Xanthophobia
by Adina Wilkinson
Xanthophobia: fear of the color yellow
Xanthophobia is an intense, irrational fear of the color yellow. In it's excessive form, the person may overwhelmingly wish to avoid even the phrase, yellow. Xanthophobia is developed through unconscious thoughts as a protective mechanism. At some point in individual's past there was likely an occasion linking the color or the word yellow to an emotionally traumatizing event in their life.
Symptoms of Xanthophobia
The actual phobia manifests itself in many ways. Some experience it nearly all the time while others do only in response to direct stimuli. Symptoms include extreme anxiety and panic with shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, excessive seating, nausea, dry mouth, shaking and the inability to articulate words or sentences.
Treatment for Xanthophobia
Medicine can be prescribed for those who suffer from Xanthophobia to temporarily suppress symptoms of the intense fear. However, there are more permanent treatments for phobias such as this including counseling, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy and the newer, less common neuro-linguistic programming.