A skyscraper can make you feel uneasy while you’re standing safely on the pavement. The side of a ship can have the same effect when you see it from the dock. For someone with megalophobia, the sheer size of an object can bring on intense fear and a strong urge to get away.
Large objects can make anyone feel small. The fear may be a phobia when it keeps coming back, feels much stronger than the situation warrants, and starts to shape where you go or what you do.
What can trigger megalophobia?
A monument you can see from across a square may feel much more intimidating when you stand at its base. Other triggers can include a train pulling into a station, an aircraft seen from the ground, or a whale surfacing near a boat. Some people feel anxious just thinking about encountering a large object.
It helps to notice which part of the scene makes you uneasy. The same building can bring on fear from the pavement because it towers over you, or from a balcony because of the drop below. If the fear centers on being high up, read about acrophobia, the fear of heights. If it centers on deep, open water, read about thalassophobia, the fear of the ocean.
What causes megalophobia?
The exact causes of megalophobia are unclear. For some people, the fear may follow a frightening experience involving a large object. Someone who panicked the first time they stood close to a ship might begin to dread the next visit to the harbor. Others may struggle to remember when the fear began.
Avoidance can keep the fear going. Taking a different route may bring immediate relief, but it also gives you fewer chances to find out what happens when you pass the object in an ordinary, safe setting. Over time, a detour you took once can become part of how you plan every trip.
Symptoms of megalophobia
The fear can come on quickly when you see a large object. It can also build in advance, such as when you know a school trip will take you to a museum with a full-size aircraft on display. You may notice:
- A pounding or racing heart
- Shaking, sweating, or shortness of breath
- Dizziness or nausea
- A strong urge to leave or put more distance between yourself and the object
The effect on daily life can be easier to spot than the symptoms themselves. You might change your commute, turn down an outing, or spend much of a visit looking for a way to leave.
Overcoming the fear of large objects
If the fear is affecting your work, travel, or time with other people, a healthcare professional can help you assess it. They may ask when it happens, what you expect will happen in the moment, and which activities you’ve started to avoid. One recent example is enough to start the conversation.
Exposure therapy is a well-supported treatment for specific phobias. A therapist can help you work up to situations that matter to you. For example, if you want to be able to meet a friend near a large monument, you might start by looking at a photo, then view the monument from across the square. Later steps can bring you closer if that serves your goal. A therapist may also use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you examine what you expect will happen as you approach.
Start with one activity you want back
Think of one ordinary thing the fear gets in the way of. It could be walking your usual route to work or joining friends for a visit to the waterfront. Write down where the fear starts and what you do next. If you decide to speak with a therapist, that example gives you both a concrete goal to work toward.