Index
It is a fear that develops towards new things, or fear of novelty.
One of the most common ways of manifesting neophobia is as a distrust of new or different foods, to which the individual is accustomed.
This phobia is a type of social anxiety disorder , where some patients simply lose their fears over time, while others benefit from therapy and its treatments.
People generally prefer the routine and the familiar. They are much more comfortable when things around them are familiar, or predictable.
Neophobia is usually a form of self-protection that the individual develops when they fear breaking with the routine.
Neophobic people can develop a fear of a wide variety of situations or things.
Food is the most palpable example, but some neophobic people also experience situations of fear, stress and anxiety when the conditions of their daily environment change, when new concepts or people are introduced, when they move from one place to another.
Food neophobia is the fear of trying new food. It is seen mainly in children between the ages of two and six.
Neophobia (from the Greek neos, new and phobos, fear). In a world that seems to be constantly changing and not obeying clear rules, neophobia is the fear of anything new or unknown.
Food neophobia
Food neophobia, or the fear of trying new foods, is considered a normal stage in child development and affects between 50 and 75% of children.
It usually occurs between the ages of two and six and then disappears, eventually disappearing as children grow older. However, in some cases, it can continue into adulthood.
New foods are rejected when they are served, not when they are tasted.
It is important to differentiate between “picky” people, who reject both unfamiliar and unfamiliar foods, as they often do not like the taste, and people with food neophobia who only reject unfamiliar foods.
Neophobia in children
The phenomenon of food neophobia was initially described as a survival mechanism that was beneficial in evolutionary terms as it prevented the ingestion of potentially toxic plants.
As an example, children naturally reject foods with a bitter taste, which has been associated with toxic or harmful chemicals.
Food neophobia is rare among newborns and becomes apparent once solid foods replace breast milk.
It then reaches a peak in children between the ages of two and six, before declining thereafter.
Food neophobia can cause deficiencies, as it often refers to the group of fruits and vegetables, which contain essential vitamins for the body.
According to studies, children form a mental picture of what acceptable food should look like. Therefore, they reject anything that is too different from this image.
If a food is recognized and accepted on a visual level, it will be tested. Its taste will be evaluated by its subjective value (positive or negative), which in turn will be associated with the visual image.
Successful and continually positive experiences with such foods will reduce children’s reluctance to eat them.
Studies have shown that a food must be presented to a child eight times to be accepted.
Presenting new food in a positive way, preparing it in a fun way, or making it look entertaining on the plate seems to reduce the phobia it inspires.
On the other hand, forcing a child to eat a new food could accentuate the phobia.
In addition, the restrictive behavior of parents towards certain types of foods, which restrict their consumption or the times when they can be consumed, is associated with an increase in food neophobia in the child.
Neophobia in adults
While food neophobia has generally disappeared in adolescence, in some cases it is still evident in adults, who restrict their diet to a few familiar products and refuse to eat any new foods. As a consequence, they suffer from deficiencies and, often, from social exclusion.
Food neophobia can also appear in old age. This can be explained by various phenomena, such as poor dental health or gastric problems that can lead older people to avoid certain types of foods.
The involvement of smell and appropriate treatment
The sense of smell plays an important role in emotions and memories. It can also induce behavior that adapts to environmental stimuli.
Olfaction can, for example, alert the body to the presence of potentially dangerous elements in the environment and recognize foods that are useful for survival.
In addition, it has a great influence on the diet, since it plays an important role in the perception of taste.
Studies have shown that people who suffer from food neophobia do not perceive food-related or other odors, as pleasant and intense as those who do not suffer from it.
Since food neophobias seem to sniff less intensely for odors, it could be that your phobia is due to fear of a bad experience with an odor.
In general, food neophobia gradually disappears as children get older. However, if this phobia persists, a cognitive-behavioral approach is generally recommended .
This approach works in exposing patients to new foods and their perception, provides nutritional advice, and gradually incorporates a large number of new food products into their diet.
Symptoms
Like an anxiety attack, symptoms of neophobia include:
- Panic attacks .
- Short of breath.
- Dizziness and nausea
- Tremors throughout the body.
- Excessive perspiration
- Accelerated heart rate
- Chest pain.
The signs of a neophobic episode can occur in a variety of ways that are not always obvious.
When avoiding new things becomes unmanageable, it’s time to seek professional help.
Some signs to look out for are negative physical symptoms from exposure to new things or the idea of being in the presence of new things, realizing that neophobia causes the person to miss out on good opportunities, ignoring certain situations, places or things to avoid being exposed to news.
Also if the neophobia has persisted for a significant period of time and is affecting a person’s daily life, health or mood.
Neophobia treatment
Neophobia should not be taken lightly, the patient must realize that situations are being presented that he cannot handle in the face of novel events.
Treatments for neophobia include cognitive behavioral therapy, such as exposure therapy.
In this type of treatment, the therapist gradually introduces the patient to new things, so that he becomes familiar with the new concepts, objects, situations and learns to accept them without fear.
Using exposure therapy would gradually introduce someone to ways to control their phobia first in the mind and then in real life situations.
In short or long periods of time, depending on the severity of the case, therapy can help people leave new things in their lives and release fear.
People who are afraid to try new things should also learn self-help methods to deal with the worst of symptoms.
Learning about neophobia is just the first step in overcoming fear.
Learning to keep negative thoughts at bay is also helpful, as is finding an appropriate support group.
Lastly, practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing, yoga, and muscle relaxation can help you deal with the emotional and physical symptoms of a severe phobia.
Medications are used to treat the worst symptoms of phobia, such as panic attack and migraines .
Neophobia professionals can help people stop being afraid to live their lives to the fullest.
It is important to find a professional who knows how to guide the patient on the road to recovery.
