Genuphobia – Fear of Knees
Genuphobia, an abnormal and persistent dread of knees, is a very rare type of phobia. As 
in other phobias, people with genuphobia display varied symptoms that differ in severity.
Some genuphobes fear knees that are uncovered, while others cannot even stand the sight of knee photos or images. A genuphobe may suffer from fear of knees in general or specifically their own knees.
With proper genuphobia treatment, an affected individual can gradually grow out of his or her fears and live life normally.
Know Genuphobia Causes
While some cases of genuphobia do not have an apparent reason, genuphobia is mostly a result of a traumatic or negative experience involving knees. A classic example would be a serious knee injury.
Witnessing a severe knee injury occurring to a family member or friend can set off the fear trigger. A traumatic event in childhood can also figure among genuphobia causes.
It can be a result of one’s cultural upbringing or due to religious beliefs. Luckily, identifying the root cause is not a necessary condition to successfully treat this fear.
Experts believe that genuphobia causes include genetics; heredity & psychological conditioning, combined with past experiences. These factors play a substantial role in formation of phobias.
Identify Genuphobia Symptoms
As with any phobia, the symptoms of genuphobia vary from one person to another, depending on their degree of fear. Symptoms as such, can show in the form of severe dread, anxiety & panic.
Some people, dealing with their fear of knees, may undergo mild discomfort, begin to sweat or develop nausea. At the other end, some are deeply impacted by the phobia and suffer from panic attacks or full-blown anxiety.
Such a phobic will shun wearing any types of shorts or swimming costumes and prefer wearing full length dresses.
Here are some of the genuphobia symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Feeling of dread
- Panic
- Fast breathing
- Rapid heartbeat
- Sweating
- Dry mouth
- Hyperventilation
- Trembling
- Feeling trapped
- Feelings of impending disaster
A genuphobe will abhor gatherings where knees are bared. Genuphobia symptoms may not necessarily reveal the source of the fear, but achieving control over the fear will require a therapist to identify source of the fear.
Is Genuphobia Treatment Available?
Genuphobia patients will most possibly need the help of a therapist. This can help track the trepidation to its starting point & aid in determining the method used for genuphobia treatment.
Most people only have a mild fear of knees, needing simple control involving preventing the eyes from seeing knees of other person. A severe phobia requires professional assistance.
The therapist will take you into confidence & try to work out a treatment plan which helps in overcoming the phobia. Exposure or behavioral therapy may be used for this purpose.
In some cases, relaxation techniques that involve deep breathing are also very effective. Visualization is a technique which employs guided imagery to bring about healing. It renders a feeling of calmness and well being in the client.
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