PHOBIA OF LONG WORDS (HYPOPOTOMONSTROSESQUIPEDALIOPHOBIA) - ARTE - 2025

The fear of long words or hypopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is characterized by feeling intense fear and irrational fear at the possibility of having to pronounce long words in a speech or conversation. This fear appears whether the situation is real or if the subject imagines it and anticipates it even if it never happens.

The abbreviated term sesquipedaliophobia is commonly used to refer to this disorder. This word, especially long, comes from the Greek: “hippo” means great, “monster” monstrous, “sesquipedali” means great and “phobos” fear.

More specifically, the fear of long words refers to the possibility of getting stuck when saying a certain word or phrase or not knowing how to pronounce it correctly.

There is a fear on the part of the person who suffers from this phobia to look ridiculous in front of others or not to appear sufficiently cultured or intelligent before the people around him in that situation.

For the most part, this phobia usually appears in situations in which the words used, in addition to being long, are of unusual use, such as in scientific and technical speeches, etc. The person who suffers from this phobia also tends to avoid using long words in conversational or trustworthy environments.

Characteristics of the phobia of long words

As in other specific phobias, there are a series of criteria that characterize the fear of long words.

Fear is disproportionate

The fear that the person feels of having to pronounce long or complicated words is much greater than that actually generated by that situation in a person who does not suffer from the phobia.

Fear is irrational

The person who suffers from it is aware that the fear they feel in this situation is disproportionate and irrational. He knows that he should not have to feel that discomfort so strong but still he is not able to control it.

Knowing that fear is totally irrational often makes you feel even worse and increases your insecurity because you feel different from others.

Fear is uncontrollable

As much as the subject tries to control the fear, the symptoms that generate the discomfort or the thoughts and emotions that he has in this situation, he cannot do it. This usually causes greater discomfort in the person when they feel that this situation is getting out of hand and they think that there is nothing they can do to solve it.

Avoidance

One of the reasons why the phobia persists is because of the avoidance behaviors that the person initiates. When faced with a situation where you are likely to use the words you fear, instead of waiting for that to happen, avoid the situation.

This can happen by skipping a meeting, leaving a job where you have to do a talk or conference using technical language, or cutting back, even eliminating social gatherings altogether.

Each time the person avoids the situation instead of facing it, their fear increases. You lose the opportunity to expose yourself to the dreaded scenario and learn that it is not so dangerous or threatening.

Causes

As with most phobias and irrational fears, there is no specific and defined origin for the appearance of this fear. It is usually the sum of several factors and / or situations that ends up leading to the development of the disorder.

Experiences

In the particular case of hypopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia, it is very likely that in childhood, in the so-called early experiences, some circumstance that triggered it has been experienced.

For example, not having known how to pronounce a long word correctly in a speech or conversation and that this caused the mockery or laughter of other people.

It may also happen that given the impossibility of pronouncing a word, none of those present have made fun of it, but that the subject does perceive that moment as a way of making a fool of himself.

In this case, although no one really made fun of it, the person is convinced that they have and that they have also made a fool of themselves because that is how they have perceived it. This belief leads him to avoid using long and unusual words. So the moment you have to use one with these characteristics, nerves and fear of making a fool of yourself appear again.

Learning from other people

In other cases, the origin may be that an important or reference person previously had this fear. If so, the subject has learned to fear these words, because they can make him look ridiculous, even if he has never experienced it. There is a belief that if it is dangerous for that person of reference, it is because it really is.

A phobia can also develop after having observed that another person lived this situation and was the object of criticism and ridicule. The individual may think that if it happens to him they might laugh or that the rest of the people do not consider him cultured or prepared enough.

In this way, without having had any previous traumatic experience in relation to long words, he has developed the phobia.

Long word phobia is almost always accompanied by social phobia or extreme shyness. And very frequently other underlying problems appear that are usually the origin of the phobia.

Among these problems appears insecurity, lack of self-confidence, feelings of inferiority with respect to others, low self-esteem, fear of failure or even an extreme need to please others at all times and in any situation.

Symptoms

Each person experiences the phobia in a different way and therefore some symptoms or others may appear. But there are a series of characteristics that usually appear and that can serve to identify if we are suffering from this type of phobia or a family member or close friend could be suffering from it.

Physical symptoms

It is very common for the person who suffers from the phobia to experience palpitations, sweating, tremors, agitation, nausea, abdominal pain and even stitches in the chest or difficulty in breathing.

These symptoms appear in situations where you must use long, technical, and unusual words. Or they can even occur just by imagining or anticipating that situation.

Emotional symptoms

Often the person imagines in this situation failing, mispronouncing words and provoking the ridicule of others. An intense and irrational fear of being ridiculed appears, of appearing inferior to others.

In addition, on many occasions this fear is accompanied by the fear of suffering a panic attack or even fainting from the accumulated tension, which increases their fear of making a fool of themselves and the feeling of loss of control of the situation appears.

In most cases, the person is able to recognize that this fear they feel is irrational and meaningless, but they cannot control the emotions and discomfort they experience.

Consequences

The main consequence of suffering from this phobia is that the person who suffers from it sees their security and self-esteem even more undermined by being controlled by this intense fear.

The subject usually tends to flee or avoid situations in which he has to use words with these characteristics, for which he is forced to put aside many activities and even employment. On the other hand, social relationships are often affected and the person tends to isolate himself because in this way he avoids having to find himself in an uncomfortable situation.

Another consequence that derives from the previous one is the feeling of guilt. The person is aware that their fear is irrational and even so they put aside activities and relationships in order not to have to face their fear.

This usually generates a feeling of guilt and at the same time contributes to undermine self-esteem because it is perceived as inferior and different from others.

Therefore, although it depends on each case and the level of severity of the phobia, the person usually sees their life deteriorated emotionally, socially and / or at work.

Treatment

As with the rest of the phobias, the fear of long words has a treatment and a solution. Recovery of the person usually involves attending therapy or consulting a mental health professional.

The first step in solving the phobia is to identify and acknowledge it. The next thing to do is contact a professional for help. Although sometimes the person is afraid of being different or having an unsolvable problem, the truth is that the professional knows that their case is not unique and also knows the way to solve it.

Intervention in symptoms and causes

The aspects that are treated or worked on range from the symptoms that cause discomfort (physical reactions such as agitation, palpitations, sweating, etc.), emotional symptoms (lack of self-esteem, fear of failure, lack of self-confidence, etc.), to the causes for which the phobia is suffered (early traumatic experiences, inherited fears, etc.).

Treatment of underlying problems

Also in therapy, underlying problems such as low self-esteem, insecurity, lack of self-confidence or deficit of social skills are treated. Not only does it work to alleviate the symptoms that cause so much discomfort, but it also tries to know the cause, the origin of the phobia in order to solve the problem from its base.

Avoidance behaviors

It is also necessary to treat avoidance and flight behaviors from situations that cause fear and discomfort. These types of behaviors are responsible for reinforcing and increasing fear of such situations, so it is essential to treat them.

Once the person has been previously prepared by the therapist, he begins to expose himself to his fear. That is, you will have to face those situations that you fear so much. This way you will learn that speaking long words and even getting confused while doing it is not as dangerous or scary as you thought.

Depending on the type of treatment, the exposure will be imagined or real. It can also be progressively and suddenly. In some cases a combination of the above can also be used. But the most recommended exposure is the one made in a real situation and gradually.

Relaxation

Another fundamental point of the treatment are the relaxation and breathing techniques. These resources help the person to relax and control the symptoms in the dreaded situations.

Drugs

In the case of treating this phobia, the use of drugs is not recommended. Medications alleviate symptoms and reduce discomfort experienced by the person but do not treat or solve the phobia from the source.

References

1. Kate B. Wolitzky-Taylor, Jonathan D. Horowitz, Mark B. Powers, Michael J. Telch. (2008). Psychologicalapproaches in thetreatment of specificphobias: A meta-analysis.
2. YujuanChoy,, Abby J. Fyer, Josh D. Lipsitz (2007). Treatment of specificphobia in adults.