A new phobia has exploded among cellphone users in Greece. The ”fear of fear” has been brought on by revelations of eavesdropping at Vodafone, the country’s biggest mobile operator, say psychoanalysts reporting a boom in patients.
Greeks, anxious their phones may have been tapped by bosses or spouses, have sought medical help. ”The afflicted show all the signs of a classic phobia,” said Dr Dimitris Souras, an Athenian psychotherapist. ”I have had at least 25 people, of all ages, displaying what I can only call a ‘fear of fear’, that is fear of their own fear that their private conversations may have been monitored.”
All had complained of anxiety, sleep disorders, irritability and an inability to function properly. ”There is no doubt in my mind that this is connected to what we now know: that in Greece mobile phones are not safe,” said Souras who includes the phobia in his latest book.
This is the latest bizarre twist to revelations that Greece’s political and military elite were listened into by ”persons unknown” for nearly a year before and after the 2004 Olympic Games. Evidence that the operation was much larger than first thought — insiders believe thousands may have been monitored — has fed conspiracy theories.
With Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and most of his Cabinet on the ”hit list,” rumours abound that the ruling Conservatives, whose popularity ratings have nosedived, may be forced to call early elections because of disgruntlement with their handling of the matter.
Polls show about 65% of Greeks blame Karamanlis for the imbroglio. Scepticism with the official account has been reinforced by the decision to disclose investigations almost a year after the eavesdropping devices were found in Vodafone’s central computer system. — Guardian Unlimited Â