》Selaphobia (from Greek selas, "light") is the fear of flashing lights, a branch of photophobia.
》People with epilepsy are more prone to suffering this phobia, while sufferers with migraine are more prone to panic attacks.
》People who suffer from fear of light flashes. At most times are purposely avoiding coming into contact with what it is that triggers them to experience fear or anxiety in the first place.
》Selaphobic symptoms can be mental, emotional and physical. The anxiety and fear can go from mild feelings of apprehension to a full-blown panic attack.
》There have been a lot of cases in which an individual has develop a phobia from light flashes where they become fearful of experiencing anxiety itself because it would make them feel very uncomfortable in the moment they are in contact with any of those.
》A person doesn't necessarily need to be in a situation exposed to light flashes to experience Selaphobia. The brain doesn't have to be in that situation to experience the symptoms of panic.
》A persons brain is capable of creating a reaction to fearsome situations even when the subject is not actually in that situation.
》Mental Symptoms:
Obsessive Thoughts
Difficulty thinking about anything other than the fear
Really bad images and/or movies of light flashes
Feelings of unreality or of being detached from yourself
Fear of losing control or going crazy
Fear of fainting
》Emotional Symptoms:
Anticipatory Anxiety: Persistent worrying about upcoming events that involve light flashes
Terror: A persistent and overwhelming fear of the same
Desire to Flee: An intense instinct to leave the situation (which is tough when its purely in the mind)
Anger, Sadness, Fear, Hurt & Guilt
》Physical Symptoms:
Dizziness, shaking, palpitations.
Shortness of breath or smothering sensation
Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
Chest pain or discomfort
Trembling or shaking
Feeling of choking
Sweating
Nausea or stomach distress
Feeling unsteady, dizzy, lightheaded, or faint
Numbness or tingling sensations
Hot or cold flashes
》It is important for someone to always seek professional help when possible.
》Talking treatments or talking therapies, which include counselling, might be very effective at treating fear of light flashes or Selaphobia.
》There are many different types of talking therapy, but they all aim to:
help you recognise unhelpful patterns in the way you think or act, and find ways to change them (if you want to).
help you resolve complicated feelings, or find ways to live with them
help you make sense of things and understand yourself better
give you a safe time and place to talk to someone who won't judge you