Overcoming Anglophobia: Conquer your Fear of English Culture

Introduction

If a British accent is a primary reason for your disdain for someone, you probably have Anglo phobia. A British politician may accuse a Scot who favours independence from the UK of having an anti-English attitude. Greek phobia, which means “a terrifying fear of,” and Latin angle, which means “the English,” are the names of two etymological sources.Unfounded fear of England or English culture is known as anglophobia. A person with this illness can anticipate experiencing tremendous anxiety merely from thinking about England or English culture, let alone travelling there. Their fear can be so intense that it might even give them a full-blown panic attack. Although this may not always be the case for everyone suffering from anglophobia, it is quite conceivable that such an invasion of anxiety will occur.[1]

Symptoms of anglophobia

 Anxiety will likely be the most noticeable symptom of someone with anglophobia, as it is with almost every other phobia. Additionally, it may be so intense that it may be possible to experience full-blown panic episodes. Depending on the intensity of the panic attack, they could even need to be admitted to the hospital. But this will vary from person to person and depend on several factors.

1. Extreme fear or anxiety whenever one contemplates related to England or the English culture.
2. Never mention England or English culture and avoid dealing with it  such as assuming that all English people are arrogant or unfriendly.
3. Avoid anything about England or the English, such as movies, books, or people.
4. Physical symptoms include high blood pressure, sweating, shaking, or heart palpitations when confronted with an English-related situation.
5. Feel difficulty functioning in social or work settings due to fear of English-related situations.
6. Difficult to distinguish between rational and irrational thoughts about England or the English.
7. In addition to other symptoms, a person experiencing a full-blown panic attack brought on by anglophobia
8. They struggle to deal with their uneasiness.

 It is important to note that symptoms can vary in severity and duration, and a mental health professional can provide a more accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.[2]

Causes of anglophobia

Anglophobia’s precise origins remain a mystery. However, the environment a person lives in and their genetic makeup may significantly impact how this condition manifests.

• an average individual may be more likely to experience anglophobia if their family has a history of mental illness, especially anxiety disorders or specific phobias. It would make sense if they had a genetic predisposition to mental disease.
• If someone had such DNA, all it would take for them to develop full-blown anglophobia would be for them to have some sort of traumatic event. In essence, if someone has the correct DNA, any emotionally painful event that involves the several concerns associated with anglophobia may be sufficient for them to develop this illness.[2]

How to Overcome Anglophobia

There are no documented symptoms of anglophobia, just like no predisposing factors or efficient treatments for the condition. Nevertheless, several therapies could help significantly minimise the number of signs of anglophobia. These treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and several psychiatric medications.

• Reducing Anxiety Using Exposure Therapy

Exposure treatment is one of the most popular methods for treating anxiety disorders like anglophobia. It may be a successful strategy for helping the patient get desensitised to their particular concerns.

• Workouts to Fight Anglophobia

Exercise benefits those with anxiety disorders, including anglophobia. Particularly, cardiovascular exercise can significantly aid in stress relief. It is not to argue that weight-resistance training would not help someone with anxiety, but rather that aerobic exercise has been demonstrated to be more effective at releasing those feel-good neurotransmitters like endorphins in the brain.

• Yoga Workshops for Anglophobia

A person with anglophobia can receive support from several different styles of yoga, including hatha and hot yoga, among many others. nevertheless, even though there are numerous variations of yoga, almost all of them might aid in reducing some of the stress and anxiety related to anglophobia.

• The benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for anglophilia

An 8-week, evidence-based program called MBSR offers rigorous, secular mindfulness training for those suffering from anxiety, stress, depression, and another mental torment. Because mindfulness meditation has been proven to be quite helpful for worried people, MBSR may be able to assist someone who has anglophobia considerably.

Conclusion

Anglophobic people may discover that they avoid the things that make them uncomfortable and even take measures to shield them from contact with England or English culture. For example, a person with this syndrome could refuse to go to England no matter the circumstances. They presumably suffer much from this excessive worry and irrational thinking, which is one of the leading causes of their mental distress. Avoiding fears in the short term may seem helpful, but it can make the anxiety worse in the long run for someone with anglophobia. 

References

1. J. G. Cook, Anglophobia: An analysis of anti-British prejudice in the United States (large print edition). Charleston, SC: BiblioLife, 2008.
2. “Anglophobia (fear of England or English culture),” Psych Times, 27-May-2021. [Online]. Available: https://psychtimes.com/anglophobia-fear-of-england-or-english-culture/. [Accessed: 23-Mar-2023]

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