Another tough day for friggatriskaidekaphobes

Today is the third Friday 13th this year, a day that fills some people with irrational fears. But they can be treated

HOW DO YOU cure a condition such as triskaidekaphobia? Imagine being afraid to take your children out because it is the 13th day of the month. And imagine being unable to function because the clock has struck 1pm – the 13th hour of the day.

These are just two instances from the six cases of triskaidekaphobia – the fear of the number 13 – that Barth W Kubon has dealt with at his phobia clinic on Dublin’s Talbot Street. The woman in the cases above had an extreme form of the condition. She also had a habit of checking her surroundings in case the number 13 showed up in any form. If she saw the number she would try to get as far away from it as possible.

The belief the number 13 is a harbinger of bad luck is not uncommon in Ireland and much of the western world. According to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, about 8 per cent of people in Ireland have some form of triskaidekaphobia.

Earlier this year, Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae called for number plates of cars registered in 2013 to be altered to avoid a dip in car sales.

Those who suffer from triskaidekaphobia won’t need reminding that today happens to be Friday the 13th, the third such date in the 2012 calendar. On this day, an irrational fear of the number 13 can develop into another debilitating condition called friggatriskaidekaphobia – a fear of Friday the 13th. Some sufferers will avoid leaving their homes today, for fear of experiencing bad luck.

The first step in treating people with triskaidekaphobia is to remind them that “unlucky number 13” is a man-made idea.

“I would give small pieces of advice. First people must realise that people created this number,” Kubon says.

“For example, if there is a movie where the number 16 is a bad omen, then some people may believe it is unlucky in the same way that 13 is.”

The idea of an “unlucky” 13 is said to originate from Norse mythology and also from Christian tradition, in which the 13th participant at the Last Supper, Judas, was responsible for the death of Christ.

The status of the number 13 in Italy shows how context can affect perceptions. Italians have traditionally considered the number 13 to be one which grants good fortune.

“In southern Italy the number 13 is considered lucky, especially in Naples,” explains Francesco Saverio Balzano, an Italian psychologist who has been based in Ireland for two years.

“Because there are a lot of Neapolitans in all parts of Italy, especially in northern Italy, this belief that 13 is lucky is widespread. We also have a book called La Smorfia Napoletana [The Neapolitan Grimace]. It is a book about dreams and numbers.

“So if you have a dream you can look inside the book to check which number corresponds with your dream in order to choose your lotto numbers. In this book the number 13 is linked to St Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of miracles. In this case, the impact is very positive.”

However, a recent trend reveals the impact culture can have on the development of such a phobia. Younger Italians now have a different interpretation from their forebears of the number 13.

“Young people that are growing up with such horror movies like Friday the 13th believe that the number 13 is unlucky,” says Balzano. “Thirteen is commonly linked to the early Christians, as the number appears in certain biblical traditions. For example, there were 13 people present at the Last Supper – Jesus and his 12 apostles. Some say that the betrayer Judas was the 13th to join the table. This may be the origin of the superstition that states that when 13 dine, one will die within the year,” Balzano continues.

However, he believes psychological factors must be taken into account. “Part of the problem comes from the society, and part of the problem comes from people themselves.”

People may have a fear of spiders or of enclosed spaces, phobias which often arise due to childhood trauma. However, triskaidekaphobia can be more problematic because the number 13 can appear in many forms.

It might manifest itself in the 13th day of a month, like today, or car number plates might include the number. Even the answer to a mathematical equation might terrify a triskaidekaphobe.

Can such a versatile phobia be cured? Apart from emphasising that 13 is just a number, the next step on the road to recovery is breaking the bad habits brought on by the phobia, explains Kubon.

“People who have triskaidekaphobia and friggatriskaidekaphobia create certain habits on the 13th such as not making phone calls or not leaving the house. It is important that they make small changes to these habits.”

He advises that they make the phone call, but maybe stay at home.

“If something bad happens when they go out, that will only add to their problems.”