

The fear of arithmophobia is irrational but it is also uncontrollable. For this reason, people who suffer from it cannot stop experiencing it despite knowing that they have no reason to do so.

This factor highlights the complexity of the disorder and that arithmophobia can be a serious psychological disorder. The individual who suffers from it cannot help but fear mathematics, so it will require specialized treatment.

Leads to avoidance

People with arithmophobia experience their feelings of fear with great anguish. The feelings of anxiety they experience when exposed to numbers are very high and cause extreme discomfort.

Due to the intensity of fear, individuals with arithmophobia completely avoid any arithmetic-related situation. They will avoid performing mathematical calculations in order to also avoid the discomfort that it causes them.

This element is the one that is the most disabling of the disorder, since it can modify the behavior of the person and affect their day to day. Thus, people with arithmophobia will require psychological treatment so that their fears stop being a problem.

Persists over time

Arithmophobia is not a temporary disorder, so the fear of numbers is persistent. People who fear mathematics temporarily or in very specific episodes in their lives do not suffer from arithmophobia.

In contrast, individuals who develop numerofobia do present these fears continuously. In fact, fears of numbers will never subside if left untreated.

It is maladaptive

Non-pathological fears have a clear adaptive component that help the person to better cope with situations that require an anxiety response.

Obviously, this is not the case with arithmophobia since the fear of mathematics does not allow the individual to adapt better. On the contrary, fears will be a major barrier in various areas of your life.

It is not specific to a certain age

During childhood or adolescence, different types of fears can flourish more easily. However, arithmophobia is not age specific.

The individual who fears numbers from a young age will always fear them if they respond to this type of specific phobia.

Symptoms of arithmophobia

Excessive, irrational, uncontrollable, persistent and maladaptive fear of numbers and arithmetic causes a series of manifestations. In fact, arithmophobia causes alterations in the three planes of a person.

Both the physical, mental and behavioral components are affected by the disorder. The condition is mainly explained by the anxiety response that the individual makes when exposed to its feared elements.

Physical symptoms

When a person with arithmophobia is exposed to situations related to mathematics or arithmetic, they make an intense anxiety response.

Like all anxiety responses, this involves modifications in the physical functioning of the body. Specifically, the individual will present those symptoms related to an increase in the activity of the central nervous system.

Symptoms can be variable in each case, but some of the following manifestations usually occur:

1. Increased heart rate.
2. Increased respiratory rate.
3. Increased sweating
4. Pupillary dilation.
5. Increased muscle tension.
6. Headaches and / or tummy aches.
7. Feeling of unreality.
8. 8. Nausea.

Psychological symptoms

Physical symptoms are always accompanied by a series of related thoughts and cognitions. These elements are fed back with physiological manifestations and increase the intensity of anxiety.

Thoughts about feared items can be highly variable. However, these are always characterized by presenting negative attributes, fear and disability.

The individual may think how distressing the mathematical operation is, the danger it poses to him or the personal inability it presents to face it.

Likewise, more elaborate distorted thoughts may appear, such as the association between arithmetic and personal harm, ridicule, or showing weaknesses.

Behavioral symptoms

The physical and mental anxiety caused by arithmophobia notably affects the behavior of the individual. The most common behavior is usually avoidance, so the individual tries not to participate in any situation in which arithmetic is present.

Likewise, agitation, impulsiveness or flight behaviors can appear when the individual cannot avoid his feared element and must face it.

Causes

At present it is maintained that there is no single cause for arithmophobia, but that different elements can interact in the development of the disorder. Most studies show a special importance of environmental elements. While genetic factors seem to take a back seat.

In this sense, the experience of traumatic experiences (or lived as traumatic) with respect to numbers, could motivate the appearance of the phobia. Likewise, the acquisition of verbal or visual information about negative components of mathematics could also influence.

Finally, it is argued that the avoidance of the feared elements would be the main factor that explains the strengthening of the phobia, as well as its maintenance.

Treatment

Arithmophobia can highly damage the life of the person who suffers from it and significantly limit its functioning. For this reason, it is especially important to intervene in this type of phobia, since otherwise it can have negative consequences.

The treatment that has been shown to be the most effective in treating it is psychotherapy. Except in cases where the state of anxiety is extremely high, drug treatment is discouraged as the first option.

Regarding psychological interventions, cognitive behavioral treatment is the one that has shown the greatest efficacy, presenting very high recovery rates.

In this treatment, the behavioral component is intervened, exposing the subject to their feared situations, as well as the physiological component through relaxation techniques and the psychological component through cognitive therapy.

References

1. AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION (APA). (2002). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. Barcelona: Masson.
2. Antony MM, Brown TA, Barlow DH. Heterogeneity among specific phobia types in DSM-IV. Behav Res Ther 1997; 35: 1089-1100.
3. Barlow D. and Nathan, P. (2010) The Oxford Handbook of Clinical Psychology. Oxford University Press.
4. Caballo, V. (2011) Manual of psychopathology and psychological disorders. Madrid: Ed. Piramide.
5. Essau C, Conradt J, Petermann F. Frequency, comorbidity, and psychosocial impairment of Specific phobia in adolescents. J Clin Child Psychol 2000; 29: 221–231.