All About Taphophobia, the Fear of Being Buried Alive, and How to Overcome it with Psychological Therapy & Counselling

What is Taphophobia?

Taphophobia is the Fear of Being Buried Alive and, like all other fears and phobias, can cause significant anxiety and stress if you suffer from it.

It is a theme that constantly appears in horror films and was a common fear during the Victorian period which saw numerous designs for ‘safety coffins‘ being patented.

There may be a number of reasons why you developed Taphophobia, for example:

• You may have developed the fear after watching a horror film which featured being buried alive.
• You might have picked-up the fear from a parent who suffered from it as a form of ‘learned-behaviour’.

Although phobias are often described as ‘disorders’, there is no valid scientific evidence that Taphophobia is the result of any kind of biological fault or chemical imbalance as proposed in the biomedical models of mental illness.

On the contrary, Taphophobia is much more likely to be the result of your own, subjective evaluation (what you think your experiences mean) of what happened to you and is therefore better described as a psychosocial symptom.

Taphophobia Symptoms & Behaviours

All phobias, including Taphophobia, create feelings of anxiety because phobic objects or situations are always perceived as a threat.

Consequently, the symptoms of Taphophobia are both specific and generic and may include:

• Nightmares about being buried alive.
• Insisting that you do not want to be buried when you die.
• Difficulty breathing.
• An elevated heart rate.
• A sense of dread about what might happen.
• Worrying that you might pass out.
• Feeling dizzy or disoriented.
• Having heart palpitations.
• Having a dry or sticky mouth.
• Hot sweats.
• Feeling Stressed.
• Feelings of panic.

Moreover, you may have all, some or even different symptoms to these listed here and this is due to the subjective nature of Taphophobia.

Furthermore, you should also be aware that many of these somatic symptoms (symptoms felt in the body) listed above WILL subside over time and rarely last for more than 20 to 30 minutes.

What Causes Taphophobia?

it is likely that your Taphophobia is the result of either traumatic experiences or adverse situations that you experienced at some point in your life.

You may, for example, have been scared by a very vivid scene in a horror movie in which somebody was deliberately buried alive.

You might also be suffering with claustrophobia, the fear of small spaces.

What’s more, because the Fear of Being Buried Alive has never been linked to any biological factors, the most likely explanation for your Taphophobia is the way that you understood and made sense of your earlier experiences.

Counselling and Therapy for Taphophobia

We can offer you a number of different types of therapy and counselling for your Taphophobia the Fear of Being Buried Alive.

Choosing the most suitable therapy depends on a number of different considerations including factors such as:

• How long you have had your phobia.
• Your personal preferences.
• How your phobia is affecting you today.

You can read more about the different types of therapy for Taphophobia on the following links:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Taphophobia
• Counselling for Taphophobia
• Pluralistic Therapy for the Fear of Being Buried Alive

Although all forms of psychotherapy use slightly different approaches, the one thing they all have in common is the relationship that is formed between the client and therapist.

Furthermore, research also suggests that the therapy relationship may be the most important factor in achieving a good therapy outcome.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about overcoming Taphophobia or recovering from related mental health problems then why not arrange a free initial consultation with us.

During this consultation we will discuss your particular phobia and the different types of mental health counselling we offer without you having to commit to any counselling going forward.

The consultation lasts around 50 minutes and is a great opportunity to meet with either Paul or Joan and decide if you would like to proceed with any support.