Ever since man first discovered how to make fire and what to use it for, it has been something that we never wish to live without. It helped to keep us warm in the cold and taught that food could be much better when cooked, not to mention the pleasure of bathing in warm water instead of cold. Of course, we found many more uses for it as time went by such as melting metals to help fashion tools, weapons, and useful home utensils like spoons and forks.



It might not seem like there is a downside to fire, but there definitely is. It can destroy and kill easily and quickly when it is out of control. It must have been very shocking for the first person who got burned trying to stay warm and got just a little too close. This probably created a fear of fire in that person that they might not have ever gotten over. Some people are that way today. Fear of fire is a very real and understandable feeling.

There is probably no one that is old enough to know that does not have a healthy respect for fire and what it can do. This can be especially true for anyone who has ever survived a house fire. House fires are not the only thing that can cause a terrible fear of fire. Being trapped in a burning car must be one of the most terrifying things to have to endure. The thought of being burned alive in a car or building can promote a permanent phobia for many people and it would be completely natural.

The term for an extreme fear of fire is Pyrophobia. It could be caused by a bad incident with fire or it can just be something that someone is born with and there may really be no obvious reason. Being around a fire of any kind such as a fireplace or campfire might cause the person extreme anxiety even though they are relatively safe. Some of the warning signs of this fear can be breathlessness, sweating, nausea, trembling, heart palpitations, the need to run away, and a fear of death.

There are ways to treat this condition just like so many other phobias that people can have. Therapy and even sometimes medication can be used when necessary. Hypnotherapy has also been used to treat this very scary fear and others. If you have a terrible fear of being near fire, do not think you are alone because many others feel the same way. If you can not control yourself when you are near fire, you might seek some help for the condition with your doctor or other professional person that deals with phobias.