Thermophobia: fear of hot weather.

[Garbo-]

I have this unbearable, severe fear of warm weather and humid heat. I live in Canada, Ontario, and this summer has been scorching like Dalí's famous painting "The Persistence of Memory." Honestly, I have developed such disdain and fear over the heat, that I rarely leave the house now. I'm too afraid to meet my friends, take photographs, go on hikes, travel, go to museums, etc. all because of this bloody heat. Has anyone experienced a phobia towards heat? This phobia has put a hindrance on me getting a job or volunteering this summer. I have socialized maybe three times with friends this summer. I do not know what to do. It's going to be hot again tomorrow and all next week. All I can think of is September and October. This phobia is ruining my life. I'm missing out on creating memories and meaningful art and experiences. I have spent my days in doors, and it is slightly making me go mad. The AC doesn't cool the entire apartment, and sometimes it is difficult to cool it with one room alone. This weather has been nothing but heat warnings with a high humidex. The thought of a heat stroke and passing out sends chills down my spine. It's nerve-wracking to think about -- makes me twitch and shiver in disgust with fear.

Does anyone have some insightful and positive advice? I have tried exposure therapy on my own twice, and I felt extremely panicky. I almost had a heat stroke last summer, and since then I barely have left the house during summer weather. I miss hiking and taking photography photos. Most of all, I miss socializing. I need to live in the Yukon, Calgary, or some cooler place in British Colombia. This heat is insane for Ontario. Wealth of advice would be kindly appreciated.

[Nowuccas]

Hey Garbo,

Seniors, the young, the morbidly obese and those with a history of heat stress or heat stroke are most at risk.

Check out https://www.google.com.au/search?cli...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Wear a light coloured, broad brimmed hat, a white, open weave shirt, and khaki, or light coloured shorts. Some people carry an umbrella to provide shade. Wet a handkerchief or bandanna and tie it around your neck, to cool via evaporation.

At https://www.google.com.au/search?cli...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

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Carry a personal, battery operated mini fan and spare, rechargeable batteries.

Carry a thermos with ice water, and take frequent sips.

Avoid being exposed in the hottest parts of the day.

If you have to go out in the heat, ensure you stay cool the day before, and the day after; it's repetitive extreme heat that is the most dangerous.

I find a position where the airconditioner is directed at me, and remain there most of the time during heat waves, (Canada's are mild, compared with Australia's; we recently had several days in a row of 43° C, or around 109° F) cooking at night.

Usually I'd only venture out as the sun is setting, to shop, because the car is too hot otherwise, even with the A/C on full.

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Give the Meridian Tapping Technique / EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. It is free via the searchbar at * http://eft.mercola.com - or www.tapping.com or www.eftuniverse.com www.emofree.com or YouTube EFT - Professionally instructed is best. - There is a version for use in public places,* (if you like, you can claim to have a headache, as you massage/lightly tap your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: saying it to yourself in your mind: "Even though I have a fear of hot weather, I deeply and completely accept myself", or wording of your choice, as you employ the acupressure massage/tapping technique.

RECOMMENDED READING: Anxiety, Phobias, & Panic: A Step-by-Step Program for Regaining Control of Your Life by Reneau Z. Peurifoy, & Triumph Over Fear: A Book of Help and Hope for People with Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Phobias by Jerilyn Ross, & The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Fourth Edition by Edmund J. Bourne, & *The Tapping Cure: A Revolutionary System for Rapid Relief from Phobias, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and More by Roberta Temes Ph.D., from your bookstore, Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com and enter "phobia; media" in their searchbars for more.

"Even if we have some vague idea that we are not our feelings or our thoughts, when we are experiencing painful feelings or painful thoughts, we believe we have to feel them or think them just because of the fact that they are occurring to us. But painful feelings can be indirectly controlled by physical action, and changing our present thoughts for different thoughts (since feeling occurs as a result of thinking.) Painful thoughts can be directly controlled by choosing replacement thoughts for the ones that are troubling us. Sure, it takes some practice to change a habit of suffering. But it can be done. Of course it can't be done if we choose to believe that it can't be done. But, since the choice is ours, why not choose to believe it can be done, and do it?"

Hypnosis is merely a heightened state of suggestibility, in which you are better able to communicate with your subconscious mind; view http://myfavoriteinterests.com/hypnosis/ about what it is, and isn't. 85% of people are suggestible to some degree; 15% - 20% highly so, and 15% - 20% aren't much at all, so you could either preferably seek professional hypnotherapy, or, if not an option, hypnosisdownloads.com has ones about overcoming fear and anxiety, or asktheinternettherapist.com has: Stop Fears and Phobias, CD, & MP3. Professional advice is to use only one, or up to a maximum of 2 at any one time.

[Kirk]

I try to stay out of the hot weather and sun myself most of the time. I typically go from one air conditioned
place to another. The key is to keep well hydrated.

[tlonist]

Call a CBT therapist ASAP and and get a structured program to help you. The heat stroke experience probably gave you some sort of PTSD about this.

You can overcome this for sure. I've had a similar sort of thing.

They will come up with a systematic plan and will help you through exposures. It works and it's helpful to have support.

[Dahila]

Garbo this year we have awful weather and it is no doubts terrifying. Last Saturday on Market (inside the building) my soaps start to sweat oil. I think there was at least 30 degree. It is going to get colder soon. I am in Ontario too
Gentlemen do not send her to therapist due the awful weather. It is terribly humid up to 45 in humidex. I can not turn down A/c for the last two weeks. I worry all the time that hydro goes off.........I have , always had low resistence to heat and I would think you do have it too. Carry water with you, Sunblock on face and something on your head . you will be fine