Genuphobia - The Fear of Knees

What Is Genuphobia? Genuphobia is an overwhelming, irrational fear of knees. The genuphobic individual may fear their own knees and/or fear seeing other people's knees. Genuphobia is a combination of Latin and Greek words. It derives from the Latin "genu", meaning knee and the Greek "phobos" meaning fear.

What Causes Genuphobia?

As is the case with all phobias, the person suffering with Genuphobia has been traumatized at some point in their life. That traumatic experience is then automatically and consistently associated with knees.

Maybe, as a child, the genuphobic person's parents wore clothes that always covered their knees and required the child to do the same. Perhaps this individual sustained a severe injury to the knee that resulted in disfiguring scars. Maybe the person coping with Genuphobia finds the sight of their own and other people's knees ugly.

Whatever the cause, the genuphobic person can experience anxiety and emotional turmoil that completely disrupts their ability to function on a daily basis.

What Are the Symptoms of Genuphobia?

The symptoms of Genuphobia are individual and will vary from person to person. Some people, when confronted with their fear of knees, may feel slightly uncomfortable, begin to perspire or become nauseated. At the opposite end of the spectrum, other people are so severely impacted by this phobia, that they experience full-blown anxiety and/or panic attacks.

Other symptoms of Genuphobia can include:

* Heightened Senses

* Breathlessness

* Feeling Dizzy

* Muscle Tension

* Hyperventilation

* Numbness

* Heart Palpitations

* Dry Mouth

* Trembling

* Feeling Out of Control

* Feeling Trapped and Unable to Escape

* Intense Feeling of Impending Disaster

How Is Genuphobia Diagnosed?

The vast majority of cases of Genuphobia are self-diagnosed. The individual coping with this phobia, realizes that their fear is irrational and that it is severely compromising their ability to function.

The genuphobic person may then discuss their phobia with the primary physician. Rarely would the doctor diagnosis Genuphobia based on the initial discussion with the patient. More routinely, after ruling out any physical reasons for the phobia, the doctor will refer the individual to a mental health professional for more comprehensive assessment and evaluation.

How Is Genuphobia Treated?

When the fear of knees becomes so intense as to completely disrupt an individual's ability to function, there are a number of different ways to treat Genuphobia.

These can include:

* A referral from the primary physician to a therapist who specializes in the treatment of phobias.

* Exposure Therapy.

* Hypnotherapy.

* Traditional "talk" therapy that will teach the person to recognize and control their phobia.

* Self-help techniques such as purposeful and progressive muscle relaxation.

* Support groups with other people coping with this specific phobia.

* Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Desensitization Therapy.

* Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or visualization.

* In extreme cases of Genuphobia, anti-anxiety medications can be prescribed.

Genuphobia is an intense, irrational fear of knees. Sometimes that fear can become so overwhelming as to completely halt a person's ability to function. Unchecked, Genuphobia can become a debilitating condition that interferes with an individual's personal life, their social life and job responsibilities. Untreated, Genuphobia impacts every aspect of a person's life.