Entamaphobia or the fear of doors is a debilitating phobia often associated with Agoraphobia and Claustrophobia. The word Entamaphobia is derived from a combination of Greek words ‘Eisodos and portos’ for entrance or entryway and ‘phobos’ which is the Greek God of fear.
In a way, Entamaphobia is very similar to Agoraphobia or the fear of open doors. In Entamaphobia however, most people are afraid of all kinds of doors irrespective of whether they are closed or open. In Agoraphobic individuals, on the other hand, there is generally a tendency to avoid walking out of open doors towards the outside world. In sufferers with the general fear of doors, there may be the general tendency of being afraid of the insecurity or fear of the unknown that lies outside. The fear of doors is also linked with Claustrophobia- the fear of cramped spaces-where the victims feel that closed doors might cramp up or suffocate him/her. Celebrity and popular Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey is known to be afraid of revolving doors.
Causes of Entamaphobia
As in case of most phobias, Entamaphobia also has its roots in one’s past. A person might have had a negative experience related to a door as a child. In one case, for example, the sufferer describes the fear he felt when he was alone at home, watching a creepy show on TV when the door which had been slightly left ajar started slowly creaking open, giving the sufferer a nasty feeling of “someone watching him”.
A child growing up with a strong sense of dependency, particularly to one’s mother, could also develop Entamaphobia. Going out of a door alone might be a haunting experience for the child. Also, children who are born hesitant or timorous could also develop the fear of open doors.
A traumatic or negative experience in childhood-violence, abuse etc or even the death of a loved one can also trigger the fear of doors. The fear of walking through revolving doors could arise from the embarrassment, or the fear that one might fall, trip and embarras or hurt oneself.
Phobias, in general stem from various occurrences as well as deficiencies or even genetic traits. A nervous minded person could develop the phobia suddenly particularly if s/he is also already suffering from other common anxiety disorders.
Symptoms of fear of doors
As is the case with most phobias, Entamaphobia is also known to give rise to various symptoms, both physical and emotional. These include:
- Crying, shaking, or getting hysterical at the thought of doors or simply at their sight or the idea of walking through one.
- Some phobics will first peek outside to check if there are any dangers outside the doors. This becomes a habit that often calls for ridicule from friends/family. The phobic might even go to great lengths to lock the door properly. S/he might install several locks on all doors.
- Shivering, sweating excessively, trembling, running away from doors or getting fearful or negative thoughts of death are some other symptoms associated with this phobia.
- Dizziness, gastrointestinal distress, headache, nausea or other physical symptoms like racing heart, shallow breath are also typical in the phobia.
- Many victims of Entamaphobia describe feeling suffocated or as if “they might die of heart failure”.
The panic attacks often get so severe that the phobic’s day to day existence could become difficult. S/he tends to give up jobs, or going out for shopping and other errands. Relationships also get strained as the phobic is often ridiculed for such behavior.
Treating the phobia of doors
Neurolinguistic programming/NLP and cognitive behavior therapies are some of the well known treatments for Entamaphobia. Both these treatments get to the root cause of the fear and find out the specific patterns that trigger the sufferer’s panic attacks. The therapists can then help the phobic replace his/her negative associations of doors with positive ones. Hypnotherapy is another well known treatment option for this phobia which can help change the construct of the phobic’s mind to help him/her deal with the anxiety that triggers the fear of doors. Gradual desensitization therapy could also help in many cases; here the phobics learn to gradually expose themselves to doors-both open and shut- until they are able to deal with their Entamaphobia in their daily lives.
robert beni says
I used to have a fear of something standing at the doorway and also walking through the door, not knowing where I was or where I was going and losing time. I got over the fear. I know that atypical humans can become acclimated to nontypical stimuli.
A weirdo says
I have the same thing! It always feels like there is a demonic presence beyond but when I open it, I feel safer but still uncomfortable. I am mostly scared of the dark behind an open door but the door still scares me a lot.
Weirdo2 says
Same! What do we do? How do we overcome this?
Aubry says
My friend Melissa said it was okay to knock on her door anytime. And once I go near the line I start to shake, cry and duck down. I thought I was the only one with this door problem. I am now walking up to the door and knocking just fine.
Annoying Person says
I feel really scared when I see an open door leading to a dark room, because what if something grabs my arm while I try to reach the light switch? (The light switch is right next to the door). I usually see things coming out of the dark, but when I turn on the light, they are gone. And sleeping with an open door is literally the worst. If I open my eyes to look at the door, I’d see a tall, faceless creature or something like that. And my family doesn’t even care. My mother even did a “prank” on me by staring at me from the door at night in the dark hallway. I got scared so bad I couldn’t sleep properly for a few nights.
Dae says
I have had a fear of sleeping with open doors for so long it has progressed past my slight claustrophobia and turned to a need for all doors to be closed so I can hear if there is an intruder or another person in my house. I remember it started off when I was a little girl and I was trying to force myself to not be scared of the dark but we had a creaky old house that I was certain was haunted. Eventually we moved out of the house and as I grew older I had come to the realization on why I suddenly couldn’t sleep with the door open was because of a traumatic event that had happened a few years prior when my mothers ex had severely assaulted her and attempted to, later, kidnap my brother and I.
Clay says
I specifically am afraid of smaller doors, like those little half doors in closets that lead into the attic. Small doors on like, a kid’s playhouse are fine, but small doors that seem out of place terrify me.
I lived with my aunt and uncle for a while when I was younger, and the room I stayed in had a small door about 3 feet tall into the attic, and there was a light on in the attic that never went off. So when I was in bed at night, the light from the attic would shine around the little door and I was always watching just knowing that I was about to see shadows of movement behind it. I couldn’t sleep with my back towards it.
Dax says
Absolutely! I have similar fears. I’ve been trying to find out if it has a specific name beyond just the general fear of doors.
Joseph says
I have had a fear of closed doors ever since I had a repeated dream where I would think I have woken up in the night to go to the toilet. In this dream, when I touch the door handle, I get electrocuted and die. In many dreams since, there have been doors that I have been terrified of because when I go through them I never come back. Is this entamaphobia?
Kylee Crosby says
It sounds weird but I’m only afraid of a door if it’s always open, I get panic and anxiety attacks. But idk if there’s even a name for it. Can someone help?
EdesRozsa says
I can’t help name it, but I have exactly the same fear, and just discovered that my 11 year old does, too.
Bella says
Since i was kid im getting scared if the shop or shopping mall starts to close. Like the sound of shutter door closing. And when i start to see the seller cleaning like they want to close their shop. What is this? As im getting older I can control the fear but i still feel a little afraid deep inside.
Zeeshan Khan says
My blood pressure start to rise when i find the door is closed from outside, im afraid of suffocation and can never stay inside a room when the door is locked from outside.
dont want to leave one says
I have a small phobia of doors. I have to sleep in a bed near a window, never by the door. It feels like somebody could walk through and hurt me. My husband has to sleep by the door and i feel more secure because i know he would not let anybody hurt me. I know why I have it.
Varsha says
Hey, is there any phobia of the banging noise caused by shutting of doors?
EdesRozsa says
https://www.fearof.net/fear-of-loud-noises-phobia-ligyrophobia-or-phonophobia/
Apparently, yes, there is! Yours would be considered a “specified fear”, where the general fear of sudden loud noises only applies to specifically doors slamming.
Katarina says
I am terrified of doors slamming/open doors. It all started when I was a child and I had really bad vertigo. It always felt like the house was swinging and to convince myself it wasn’t, I said to myself that if the house was swinging the doors would surely be slamming shut. And here I am, about 20 years later, putting door jambs on every single door or closing them all. Sometimes it’s so overwhelming I could actually vomit. I hear the slamming in my head and I feel sick. I also feel sick when I hear a door almost shut or see a slightly ajar door, or a door that is open to the furthest point as I feel the slam would be the loudest. The type of door also makes a difference. Like whether there’s glass, how heavy it is, what the closing system/knob is like. When I was a kid we had a dog who wasn’t allowed in the majority of the rooms so the doors were always kept closed. Due to laziness, my parents would always slam the doors behind them instead of quietly closing them so I heard slamming doors multiple times per day for my entire life. I started imagining the doors slamming on my dog too and this made me feel even more sick. Even talking about this phobia is so overwhelming and I have to compartmentalize my fear when I am a guest in somebody’s house. The only doors I close in a guests house are bathroom doors and sometimes I am okay because I relinquish control in the situation and other times it overwhelms me so much I have to go to the washroom just so I can have the “satisfaction” of closing one door in particular. I acknowledge how bizarre this fear is but it overwhelms me when I’m stressed. To make matters worse I also picture bathroom stall doors swinging and slamming again and again, and setting off an automatic flushing toilet and the lack of control in this particular scenario makes me so full of anxiety I’d sometimes think about it for an entire shift at work because we had automatic flushing toilets.
Magda says
I have a fear of slamming doors and gates. I hate the wind because I can hear, see, imagine all those gates and doors moving, slamming uncontrollably. I can’t think or relax sometimes. When I’m out and see an open gate, I can’t help it and I have to close it (if I can obviously). Yeah, I’m weird, but I don’t know how to change it.
Anonymous says
Thanks for helping me research and you guys were given credit. ;)
Rosalia says
I don’t have any fears right now. Sometimes I fear that I might fail a test but those kinds of fears are fleeting. Once you push through it whether a door or shaking a hand, the fear is diminished significantly. Sometimes I fear that someone breaks the lock on my door, comes in and accosts me in my sleep. Im getting a big dog.
moonnose says
I have this phobia. But it is more a fear of something coming through the door or being on the other side of the door. In all the articles online hardly ever see anyone say this kinda thing so I’m commenting.
Powerless Blade says
Is there a phobia of going door to door? Doors themselves don’t scare me but the very idea of going door to door scares the hell outta me.
Rian Coates says
Would this also be the phobia for walking past open doors ?