Consider talking to a licensed therapist or counselor to help determine the cause of your anxiety. For example, “ligyrophobia” is the fear of sudden and unexpected loud noises. Maybe your fear is more related to the sudden, unexpected nature of a fire alarm rather than the alarm itself. [3] X Research source Phonophobia and ligyrophobia may be related to sensory processing disorder, or SPD. SPD occurs when the brain has trouble sending and receiving signals, and is sometimes linked to various other conditions, such as ADHD, autism, and genetic conditions. Although determining the origin of fears can be challenging at times, it can be helpful to perform a careful assessment that involves when the fear began, the context and variables involved in the development of the learned fear response.
“What is it that I fear exactly?” ”What am I ultimately afraid will happen?” ”Why do I think that this will happen?” ”When do these thoughts arise?”
Tell yourself, “This is not a rational fear. ” Consider your fear a “false alarm” that your mind has created. Remind yourself, “I do not need to fear this sound. It is only a warning, an alert. ” Enlist friends to call you out kindly when you make irrational associations.
Replace “what if” fears with “what else” options. [7] X Research source For example, you might say, “I will not burst into flames as soon as I hear this sound. I will walk out of the house in an orderly manner. ” Maybe you say to yourself, “This sound is not dangerous. In fact, it helps me survive and keeps me safe. ”
“I know that his fear is uncomfortable for me right now, but it will pass, and it doesn’t mean that I’m defective or broken - it just is. " “This moment is uncomfortable, and that’s part of life, just like good moments are. I can deal with both the bad and the good. "
Breathing or counting exercises. Yoga or meditation practices. A repeated phrase or mantra to refocus your mind. Movements or exercise to alleviate stress. Visualization exercises. Progressive muscle relaxation.
Make a list of increasingly difficult situations and work through it slowly from least to most anxious. Try recording the sound of a fire alarm on your smartphone and listening to it at a higher and higher volume over time. Search for videos of fire alarms on the Internet and let them play while you are doing chores to desensitize yourself to the jarring sound. If you fear the actual fire more than the alarm, try lighting candles with every meal to familiarize yourself with safe, controlled flames. Engage the relaxation skills that you have learned earlier as you increase in anxiety. Never pull a public fire alarm when there is no fire or no drill, even if you are practicing exposure therapy. This may be a felony, and you could put other people’s lives in danger.
Confront the alarm with friends or in otherwise pleasant conditions to associate new memories to that particular sound. New, positive memories act as living proof that the alarm cannot hurt you.
“What does the fire alarm make you think of?” “Are you afraid of the fire or the sound?” “Does the sound hurt your ears?” “What do you think a fire alarm means?”
Talk about the difference between bigger and smaller fears. How is the child’s fear of the fire alarm different from other, less debilitating fears? You do not need to call the fear “irrational” with the child. Talk about the value of overcoming fears in general. It is important to remember that alarms are often designed to be loud and uncomfortable so as to alert listeners and signal for them to take action, so a degree of anxiety is appropriate. Ask the school about what sound the fire alarm makes. Industrial fire alarms make different noises, there is the familiar buzzing noise. Some buildings use fire alarms with voice evacuation or chime. If they do use these types of alarms, you can reassure your kids that they don’t have to be scared of fire drills. Have the child talk with friends and classmates as well. Peers can be a great source of strength for overcoming fears. Determine if the fear is severe enough to require the assistance of a mental health professional.
Walking by the physical smoke detector in the home. Hearing the “beep” that signals a low battery in the smoke detector. Lighting a candle or a fireplace in the home. Smoke or steam coming from the stove during cooking.
Talk to your child about the probability of an actual house fire and how owning a smoke detector does not mean that your family is expecting a fire someday. Make and practice a fire safety plan for your family. This can reassure and empower your child in the face of a real emergency.
Make your family’s fire escape drill fun. Personify the fire alarm as a friend to your family. [14] X Research source Encourage your child to talk to the smoke detector as they would a stuffed animal or toy. Write a little song or jingle to sing while testing the fire alarm each month. Show your child diagrams or videos about how smoke detectors are made. Be careful not to belittle the seriousness of the smoke detector too much. It is a life-saving device, and a fire alarm can save the life of your child.
Whenever you test the smoke alarm at home, have a small celebration or offer your child an ice cream treat. Connect home smoke detectors to more exciting elements of fire safety, such as fire engines, dalmatians, super tall ladders, or sliding down poles. Tie any individual triggers (such as candles or stoves) to positive experiences as well.
Accustom the child to the sound of a fire alarm by playing videos of fire drills online. Gradually increase the volume as the child becomes more comfortable to the sound. Consider letting children control the volume of the video themselves.
Make a list of all the triggers associated with the larger fear of fire alarms and check them off one at a time. Create a chart you can hang on your child’s wall and decorate with stickers after small victories. For example, when the child no longer fears a video of a fire alarm, congratulate them and mark the success on your chart.
Cover your child’s ears while you remove them from the loud environment safely, but quickly. Comfort the baby or infant immediately to start attaching a positive association to the sound. Consider purchasing noise protection devices for your infant that can be readily available in case of a fire alarm. After the alarm, try a three-fold method of reassurance: explain, expose, and explore. [20] X Research source Informed exposure therapy can work with young children in as little as three hours. [21] X Research source
Anxiety can cause a child to lash out or misbehave in unexpected ways, which may require disciplinary action from the school. Help your students to understand the importance of following official procedure despite their fears. Why not take a moment to address a fear of fire alarms in front of the whole class? There may be several students who share the same anxiety.
Try giving the child a positive responsibility during the drill, such as letting them lead the students from the front of the line or turn off the classroom lights from the back of the line. Separating the fire drill from the sound of the alarm can also help you determine just what triggers the student’s fear.
Maybe a teachers’ aide can escort the student out of the room before the alarm sounds. Keep in mind, if the child avoids all the fire drills because of the alarm, they will not learn the important ways to act during a real fire emergency. Do not let fear get in the way of proper fire safety training.
For example, many children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder find relief from anxiety by wearing weighted vests. The physical pressure of the heavy vest comforts and relaxes the body. There are CDs available for sale online that contain common school sounds that can be helpful when practicing exposure therapy at home or in the classroom. Check with local fire safety programs or the local fire department for any tools they might be able to donate to your classroom or school.
