There are literally hundreds of songs that deal with rain. Usually the songs equate a love lost with a rainy day. Sad feelings always seem to go hand in hand with rain. Perhaps is emotions connected with a negative event that causes some people to fear rain. This fear is known as Pluviophobia.
The rain cleanses the earth and brings new growth to our world. Yet for all its benefits rain is often feared. Some may have a fear of thunderstorms as the primary fear, but since rain is the natural outcome of thunderstorms it can be added as a fear by extension.
What Causes Pluviophobia?
This fear may be psychologically connected to a negative event. The gray skies and rain drops can serve as a reminder of some event a person may wish to forget.
It could be that a family member of friend struggled with rain because it messed up their hair or clothing. The end result is that by observation you came to equate rain with a negative situation. If nothing good can come from rain then your mind can become convinced it is a force to be feared.
The fear can also stem from a feeling of impotence in the face of a flood. If you had an experience where you lived through a flash flood then the negative personal experience can give rise to panic and anxiety in the face of any rain. Your mind doesn’t care if the rain is supposed to be light and short-lived. If there is rain then fear can be present in the face of such memories.
Symptoms of Pluviophobia
A person who fears rain will have a strong desire to be very aware of the forecast. They may have their television tuned to a weather station and they may keep a window open on their computer to keep up to date on any weather changes for their immediate area.
Other symptoms include…
- Panic
- Elevated heart rate
- Nausea
- Air hunger
- Trembling
- Heightened anxiety
- Refusal to go outdoors in rain
As beneficial as rain is it can also be a detriment to those who struggle with this fear. They may not actually be afraid of water, but they may struggle with the compounded effects of abundant rain.
How to Overcome Pluviophobia
Therapy may be essential to the recovery of a pluviophobe. In many cases the fear will be tied to another factor that may be totally unrelated to rain itself. If this issue can be addressed it is likely that the fear of rain can be addressed in a way that allows for greater freedom in life.
There may be support groups available for people who have phobic tendencies, and an empathetic friend or family member can also provide incredible value in delivering options in dealing with the fear.
Your mind can respond emotionally or rationally to fear stimuli. A therapist can help you learn how to rely more on logic and less on emotion.
The fear of rain is also referred to as:
- Rain fear
- Fear of precipitation
- Pluviophobia
