How do I Cope with a Fear of Ghosts?

Dealing with a fear of ghosts is, more or less, just like dealing with any other type of fear, but with a few differences based on the particular subject of the fear. Since ghosts are not something that can be directly identified or utilized for confrontation of the fear, it can be somewhat more difficult to evaluate how the fear manifests itself. If you are trying to cope with a fear of ghosts on your own, then you should try to determine exactly how that fear comes out; consider environment and other tangential factors. You should then try to find some coping mechanisms that work well for you, such as deep breathing and guided visualizations, for which you may need the help of a psychological professional.

A fear of ghosts can be just as crippling or detrimental as any other type of fear or phobia, and perhaps more so since you may feel some embarrassment or shame over your fear. The first thing you should do is try to eliminate that embarrassment. Though a fear of ghosts, or phasmaphobia, may be completely irrational, most deep fears are irrational. Even a common source of fear, such as snakes or spiders, is irrational since most people are not likely to die or suffer serious injury from such a creature.

Talk to your friends and family about your fears and find support from them in dealing with what frightens you. You may even find someone who can relate to how you feel and you can work together to overcome your fears. It can also be helpful to seek out further support from a psychological professional or even a support group to help you cope with your fear of ghosts.

You may want to consider the root of your fear, and how the fear manifests itself. For example, perhaps you tend to feel anxiety or fear when seeing graveyards, tombstones, and other iconographic imagery associated with death. This may mean you have a fear of death, thanatophobia, which is quite common and you may need to deal with that phobia as well overcoming your fear of ghosts.

If your fear is more directly related to the idea of attack from malicious or harmful spirits or assailants beyond your capacity to defend against, then your fears may stem more from a sense of helplessness or inability to protect yourself. These types of tangential factors and issues can be quite common and helpful for understanding your fear. Knowing what triggers your fears and other concepts they are related to can also help you cope with your phobia.

Just like any other type of powerful fear, you can learn some tricks to help you cope with your fear of ghosts. A psychological professional can help you learn coping skills such as deep breathing, which can help you relax and move through a moment of fear or anxiety. Guided visualization is a process by which you learn to visualize an object or place that you associate with safety and comfort. By using this when you are dealing with your fear, you can find a way to move past an episode of distress or fear, and reduce how your phobia impacts your life.