There are hundreds of thousands of phobias and Seismophobia is one of the most common ones if you live in a seismic hazard zone. It is defined as the extreme, often irrational fear of earthquakes. The word ‘Seismophobia’ originates from Greek ‘seismo’ meaning famine, earthquakes or wars and ‘Phobos’ the Greek God of fear.
To an extent we all fear earthquakes which are natural calamities over which one has no control. They also cause huge destruction of life and property. In case of people with extreme Seismophobia, the fear interferes with their daily lives. Many sufferers also have other phobias such as Agoraphobia (the fear of being unable to escape), Thanatophobia (the fear of death) or even the fear of being trapped or buried alive (Taphephobia).
Causes of Seismophobia
People living in earthquake prone zones are most likely to develop this extreme fear of earthquakes.
- Earthquakes are uncontainable natural calamities. They often cause large scale destruction of property and life.
- People living in earthquake prone zones experience shaking, rumbling and tremors from time to time. Most live in the fear that the next ‘tremor’ could be a huge one causing massive destruction of property, even life. They also have to deal with shaking walls, overhead structures falling down, or damage in the form of cracked walls or glass.
- In a majority of Seismophobic individuals, the fear stems from a terrible past experience with an earthquake, (where one might have experienced loss of life or financial losses). This could trigger lifelong Seismophobia.
- We also read or hear news reports about earthquakes where people remain trapped underneath the rubble for days, even weeks. Such reports can naturally cause anxious individuals to develop an extreme fear of earthquakes.
- In areas experiencing seismic activities frequently, geologists keep a watch for major events in order to minimize devastation through evacuation. Leaving one’s home is never a welcome change for most.
- These days, there are more and more reports of earthquakes occurring with greater frequency. People who fear the end of the world or the Apocalypse often correlate these events. They believe earthquakes are part of nature’s way of eliminating large populations.
- In many recent earthquakes such as the one in Japan, there were other major aftermaths (in the form of Tsunamis and damage to nuclear reactors). This in turn led to the fear of radiation or contamination of food. Movies such as Godzilla portray animal mutation that occurs due to radiation leaks in the ocean. Such TV shows and movies can also lead to Seismophobia.
Symptoms of fear of earthquakes phobia
Seismophobia is a representation of inner anxiety and based on the extent of one’s fear, there may be different symptoms. These include:
- Palpitations, rapid or shallow breathing (hyperventilation).
- The desire to flee or hide. The phobic might even cry or scream at the thought of an earthquake.
- Dry mouth, dizziness, gastrointestinal distress, nausea, headaches etc.
- The phobic might go to great lengths to plan an escape route in case of an earthquake. One might even spend huge amounts of money for securing one’s home, cabinets, overhead hanging pots etc to prevent these from falling. Their behavior could be obsessive compulsive in some cases.
- Most patients constantly live with the fear of earthquakes. This naturally affects their day to day life and even compromises their relationships.
Overcoming Seismophobia
Educating self about earthquakes is one of the best ways of overcoming Seismophobia. One could determine ways to protect one’s home and family without going overboard. This includes keeping a fire extinguisher ready and chalking out an escape plan or keeping a first aid kit handy etc. If, however, the phobia is interfering with your daily life, do speak to a professional psychotherapist who can recommend ways and means to cope with this anxiety. Medication might be prescribed as a last resort in extreme cases. Self-help techniques such as deep breathing and daily meditation of 10 minutes can also help one cope with anxiety attacks.
Many modern therapies including Cognitive behavior therapy, Hypnotherapy and NLP or neuro-linguistic programming etc can help overcome Seismophobia by getting to its roots.
Boghos L. Artinian says
During the heavy rain today, my car started to slightly rock from right to left. At first, I thought it was an earthquake, but when I stopped the fast windshield wipers, the rocking stopped.
Boghos L. Artinian says
Think of the tectonic plate in your region as a ship on a wavy ocean of lava, and this will reduce seismophobia.
Cami says
I didn’t even know this was a thing! I live in Chile, and I honestly think the 8.8 earthquake in 2010 left me with severe trauma. Still to this day, I am extremely terrified of earthquakes, and it is just my luck that we have about one every day here (ranging from 4 to 5 – nothing serious here, but I get scared either way). Whenever the floor creaks, I panic thinking that it might be an earthquake. Almost every night I feel like my bed is shaking but it always ends up being my imagination. It’s awful! I wish there was a way to stop this feeling. Even if I try to stay calm during one, it doesn’t work. I always panic.
Julie says
I experienced a 7 earthquake last year on holiday in Turkey whist at our holiday home. I was so scared and wanted to get the next flight out home to the uk but my husband wouldn’t leave and everyone told me to stay. There were many aftershocks and many of my friends said if I had left I would never come back for another holiday. I know they are right. We are due to fly out again in March but with the current situation I am almost thankful I can’t fly. I am already scared to go back to Turkey now. I hope someday I will get over the fear and be able to relax in our holiday home and go to the beach without living in fear of something like this again. I have experienced many smaller tremors and they have never worried me, even been woken up by the house shaking. Again I was fine, but this last one, maybe because it was so big, has just scared me to bits. I hope we all can find peace in ourselves to deal with our fear soon.
Paddy says
I live in the UK where we don’t have earthquakes worth worrying about as they’re mostly too small to feel. But I was recently in the Philippines where I experienced two earthquakes within two days of each other, 6.6 and 6.5. I was truly terrified, especially by the first one as I was on the 6th floor of a condo block. No one here is offering any positive thoughts, and I know it’s difficult when the anxiety takes hold, so let me share these thoughts with you. Most comments here are from North America where I imagine you have stringent building regulations to ensure that buildings are earthquake resistant. Shaking land won’t kill you, collapsing buildings might, so the way I see it you should be safe. And if it’s really too much for you – relocate to somewhere that doesn’t have earthquakes. Easy to say to people with ties to a certain place, but just putting it out there.
Nicole Turner says
Hey I always had the fear of earthquakes because I have sensory issues. When the July earthquakes in 2019 happened, I had really bad anxiety that I couldn’t sleep at all and I kept thinking in the middle of the night that we were having one. What would anyone suggest I should do to either overcome them or at least try not to be afraid of them anymore?
Imane says
I’m 16 and I live in Northern Algeria and we already faced earthquakes. My mother was also very afraid of them and she transmitted her fear to me after the earthquake of May 2003, when she was pregnant with me. It didn’t show until 2013, but it reached its paroxysm in 2014 and 2016. I don’t know what to do to overcome this phobia which paralyses me every single day and hour of my life, even studying them in Science couldn’t help me face it. I need help.
Lizzy says
Ever since the 4.7 just a few minutes from where i live hit in the middle of the night, i am terrified to sleep. I cannot sleep through the whole night now, and i have already had a deathly fear of natural disasters before all of these earthquakes began to happen. I will pray and pray until i fall asleep. Can anyone give advice on how to overcome this? I’m also already such a worrier so i worry myself sick and i’ve been getting terrible headaches and i feel as if i’m going to vomit, i’m so scared. I wake up and i feel the walls shaking or my bed shaking and i ask other people if they felt it and they say no. I feel like i’m losing control!
Mia says
Me too. I feel shaking when I’m in bed at night or in the morning and my heart starts beeping really fast. It’s really scary!
Mya says
I had experienced an earthquake too, 6.4 something, and after that, I couldn’t sleep in my bed at all. Whenever my family ate together at the dining table, I would immediately think it’s an earthquake if the table shook because of someone. It’s been about a year, but I still fear it. It’s not that extreme now, but it still is there.
Seeking Peace says
Just in case any of you check back in on this, I want to let you all know that a fear on this scale is most likely a form of OCD. I found my way here because I have OCD and sometimes the anxiety of it is unbearable. Currently I’m focused on earthquakes, though the anxiety is happening on some level most of the time. It’s a lot to explain, but if any of you are still looking for proper treatment I would contact someone in your area that specializes in OCD. Unfortunately not many therapists are trained in this, so I went years and years before a therapist could finally pinpoint what was going on with me. The good news is there is very effective treatment called CBT that saved my life! And if no one in your area specializes, contact ocdla. They can do online sessions and helped me so much. I hope this helps someone. I know how this kind of anxiety can take over your life, but there is a way to find help!
Lizbeth Zelaya says
I live in South California too and I felt the earthquake but a little less than Ridgecrest and I always feel that we’re going to have another bigger one.
Sasha says
I just started to have this fear but ever since we had a 6.9 and 7.1 on July 4th and 5th in South California I started to constantly think if we are going to have another one today and the next day growing to be a 9.0 scale.
Val says
I’ve been thinking the same exact way and can’t help but to think of all the worst possible scenarios. The most recent one hit while I was in the shower and now I’m scared to even shower at this point. It’s all I think about every day and it triggered my anxiety which overwhelms me with awful thoughts. I’ve been trying to calm myself down but eventually my nerves get the best of me and end up overwhelming myself again.
Luis says
Same here. Ever since the two hit SoCal I’ve been paranoid about the next one. I’ve been reading articles about the “Big One” and getting information about when it can strike. It’s so terrifying knowing that one day a massive earthquake will hit and destroy my home, maybe even kill loved ones. Whenever I’m using the bathroom or going out, I always run a scenario of what could happen if a big earthquake were to strike, and it’s just raising my anxiety. I’m trying to inform my family but they don’t take it as seriously as I do.
Nicole Turner says
I remember in 4th grade we got out for summer and as soon as we did, when we got home I was watching TV when I felt the apartment shake. I got scared and ran, then later on I had to use the restroom and while using it, an earthquake happened and now the July earthquakes came. The second last one I was using the restroom and it started shaking and I ran out of it and after that I started feeling Nausea and dizzy. I threw up on the morning after and I am still paranoid. I keep looking around my room or living room just in case so I understand what you are feeling. But I realized that I felt dizzy and nauseous. I was fine before everything happened. I knew that earthquake rocking makes me sick.
Layla says
Nobody may read this, but I just want to get it out. Today, an 4.0 earthquake about an hour away hit. I honestly didn’t know until my friend texted me, I love my family very much, as I live with my father, he goes to work for roughly 3 hours while I am home alone. I am extremely scared to be home alone for those 3 hours, I don’t know what could happen. I don’t have much intellect on earthquakes but is it possible for a nearby earthquake to happen in my area? I feel as if searching it up would make me even more paranoid than I am now. I jump at the sound of a truck, and I am also very scared of tornadoes ever since 5 sirens went off here, does anyone have any advice to help me calm down? I’ve been sleeping in peace until today, I just want to sleep again.
Cynthia Whitaker says
I’m so sorry you are going through this. I have been feeling that way too lately. I am not sure how to get over it myself. Just know you are not alone.
luna says
I know I am being late but I hope you will read this. I have been staying alone at home since I was a kid because my parents had to work, so I am pretty much used to it. I completely understand what you are feeling. I am not going to say don’t be afraid because those are just words and unfortunately not so powerful. Instead I will ask you to think about you and your family. You need to be strong for them. Whenever something happens just run outside. Protect yourself from everything and be strong!! In this world we all are kind of “alone” and we all need to protect ourselves because nobody is going to do that. If there is an earthquake, grab the most important things for you and just run outside to an open area. Try to be near other people, don’t stand under trees or any other things. An open area!! I have experienced the recent earthquakes in California and it really scared me. Just like you, I am not calm anymore. I constantly think that it is going to happen again. But what can we do? Just know that our lives are always full of obstacles and that we all go through all of it. We just need to fight and stay strong. Try to concentrate on other stuff. More personal I would say? Just think about how you will create your beautiful future, career, family. Some things leave our lives just as soon as they entered. And believe it or not this fear will do the same. It will fade away. It just needs some time. Everything is temporary. Except for your love to your family. So once again, be strong for your family.
Farshid says
If somebody is able to help, please give solutions to overcome this phobia.
Tara says
I live on the west coast of Canada. I started having this phobia about 6 months ago when a light earthquake hit the city and when listening to the news about it, I found out that our region is awaiting a 9 richter earthquake and it is just a matter of time for it to happen.
I have been having severe anxieties since then. I have been trying to find a job in a different city to be able to move, but the job market is TERRIBLE at the moment. Even over here, I have been having trouble paying the bills.
All my family is also in this city and they are not willing to move with me. I really worry about them.
Actually studying about earthquakes (as this stupid article suggests) makes the fear a lot lot worse. It only confirms how powerless we are and how much more can happen in a 9 richter disaster (tsunamis, liquidation of the soil, etc.)
Meg says
Did you ever move or how are you coping? I am living in Seattle, having moved without having any idea about earthquakes here. Now I am constantly having anxiety about it and don’t know what to do.
esy says
I don’t know if i have it or not, can you explain more?
Erin says
I live in Vancouver too and I have had seismophobia for 25 years. I remember the tremor you are talking about. I hang things in my house in different rooms so when I think I feel moving I look to see if they are still or not. One good thing to use is mirror balls.
Court says
I live in Salt Lake City and we have been warned about “The Big One” my whole life (40 years). I have always been aware, and have tried to inform myself about the dangers. I live in an unreinforced masonry house and asked my husband years ago to retrofit our house (we have two boys in bunk beds and the thought of the roof collapsing on them terrifies me). He thinks I’m nuts and said he’s not wasting the money.
March 18 of this year we had a 5.7 earthquake (not our big one) and I have literally freaked out. I am on anti-anxiety meds and am so scared I can hardly function some days. I was fine before that, although I have always been a worrier.
Currently my house is in the process of being retrofit. Finally. My husband said he feels terrible he didn’t take my fear seriously until it was too late. I am storing water, which I never did in the past because he would give me a hard time. The only thing that has made me feel better is taking those steps (also strapped my water heater) to better prepare for this earthquake that may never happen in my lifetime, and time away from anything that makes me think about it. Unfortunately we still have aftershocks and many other things that causes people to bring it up constantly.
I read a meme that basically says worrying about something that hasn’t happened makes you relive it unnecessarily multiple times. Don’t worry and just deal with it if it happens. I reread this often hoping it will help me.
I told my husband I wanted to move after the quake in March, and I have never been more serious. But obviously that’s not always a simple option. My husband tries to help me, but it’s in my head and I just need to work through it myself.
I feel for all of you. Do what you can to prepare for your safety if something should happen, and try to focus on something else, right? We got this.
Cole Kirby says
I have Siesmophobia. I live in a house where my bedroom is halfway below ground level outside, so every time a large truck or train (live near train tracks) comes by I panic and can’t think or sometimes sleep. I’m constantly fearful that every little vibration is an S wave, and then start to panic waiting for the P wave to strike.
Dipankar Das says
I also have this fear. I not only have this fear but also all the natural disasters on this planet. I cant even take a breath without thinking of this natural disaster. When i even sit on anything i just get a feeling that there is a tremor and suddenly get out from there. I just cant bear this. Can anyone help me to get rid of this fear. I cant bear it anymore. It is just ruining my life.
javiria says
I also have this fear and it has disturbed my whole life. I feel like when it’s happening, I scream loudly when it comes and don’t know how to overcome it. My whole family is worried about me.
Muazam Khan says
I can’t sleep during night. I’m restless during days too. Seismophobia has hit me so hard that whenever i enter a building or a house i think about an escape plan. I only think about if an earthquake will come and how i will escape. I’m not finding a way to overcome it :(
Earthquakes suck says
I have the same fears! What’s worse for me is my fear of tsunamis! I make myself nauseous with worry. I wanna leave CaLifornia. But I’d be fearful of hurricanes or tornados if I moved out of state.
Elli says
I live alone and recent quakes really affected my personal life. I can not sleep therefore I can not study. Dogs barking or a truck passing causes me palpitation.
This is the fourth quake I’ve experienced in this year and while everyone is laughing at me I still can not overcome this fear.
Jonathan says
I live in Los Angeles, so having this one is a nightmare. Luckily, my mind rarely works obsessively – I’ve got memory problems, so sometimes I just forget I’m even afraid of a thing until I’m reminded of or confronted with it. I’ll tell you though, the earthquakes here are KILLER, even if they don’t actually hurt anyone. It’s the unpredictability of them that gets me. I’ll have whole days where I feel like I can sense one coming and nothing happens, and then when I’m at my most peaceful, my shower door will start rattling and an invisible truck will hit the building. It’s awful.
Taryn says
I know that feeling, New Zealand is the same, I can go days without eating until one finally hits, can’t sleep still because I’m constantly feeling them.
Julián says
I live in Costa Rica, so there is always a chance for an earthquake, and while everyone except my girlfriend laughs at me for my phobia, I live in constant fear and anxiousness that any time an earthquake can hit, so whenever I go to my dad’s house (he lives in a building), my school (I study on the 3rd floor) or any building for that matter, or even just when I’m indoors or I cannot easily leave where I’m at, so the only time when I’m at peace is when I am in an open field or somewhere where nothing can fall on me. I need to overcome this goddamn phobia, it is ruining my life.
Sunirban says
I always feel an earthquake is happening. So I can’t sleep at night.
Haroon says
Same case with me!
Janay says
I too am that way. Some nights (like last night) I only sleep for 2 hours. I lay awake. Panicking. The slightest of sounds stir me awake.