Fear of Friday 13 can lead to Obsessive

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For some, the fear of Friday the 13th more than superstition. The so-called "friggatriskaidekaphobia" can be debilitating disease

Fear of Friday the 13th superstition can be for some but for others it may be pushed to the extreme, where it became a debilitating disease, according to experts from social phobia.

There is even a clinical term for the fear of "friggatriskaidekaphobia".

Queen's University psychology professor Keith Harkness said the extreme fear of Friday the 13th may seriously affect the business, travel and relationships, where people avoid to go out that day.

"There is nothing wrong to believe that Friday the 13th it was a bad day, yet it does not interfere (in your life)," she said.

Friday the 13th horror movie franchise continues this negative association with the day.

In extreme cases, serious "nonsense" in a day or other related superstitions can grow to become obsessive-compulsive disorder or schizophrenia, Harkness said, and may need treatment for an anti-psychotic. But mostly, the day rather harmless, are called pop-culture time due to bad luck and nothing more, she said. For Harkness, pathological superstitious behaviors were associated with higher levels of dopamine in the brain. Medications can reduce the levels of dopamine, she said.

Harkness noted that the belief in omens do not necessarily mean that you have an extreme phobia. For example, athletes often have a good luck charm, believing that they can help them win the game. In these cases, superstition can be used for the benefit of motivating people.

On the question of the origin of the superstition of Friday the 13th, Harkness says the classic medieval Canterbury Tales, which are connected with the disaster occurring on Friday.

There are other references to the tragic events of Friday, as the crisis of the Great Depression, ominously known as "Black Friday". In the Christian tradition, Jesus' crucifixion was also on Friday, Harkness said.

In Western culture, the number 12 is the number of "fullness," she added, referring to the 12 months of the year and the 12 apostles, but also that, as a violation of this notion of "perfection."

Harkness said the negative opinion for Friday, May 13 began with the lack of people, scientific knowledge about the natural world, where people "developed a ritual of superstition."

Over time, due Friday and the number 13 was considered "bad luck twice," she said.