Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionSymptomsDiagnosisCausesImpactTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Definition

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Causes

Impact

Treatment

Coping

What Is Pyrophobia?

Fire can be dangerous, so some degree of fear and caution is appropriate. Just because you might be afraid that your house could catch fire doesn’t mean you have pyrophobia. However, someone with pyrophobia is unable to tolerate even well-controlled, small fires and often exhibits physical symptoms, such as dizziness, when encountering fire.

While there is a lack of research or scientific definitions of how pyrophobia presents specifically, the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition” (DSM-5) provides information on characteristics of phobias.

What Is Pyromania?

Symptoms of Pyrophobia

The DSM-5 does not recognize pyrophobia as a distinct mental health condition. However, it does list specific phobias, which are outlined in four categories: animals (such as spiders or dogs), natural environment (such as water or thunder), blood-injection injury, and other objects or situations. The two other types of phobias listed in the DSM-5 are social phobia, which is now calledsocial anxiety disorder, andagoraphobia.

The DSM-5 lists thecriteria to diagnose a specific phobia. To be diagnosed:

Someone who has pyrophobia may feel dizzy or queasy if they come into close contact with fire. This exposure could be as simple as someone lighting a candle or turning on a gas stove.

When around a fire, someone with severe pyrophobia may also experience:

Someone with a specific phobia such as pyrophobia may experience apanic attackif their reaction is more severe.

Diagnosis of Pyrophobia

The DSM-5 criteria for diagnosing a specific phobia include the following:

Causes of Pyrophobia

It’s not clear exactly what causes a phobia. However, there are factors that may make someone more at risk than others. For example:

In many cases, genes and the environment may both contribute. Having certain gene combinations may predispose a person to a higher risk for anxiety conditions such as phobias, while environmental exposure or traumatic experience might then contribute to the onset of the condition.

Impact of Pyrophobia

Pyrophobia can have a major impact on your daily life. Someone with pyrophobia may experience the following:

Such symptoms can have a limiting impact on your life, making it difficult to function as you usually would in your daily life. As with all phobias, consider speaking with a mental health professional if a fear of fire begins to limit your activities.

10 of the Most Common Phobias

Treatment for Pyrophobia

There are a fewtreatment optionsfor people who are dealing with a specific phobia. Each person’s specific treatment plan may vary depending on their needs and the severity of their symptoms.

Medication

A healthcare provider may indicate that medication could be helpful in managing your pyrophobia. There are certain medications that are prescribed for people with anxiety disorders. They include:

Medications may be more effective when they are utilized in conjunction with some form of psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy

People with intense pyrophobia may need to seek help from apsychotherapist. Research has found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy are useful in treating specific phobias.

What Treatments for Phobias Work Best?

Coping With Pyrophobia

In addition to seeking professional treatment for your condition, there are also self-help strategies that can be helpful when coping with a specific phobia such as pyrophobia.

A Word From Verywell

Living with any phobia can be very disruptive to your life, but be assured that with proper treatment, you can manage your symptoms of pyrophobia. If you are experiencing symptoms that are keeping you from your normal daily activities such as eating, sleeping, or working, it’s important to reach out to a mental health professional as soon as you can to get relief.

11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedGen.Pyrophobia.Online Etymology Dictionary.Pyrophobia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Phobias.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.MedlinePlus.Phobias.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.Van Houtem CM, Laine ML, Boomsma DI, Ligthart L, van Wijk AJ, De Jongh A.A review and meta-analysis of the heritability of specific phobia subtypes and corresponding fears.J Anxiety Disord. 2013;27(4):379-88. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.04.007Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93-107. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelowBalon R, Starcevic V.Role of benzodiazepines in anxiety disorders.Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1191:367-388. doi:10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0_20Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1Boeldt D, McMahon E, McFaul M, Greenleaf W.Using virtual reality exposure therapy to enhance treatment of anxiety disorders: Identifying areas of clinical adoption and potential obstacles.Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:773. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00773

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedGen.Pyrophobia.Online Etymology Dictionary.Pyrophobia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Phobias.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.MedlinePlus.Phobias.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.Van Houtem CM, Laine ML, Boomsma DI, Ligthart L, van Wijk AJ, De Jongh A.A review and meta-analysis of the heritability of specific phobia subtypes and corresponding fears.J Anxiety Disord. 2013;27(4):379-88. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.04.007Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93-107. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelowBalon R, Starcevic V.Role of benzodiazepines in anxiety disorders.Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1191:367-388. doi:10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0_20Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1Boeldt D, McMahon E, McFaul M, Greenleaf W.Using virtual reality exposure therapy to enhance treatment of anxiety disorders: Identifying areas of clinical adoption and potential obstacles.Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:773. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00773

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

MedGen.Pyrophobia.Online Etymology Dictionary.Pyrophobia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Phobias.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.MedlinePlus.Phobias.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.Van Houtem CM, Laine ML, Boomsma DI, Ligthart L, van Wijk AJ, De Jongh A.A review and meta-analysis of the heritability of specific phobia subtypes and corresponding fears.J Anxiety Disord. 2013;27(4):379-88. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.04.007Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93-107. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelowBalon R, Starcevic V.Role of benzodiazepines in anxiety disorders.Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1191:367-388. doi:10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0_20Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1Boeldt D, McMahon E, McFaul M, Greenleaf W.Using virtual reality exposure therapy to enhance treatment of anxiety disorders: Identifying areas of clinical adoption and potential obstacles.Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:773. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00773

MedGen.Pyrophobia.

Online Etymology Dictionary.Pyrophobia.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Phobias.

National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.

MedlinePlus.Phobias.

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Washington, DC; 2013.

Van Houtem CM, Laine ML, Boomsma DI, Ligthart L, van Wijk AJ, De Jongh A.A review and meta-analysis of the heritability of specific phobia subtypes and corresponding fears.J Anxiety Disord. 2013;27(4):379-88. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.04.007

Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93-107. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelow

Balon R, Starcevic V.Role of benzodiazepines in anxiety disorders.Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1191:367-388. doi:10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0_20

Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1

Boeldt D, McMahon E, McFaul M, Greenleaf W.Using virtual reality exposure therapy to enhance treatment of anxiety disorders: Identifying areas of clinical adoption and potential obstacles.Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:773. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00773

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