Ommetaphobia (The Fear of Eyes): Signs, Causes, How to Cope

Ommetaphobia is a type of phobia involving the severe, irrational fear of the eyes. It’s a kind of specific phobia, which is a phobia involving a particular object, activity, person, or situation. People who experience ommetaphobia often go to great lengths to avoid thinking about eyes or being in a situation where looking at eyes is a major focus. Usually, ommetaphobia is triggered by a traumatic event involving eyes.

Ommetaphobia may be related to trypophobia, which is the fear of holes, and some people with trypophobia experience the fear of looking at a cluster of eyes, or images involving many eyes staring back at you.

Here, we’ll take a closer look at ommetaphobia, along with expert tips on what symptoms look like, what may cause it, and what you can do to experience relief from the stress and anxiety of having an extreme fear of eyes.

Signs You May Have Ommetaphobia

People who have ommetaphobia will experience high levels of fear or stress surrounding eyes, and situations involving eyes. Usually that anxiety will be experienced immediately or soon after exposure. People with ommetaphobia go to great lengths to avoid exposure to thoughts, images, or situations involving the eyes.

To be diagnosed with ommetaphobia or any type of specific phobia, you usually have to have experienced these fears for six months or more.

Ryan Sultan, MD, a psychiatrist specializing in anxiety disorders and a professor at Columbia University, says that signs of ommetaphobia will vary from one person to another. Common signs and symptoms usually involve the following:

• Fear or anxiety upon seeing or thinking about eyes
• Avoiding any situation where you’ll have to think about eyes or focus intensely on eyes
• Uncomfortable physical symptoms like rapid heart rate, increased sweating, trembling, and feeling lightheaded, along with feelings of fear
• Difficulty socializing, especially when looking at eyes or intense eye contact may be involved
• Avoiding eye contact
• Avoiding images, TV, film, or media that center on eyes

Children who experience ommetaphobia may not be able to articulate their fears. In many cases, their symptoms may show up as crying, increased tantrums, and being generally more clingy. Children may also seek to avoid situations or images that focus on the eyes.

Is Ommetaphobia Rare?

Research has found that 3%-15% of the worldwide population experiences a specific phobia like ommetaphobia. According to Lancet Psychiatry, the most common specific phobias are fear of heights and fears involving animals.

Dr. Sultan says that ommetaphobia is one of the least common specific phobias. “Ommetaphobia is relatively rare compared to other phobias,” he says. “In my practice, I've encountered it, but it's not as common as other specific phobias like arachnophobia or claustrophobia.”

Does Anything Specifically Cause or Trigger Ommetaphobia?

The precise cause of ommetaphobia or other specific phobias is unknown. It’s thought that both heredity and environmental factors contribute. Usually, something traumatic or distressing happens in your life involving the thing you fear, and then you become conditioned to continue to be triggered each time you encounter it.

In the case of ommetaphobia, a trigger is usually a traumatic event relating to the eyes, Dr. Sultan says. “This could be a personal experience or witnessing a distressing event involving eyes,” he describes. “However, the exact cause can vary greatly among individuals.”

Factors That May Increase Your Risk of Developing Ommetaphobia

While anyone can develop a phobia, certain individuals are more prone to it than others. For example:

• Women are two times more likely to develop a phobia as compared to men
• People with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other anxiety disorders are more likely to experience a phobia
• People with depression are more likely to experience phobias
• The development of phobias often starts early, with children developing them at around 7 years old
  

How Can My Ommetaphobia Be Treated?

Experiencing a phobia like ommetaphobia can make life challenging. You may feel ashamed of how you feel.

Many people lack hope that they will ever get over their fear. These are common feelings to have, and you should know that you aren’t alone in feeling this way. Importantly, there is hope.

According to Dr. Sultan, the two most effective therapies for ommetaphobia are cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a kind of behavioral and mindfulness therapy commonly used to treat phobias. "CBT helps individuals understand and change thought patterns that lead to fear and anxiety,” Dr. Sultan explains.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy, which is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy, is particularly helpful in managing ommetaphobia, says Dr. Sultan. This type of therapy “involves gradual and repeated exposure to the fear-inducing object (in this case, eyes) until the fear response decreases,” Dr. Sultan describes.

Other types of therapy, although less effective, that may be used to treat ommetaphobia and other phobias include:

• Family therapy
• Hypnosis
• Supportive therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Virtual therapy, where you’re exposed to an image or video of your phobia on a computer screen, under the supervision of a therapist

Medication isn’t the main way that phobias are treated. But medication may be used when your phobia also involves panic attacks or other forms of anxiety. In these cases, medications like beta-blockers, antidepressants (SSRIs) or benzodiazepines may be prescribed by a psychiatrist or other prescriber.

How to Cope With Ommetaphobia in Your Daily Life

Getting through your day to day life with ommetaphobia can be difficult. There may be many situations that trigger your fears, and you may constantly feel on guard to protect yourself from being in a situation where you may have to think about or be required to focus intently on eyes.

Dr. Sultan shared his top tips for coping with phobias in your day-to-day life:

• Practice deep breathing, mindfulness, and other relaxation techniques to reduce your anxiety symptoms
• When you can, practice gradually exposing yourself to your fears in a controlled and safe environment
• Make sure to surround yourself with a network of supportive friends and family; these should be people who don’t judge you, accept your fears, and can provide emotional support.
• If your phobia is significantly impacting your daily life and isn’t getting better, it’s time to seek help from a mental health professional.