Lilapsophobia: The Fear of Tornadoes or Hurricanes

What Is Lilapsophobia?

Lilapsophobia is the fear of tornadoes or hurricanes and is thought to be the more severe type of astraphobia, which is the fear of thunder and lightening storms. Lilapsophobia is what’s known as a specific phobia, which the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes as "an intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger."

Though tornadoes and hurricanes are dangerous, and many people fear them, a person with lilapsophobia has an above-average level of fear. Their fear causes distress or disruption to their everyday life, even when they're not in any real danger of being affected by a tornado or hurricane.

This article covers the definition of lilapsophobia, its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.

Symptoms of Lilapsophobia

Many of us have fears of inclement weather, and fear can be adaptive. For example, adaptive fear of storms can help a person be prepared for weather-related emergencies and motivate them to seek shelter when they need to. The symptoms of lilapsophobia, however, are not adaptive. In fact, they are often debilitating and actually prevent a person from functioning during a storm crisis.

Symptoms of lilapsophobia include:

• Constantly monitoring weather reports
• Worry, anxiety
• Dizziness 
• Shallow breathing, shortness of breath
• Increase in heart rate
• Lack of appetite
• Nausea
• Obsessive behavior
• Feeling helpless
• Panic
• Sleep disturbances
• Sweating

While it is rational to check weather forecasts before outdoor activities, if you have lilapsophobia, the weather controls your life. You may find yourself engaging in some of the following unhealthy coping behaviors:

• You might spend a great deal of time watching the weather forecast on TV or tracking storms online.
• You may refuse to go outside on days when even mild storms are predicted.
• When a storm hits, you may display behaviors such as constantly checking for weather alerts, hiding under the bed or in a closet, or even putting a full tornado plan into effect as soon as rain begins.
• You might listen closely to the storm for sounds of tornado activity, or you might attempt to drown out the storm altogether with loud music or movies.

Over time, you might find that your daily activities become more and more restricted.

• You might become unwilling to enter buildings that you don't think are safe to be in during a storm, even on clear, sunny days.
• You may refuse to take part in outdoor activities or long road trips for fear that a storm might hit and result in a tornado or hurricane.
• You may start to become afraid to even leave your house.

Causes of Lilapsophobia

Like many phobias, the fear of tornadoes or hurricanes is often traced to a negative experience. Perhaps you have been affected by a tornado or hurricane that caused personal injury or property damage to you or someone you love. Or, you might’ve narrowly avoided injury or damage done by a tornado in a neighboring town or area.

Lilapsophobia, like many phobias, may also be learned. If your parents, friends, or relatives are afraid of tornadoes or hurricanes, you may have picked up their fear.

If phobias run in your family, you may be more likely to develop one yourself. Studies note that similar to most mental health disorders, like other anxiety disorders and mood disorders, phobias seem to have a genetic influence.

There may also be another fear underlying your lilapsophobia. Research indicates that the fear of death actually plays a role in the predisposition to multiple mental health disorders. Speaking with a mental health professional can help you to understand what factors contribute to your lilapsophobia.

Criteria for Lilapsophobia Diagnosis

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) has criteria for clinicians to use to diagnose a specific phobia. Phobias are broken down into subtypes, including animal, weather, medical, situational, and 'other' fears. Lilapsophobia is obviously in the weather subtype.

A doctor or mental health professional uses certain criteria to diagnose a phobia. If a patient answers "yes" to most of the following questions, it is likely they have a true phobia:

• Is the fear irrational, excessive, and persistent?
• Is the fear out of proportion to any actual danger?
• Do you use avoidance behavior to prevent coming into contact with the object of your fear or anything having to do with it?
• Does the phobia impact/disrupt your life (including at work, school, or relationships)?
• Have the duration of your symptoms lasted at least six months?

Lilapsophobia in Children

Many children exhibit a fear of extreme weather events, especially if they are influenced by the appearance of tornadoes or hurricanes in the media or when they overhear adult conversations. For instance, if a major storm is profiled on television or discussed by adults, children may become afraid that it will happen to them.

Because fears are a normal part of childhood development, phobias are generally not diagnosed in children unless they persist for more than six months. Try to reassure your child about the relative rarity of major storms and explain your storm readiness procedures to them. 

Of course, if their symptoms persist and your child is displaying unusual displays of anxiety, be sure to talk to a doctor about their fear.

Treatment Options for Lilapsophobia

Like many phobias, lilapsophobia is often treated with therapy and medication. Lifestyle changes can also help alleviate anxiety caused by your phobia. 

Therapy

There are several options to choose from when treating anxiety disorders and phobias. A psychotherapist can work with you to examine the root causes of your phobia and gain an understanding of how anxiety is disrupting your life.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been consistently shown to be effective in lessening the symptoms of specific phobias. In CBT, the therapist helps you identify distorted thinking patterns that fuel worry and anxiety and teaches you ways you can reframe your thoughts about the object of your phobia to make it less frightening.

Your therapist may also use exposure therapy, which involves systematic desensitization or flooding techniques. Before you get started, you will learn relaxation and distraction techniques.

• Systematic desensitization is a therapeutic method in which a person is gradually exposed to the object of their fear in a supportive environment until they are able to face their fear while learning to relax and lower their experience of distress.
• Flooding is a faster approach. The client faces their fear in a shorter period in a safe and supportive environment.
• Relaxation techniques like mindfulness, deep breathing, or meditation can significantly reduce stress and promote feelings of relaxation. Start slowly and find the practices that work best for you. Develop a routine of practicing the techniques your therapist is teaching you. Even just a few minutes a day can help improve your relaxation response.

You wouldn’t be asked to put yourself in any real danger by going out into a dangerous storm. However, exposure therapy can be a helpful method of alleviating storm-related anxiety you face in your day-to-day life.

Hypnotherapy has also been shown to help people with specific phobias. A hypnotherapist will discuss your fear with you as well as the triggers related to your phobia. You'll be guided into a hypnotic state so the therapist can offer your subconscious suggestions to overcome certain feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.

However, if your phobia stems from post-traumatic stress disorder, then other types of therapy may be more appropriate. Your therapist will be able to diagnose the root of your phobia and prescribe the best course of action.

Medication

A doctor might recommend a combination of therapy and medication to help you cope with symptoms of lilapsophobia.

Medications prescribed for phobias include antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which can help lessen anxiety and regulate mood.

In certain cases, anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines like Xanax (alprazolam) may be prescribed. However, benzodiazepines can be habit-forming. If prescribed, it's generally advised they are taken only for short periods under the close supervision of a healthcare provider.

Coping with Lilapsophobia

An alternative or supplement to seeking help from a mental health professional, you might explore other resources to cope with your lilapsophobia. Living a healthy lifestyle, engaging with support groups, and other self-help strategies can be helpful for people with specific phobias.

Lifestyle Changes

Trying to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle will help reduce overall anxiety levels. Eating nutritious foods, being physically active, and getting enough rest are critical in maintaining our mental and physical health.

Support Groups

Support groups can be helpful for people with specific phobias. Even if others in the group have different phobias than you, sharing your experience can be therapeutic.

To find an accessible phobia support group while searching the internet, you can ask a mental health professional for assistance finding one. Some online therapy services, like Talkspace, can help you find a support group that meets virtually as well.

Lilapsophobia in Popular Culture

Hollywood films such as "Twister" (1996) address the effects of lilapsophobia. In that film, Dr. Jo Harding, played by Helen Hunt, witnesses her father’s death in a tornado. As an adult, she fights the resulting lilapsophobia by becoming a storm chaser. The film features highly realistic footage of major tornadoes, so it may not comfortable for people with lilapsophobia to watch until they are further along in their therapy.

Tornadoes and hurricanes are a part of life, and today’s media offers the opportunity to view devastating storms and their aftermath repeatedly and in vivid detail. Although news coverage is certainly important, it is equally important to put such coverage into perspective.

While small weather events happen frequently, only severe storms are deemed newsworthy. Media coverage can easily lead to a skewed belief that serious storms are much more common than they actually are. You may want to avoid watching too much coverage of even mild weather if you find it worsens your symptoms of lilapsophobia.

Final Thoughts

It can be challenging and frustrating to cope with lilapsophobia. It might seem like your anxiety and fear are constantly triggered, making it difficult to function in your daily life. Know that you're not alone in dealing with a specific phobia, and there are resources to help you. To get started, talk to a mental health professional, consider attending regular therapy sessions, and try some mindfulness exercises to begin to relieve your anxiety.