Overview

Sinistrophobia is a phobia or fear of things related to the left side.¹ This includes fear of left-handedness, people and objects to their left, and anything else associated with the left side. Like many other phobias, irrational fear of the left can cause negative impacts on daily life for people with sinistrophobia. In severe cases, sinistrophobia can significantly impact a person’s daily life, such as by avoidance of all left-related actions or avoidance of left-handed people.  

Meaning of sinistrophobia

The word “sinistrophobia” has interesting etymological origins which can help our understanding of the term. The term is made up of the words “sinistro” meaning left, from the Latin “sinister”, and “phobia” which means fear.¹ You may notice that the English word “sinister” is the same as the Latin word for “sinister”, and in fact they do have a connection. The English word sinister is derived from the same Latin word “sinister” meaning left, as it has connotations of evil and darkness since the time of the Romans.² This shows that sinistrophobia is not just a new phenomenon, but is arguably so common and widespread that it permeates into the culture and language of many Western societies.

Causes of sinistrophobia

As explained above, there is a strong argument to be made that sinistrophobia has important historical and cultural origins. For example, there is often an etymological link between the “left” and “evil” in many languages. This may be due to many different reasons, such as superstitions and religion. However, it could also be due to the reality that the majority of people are right-handed, and so being left-handed was against the norm of society at the time, resulting in the stigma surrounding people who used their left hand as their dominant hand.² Psychological factors such as societal pressures or trauma can also result in sinistrophobia. For example, left-handed children who were forced to write with their non-dominant right hand may still choose to write with their right hand even in private due to societal norms and pressures. Additionally, for a long time, institutional sinistrophobia also exacerbated this phenomenon. In Victorian Era Britain, the Industrial Revolution caused a boom in the wealth of Britain and helped fuel the costs of creating a more educated population. Schools in Britain taught basic skills such as reading and writing to children. However, British schools forced all children to write with their right hand, establishing right-handedness not just as the norm, but as the only correct way of writing.³ Hence, children who were biologically left-handed were forced to conform to institutionalized sinistrophobia.

Symptoms of sinistrophobia

The symptoms of sinistrophobia vary but are typically in response to being exposed to anything left-side related. Common symptoms that suggest that you may have sinistrophobia may include a strong aversion against left-handedness, strong anxiety when exposed to left-handedness, and inability to function normally due to left-side aversion.⁴ Other symptoms include:

• Physical symptoms such as nausea, sweating and a rapid heartbeat when encountering “left” stimuli
• Emotional symptoms like anxiety, distress, and panic when encountering “left” stimuli
• Avoidance of situations involving “left”-related actions or objects
• In extreme cases, avoidance of left-handed people

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis of sinistrophobia is relatively straightforward, as people suffering from phobias such as sinistrophobia are very aware of what types of stimuli cause a negative reaction. The symptoms of sinistrophobia are also unique as the anxiety and other symptoms only occur when a “left” related stimulus is involved.

There are many different types of treatment available for sinistrophobia and other irrational phobias. Most effective therapy treatments involve dealing with the phobia from a subconscious level rather than the conscious level, as most people suffering from irrational fears understand that their fears are often irrational, but they are still unable to control their reaction and automatically respond regardless of their conscious rational reasoning.⁵

Many therapies, such as psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and hypnotherapy attempt to eliminate or reduce the association of the stimuli to the response. By changing the subconscious association between the stimulus (in this case, anything related to “left”) and response (fear or danger), these therapies can help reduce the fear response of patients. Every type of therapy has different methods of changing such associations.  For example, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) works by breaking down the stimulus into smaller parts and reframing the patient's perspectives and thoughts to reduce their negative association.⁶ 

Other treatment options that are effective for many phobias and may help treat and manage sinistrophobia are exposure therapies and other desensitization techniques. Exposure therapy is a type of cognitive behavioural therapy whereby the patient is exposed to the stimuli in a safe and controlled environment.⁷ Exposure therapy can be an effective way of treating sinistrophobia, and will involve exposing the patient to mild levels of “left” stimuli in a controlled environment. As the patient learns to stay calm and relax whilst confronting the mild exposure to “left” stimuli, the exposure will gradually increase in intensity. The goal is for the emotional response over time to reduce, reducing the fear or anxiety that left-related stimuli once provoked.

Some medications can help reduce anxiety and panic symptoms that occur in response to left-related stimuli caused by sinistrophobia.⁸ Antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are often prescribed to reduce anxiety caused by phobias. These medications can help manage the symptoms of the phobia and can help reduce the impact of phobias such as sinistrophobia on daily life and activities. However, it does not address the root cause of the phobia and cannot fix the phobia long-term. Hence, medical solutions can give short-term solutions to help manage the responses caused by phobias, however, therapies such as exposure therapies should also be considered as a long-term solution.

Summary

To conclude, sinistrophobia is a phobia in response to left-related stimuli. Sinistrophobia has permeated historical beliefs and superstition, but clinical sinistrophobia is much more serious and can very negatively impact daily life for those suffering from sinistrophobia. Thankfully, there are many treatments and solutions available for managing and treating sinistrophobia, ranging from medications that help manage the symptoms of anxiety and panic, to therapies that help eliminate or reduce the phobia long-term. Sinistrophobia, along with other phobias, can significantly impact the daily lives of people who suffer from it. Therefore, understanding the treatment and management of such phobias is important.