Testophobia: what it is, causes and treatment

If you have feltstress, anxiety, fearand even stomach upset when the presentation of academic exams or tests approaches, you may suffer fromtestophobia.

Although it is considereda common phobiaespecially among adolescents, adults who have not had good experience with this evaluation method during their school age can also suffer from it.

For these reasons, in the following article you can learn about what testophobia is about, the causes that originate this condition, its symptoms and how you can overcome it effectively.

What is testophobia?

Testophobia is a specific type of phobia thatis based on the fear that people experience when taking exams, tests or tests in the academic field.

Thiscondition of psychological origin can be experienced during the stage of educational development and persist throughout life if left untreated.

You should know: The term testophobia is constructed by the combination of the English word test which meanstestand the word phobia of the originphobos, which is known as fear.

Causes of testophobia

Like any phobia, it has different causes that generate it over timeor, this thanks to the experiences that the student or the person in question has had throughout their school development, in addition to the different negative or psychological situations that could be causing testophobia.

1. Traumatic experiences

The traumatic experiences that the adolescent or people may have experienced when they were students are the most common causes of testophobia because oftheir relationship to the fear they develop by being evaluated and qualified.

That is to say, when the individual is confronted with traumas generated by the parents because they have not passed an exam or because of the bad treatment received from a teacher, they trigger the fear of facing situations where their knowledge is put to the test.

2. Fear of failure

The fear of failure is related to the negative thoughts that are developed by expectations for the future and by the insecurities that are generated when facing new challenges.

Note: The fear of failure can be experienced in any area of life ; As for people who suffer from testophobia, this is linked to the possibilities that arise of not passing the evaluations or exams.

3. High expectations of the environment

This type of phobia is also caused by the pressure exerted by parents, teachers and other people close to the individual who usually demand better performance or to improve their intellectual abilities.

Important: Testophobia can also generate other types of social phobias linked to the individual’s inability to do the things that are important to him and the constant pressure to please the people around him.

symptoms of testophobia

The phobia of exams and evaluations is usually linked to a series of symptoms that can occurbefore, during and after having faced the situation that generates the fact of being evaluated or qualified. Below are the most common symptoms of testophobia:

1. Anxious crisis

Anxiety is the main symptom that is experienced when facing a phobia, it is the usual response that the person presents when they know that they will have to undergo an evaluation or test.

2. Tachycardia and sweating

Feeling an increase in heart rate, together with excessive sweating, especially on the hands, face and feet, are symptoms reflected by fear that are closely linked to testophobia.

To highlight: An article by researchers from El Bosque Universityin Bogota, Colombia(2) , describes that palpitations associated with anxiety appear suddenly , where the person begins to feel strong heartbeats in the pectoral area along with other related symptoms. to nervousness.

3. Choking sensation

This sensation is related to respiratory failures , which are not related to pathologies previously detected or suffered, that is, the individual experiences an attack of suffocation as part of the anxiety crisis and the different states of nerves and stress.

Note: It is common for the feeling of suffocation to occur before facing examsor evaluations. Cases can also occur where the person is unable to breathe completely, for this it is important to resort to a specialist doctor in accordance with psychological care.

4. Upset stomach

The nerves located in the digestive system have a close relationship with the central nervous system and the different neuronal functions of the body, therefore it is common for students to have stomach upsets before, during or after undergoing the test.

You should know: Among the most common stomach ailments are nausea, abdominal pain and in extreme cases chronic diarrhea.

5. High blood pressure

The increase in heartbeat generates an increase in blood pressure, this can be considered one of the symptoms with the highest risk, since if the person is constantly subjected to periods of stress and anxiety generated by testophobia, they may suffer from failures Heart attacks caused by high blood pressure.

How to overcome the fear of exams?

Being considered a psychological condition, testophobia can be overcome by the affected person so that they can have a better quality of life and function normally within society.

To highlight: The main thing before receiving help is for the individual to accept and be aware that they suffer from a condition on a psychological level, so they will be able to face and overcome it with greater willingness.

1. Psychological therapy

Psychological therapies have the particularity of identifying above all, the causes for which the individual suffers from said phobia, from this, the therapist will begin to heal the traumas and experiences that developed the testophobia.

Note: Psychological therapies that are aimed at children with testophobia are usually carried out together with the close family environment , this as a method to verify if the phobia is a consequence of the pressure generated by the parents and provide them with the relevant information to eradicate the bad teachings within of upbringing.

2. Relaxation techniques

For this, it is necessary for the person to know each of the techniques and use them at the right time, among the most common are: Deep breathing, alternate nostrils when inhaling and exhaling, having a textured object that distracts attention during the anxiety attack or performguidedmeditations .

Key Findings

• Testophobia is a type of specific phobia that occurs due to the fear of taking an exam, test or being evaluated.
• The most frequent causes are related to fear of failure , having experienced traumatic situations or pressure from the environment.
• The person may suffer from stomach disorders and present sweating together with the increase in high blood pressure if they suffer from said phobia.
• To overcome testophobia, it is important that the individual attend Psychological therapy and learn relaxation and breathing techniques.