Trypophobia, the reason for the irrational fear of holes

Concern about mental health is increasing and one way to measure it is the searches carried out by internet users. Curiously, there is a term that tops the list of the most consulted in this area, even surpassing other very common ones such as anxiety, depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. This is trypophobia, which has more than two million monthly searches worldwide, as revealed by the second edition of the Semrush 2024 Annual Global Problems Index, a platform to optimize online visibility and content marketing.

Trypophobia, in fact, tops the ranking of the most consulted phobias on the Internet, with 2,047,692 monthly searches, followed by others perhaps better known such as agoraphobia (625,692), claustrophobia (381,154), or acrophobia (191,692). , which do not attract as much attention. In Spain, trypophobia also leads the searches, with 64,385 each month, followed by agoraphobia, which reaches 33,154. But do you know what trypophobia is? What are the risk factors for developing it and what signs indicate that you suffer from it? We explain it to you below.

What is trypophobia and what are its symptoms?

The term ‘trypophobia’ comes from two Greek roots: ‘trypo’ meaning hole or perforation and ‘phobia’ meaning fear or aversion. Thus, trypophobia refers to an intense aversion or irrational fear of repetitive patterns of small holes or protuberances, especially when it comes to groupings of small, geometric concavities, although it can also involve patterns with square or raised shapes.

An example of the type of structures or patterns that repel those affected would be honeycombs, sponges, sunflowers, bubble wrap packaging, soap bubbles, bubbles that form in a cup of coffee, stone pumice, coral, emmental cheese, pomegranate, lotus flower seed pods or crocodile or snake skin, among others. Although it is not officially recognized as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), many people report symptoms of extreme discomfort when viewing these types of images.

Common symptoms of trypophobia

The unpleasant effects that these types of patterns trigger in people with trypophobia usually vary in intensity, ranging from severe migraines and panic attacks to intense sweats and increased heart rate.

Some of the most common reactions in trypophobics are emotional:

• Feeling of extreme repulsion or disgust: People with trypophobia often experience a feeling of repulsion that goes beyond feeling disgust; It is a discomfort so profound that it turns your stomach.
• Uneasiness, discomfort and avoidance of these images: Trypophobics tend to avoid at all costs anything that makes them think about these patterns of small holes. From rejecting foods with suspicious textures, going to certain places or using certain social media filters that would cause them deep discomfort.
• Obsessive thoughts about the image or pattern that triggers the discomfort: that is, the image or pattern that caused the initial response may settle in your mind. These intrusive thoughts can last from a few minutes to days, generating prolonged stress and preventing the person from concentrating on other activities.
• Anxiety or panic attacks: exposure to trypophobic patterns can trigger a notable anxiety reaction, which in some cases leads the affected person to feel short of breath or need to escape from the image.

But physiological symptoms can also be triggered in people who suffer from this phobia, such as:

• Increased heart rate: The anxiety that triggers trypophobia can be accompanied by an accelerated heart rate and palpitations.
• Nausea: The body of these people also seems to reject the patterns of holes in different formations, to such an extent that they feel nauseous and truly upset their stomach.
• Itchy or tingling sensation on the skin: Some feel as if their skin is starting to burn or sting, almost as if those holes are invading their own body, a physical response that some describe as a kind of mental itch.
• Dry mouth: the stress response to a trypophobic image can activate the sympathetic nervous system, which decreases salivation, causing dry mouth.
• Chills and excessive sweating: it is common for people with phobia to experience increased sweating when exposed to the stimulus, especially in the palms of the hands and forehead, in response to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system.
• Dizziness or vertigo: although it is less common, for some people these images are so unpleasant that they become dizzy. It is as if the emotional rejection is so strong that it affects your balance.

Causes of trypophobia

Although the exact causes are not fully understood, some experts believe that trypophobia could be related to an evolutionary response, as the hole patterns could be associated with potential dangers, such as the presence of poisonous species or skin diseases. A study published in Psychological Science indicates that trypophobia may occur as a result of a specific visual characteristic that is also found in several venomous animals.

The results showed that around 16% of the participants experienced some trypophobic reaction and that this phobia may have an evolutionary basis and make groups of holes repulsive because they share a visual characteristic with animals that we have learned to avoid as a matter of survival. , such as the blue-ringed octopus, the lurking scorpion, the king cobra and other venomous snakes and spiders. “These findings suggest that there may be an ancient evolutionary part of the brain that tells people that they are looking at a poisonous animal,” explained Dr. Geoff Cole, an expert in visual sciences at the University of Essex and one of the authors of the work. . In fact, Geoff himself points out that “We believe that everyone has trypophobic tendencies even if they are not aware of it.”

Another evolutionary hypothesis for this phenomenon launched by a doctor from the University of Kent (United Kingdom) is that this visual discomfort represents an adaptation that helps organisms avoid skin diseases or ectoparasites.

One more conjecture is that it could constitute a type of sensory overload, where the brain has difficulty processing images with so many details, which would trigger distress, as explained by the Cleveland Clinic, where they also point out that it could be a characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder. (OCD).

Thus, a study titled ‘Trypophobia, skin diseases and the visual discomfort of natural textures’ published in Scientific report in February 2024 concludes that to find the origin of this aversion it would be essential to better understand the functioning of the cortical areas of the brain that are responsible for the perception of surface and material properties, and how these visual regions interact with emotional brain areas to evoke appropriate behavioral responses, such as disgust.

How to treat trypophobia or relieve the discomfort it causes

Although some people experience these symptoms mildly, others may experience significant distress that affects their daily life. As it is not recognized as a mental disorder, there is also no standard treatment for trypophobia, but techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help reduce discomfort, which helps identify negative thoughts associated with these patterns to question those beliefs. and changing them for more realistic ones, or gradual exposure to triggers until you can expose yourself to them without causing fear or aversion.

This exposure therapy seeks to reduce anxiety symptoms over time. Initially, patients may begin by imagining the object that causes discomfort, such as a beehive or a seed pod, and then move on to observing images of these objects. This gradual strategy aims to decrease the anxiety response, allowing the person to eventually approach or even touch the feared object without experiencing intense symptoms.

Additionally, practicing relaxation techniques, such as mindfulness, or viewing images that are relaxing can be helpful in preventing this and other phobias. In any case, if this aversion interferes with daily tasks or causes symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks or difficulties sleeping, it is necessary to consult a doctor.