Featured Image Credit: Twitter/zackfursa
Topics: Psychology, Mental Health, Travel, Health, World News
Liv Bridge
Topics: Psychology, Mental Health, Travel, Health, World News
People are just realizing they might have a new phobia after seeing a shocking video where a plane emerges through the fog.
There are plenty of things to be afraid of in our modern world, whether you suffer from a fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), spiders (agoraphobia), heights, or even social situations and public speaking.
According to the NHS, phobias are a common type of anxiety disorder that can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex and social background.
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When put in these frightful situations, symptoms can include dizziness, nausea, an upset stomach, sweating or even heart palpitations as well as trembling.
While a fear of flying, called Aerophobia, is one of the most common phobias many of us face, one video of a plane that has gone viral on Twitter has unlocked a whole new world of panic.
The footage shows a shadow of a large jet emerging through the fog and seemingly flying close to the ground as it flies overhead.
But it's the menacing size of the jet that has triggered people's unease.
The social media thread reveals megalophobia is the cause of the discomfort, which roughly means a 'fear of big things'.
The Cleveland Clinic says people who suffer from the unusual phobia have 'an intense fear of large objects', such as skyscrapers, airplanes, ships, stadiums, and big statues.
Large or vast natural scenes, like mountains, volcanoes, lakes and oceans, and even enormous animals like elephants and whales also come under the megalaphobia umbrella.
The phobia could kick in when faced with the objects and even when people who suffer with them even think about them.
Those who have megalophobia tend to avoid situations or places that have large objects.
The Twitter thread compiles many of these frighteningly large scenarios, from the overhead jet and various large ships to the Egyptian pyramids, transport trucks, bridges and the statue of Bodhisattva Kannon in Sendai, Japan.
Also on the list is a 1979 picture of a window cleaner at the Twin Towers and the abandoned Goldin Finance 117 building in China, coming in at 597 meters as the tallest abandoned building around the globe.
Mother nature also tends to have a knack of making us feel small and vulnerable, with the Sorvagsvatn lake, which 'hangs' over the ocean in the Faroe Islands, as well as an underwater waterfall in Mautirius, which creates an optical illusion which looks as though the island is being pulled into a 'drain', and a 604 meter rock in Norway making for a 'terrifying' glimpse.
A man-made Bingham copper mine in Utah, the largest excavation and the deepest open pit mine in the world, is also getting under people's skin.
Dozens have reacted to the Twitter thread, having learnt that they must have the same phobia.
Sally Tanner wrote: "Omg! Yes! I have a huge fear over large oceanliners and especially the underneath of ships."
Another Twitter user, Julie, said: "I was today years old when I learned I have Megalophobia.
"My heart rate increased as my stomach ‘dropped’ with each image/video."
Others said the fear comes not because the things are big, 'it's that we are small'.
Meanwhile, others said the airplane is the fog makes for the 'perfect example' with the fear.
The good news is that megalophobia can be diagnosed and even treated through exposure therapy, however, you must have experienced 'persistent fear and anxiety of large objects for at least six months' and the issue is preventing you from living your everyday life in some way.