Food - News
The Fear Of Cooking Is A Real Thing
By KIMBERLEY LAWS
If you know someone who becomes distressed in the kitchen, it's possible that they're merely unconfident in their cooking abilities, but an actual phobia of cooking is a very real thing. This psychological condition, called mageirocophobia, makes some people incapable of functioning near a food prep station of any kind.
People with mageirocophobia do not all experience their fear in the same way or for the same reasons. Possible fears at the root of this phobia include accidentally making people ill with one's cooking, presenting a subpar or inedible meal, creating a visually unappealing dish, or getting injured while cooking.
This condition can strike when someone is preparing food for a large group, for their family, or even for themself. Symptoms include severe anxiety and panic attacks at the thought of cooking, and people with severe mageirocophobia might find going to a restaurant triggering if they see into the kitchen.
If you have a friend who breaks into a sweat over an upcoming potluck, simply ask them to bring the paper plates and don't make jokes about their feelings. Any kind of anxiety is stressful to deal with, phobia or not, and even more so if we're under pressure and our feelings are being invalidated by others.