The desire not to be alone is familiar to everyone. This occurs, for example, together with a need for interpersonal interaction, after the end of a relationship or the death of a relative. However, some people suffer from a permanent and pathological fear of being alone – called "Autophobia". In autophobia, the fear of spending time alone, being alone in life in general, or being abandoned is accompanied by a great sense of distress. sufferers may develop physical symptoms or even suffer panic attacks.
Symptoms Symptoms of autophobia
Sufferers of autophobia have that constant need to be around people. You would like to being permanently busy and avoiding spending time alone. Accordingly, autophobia is expressed by constant busyness and a hhigh number of social contacts, to escape a feeling of isolation. Often there are also Fear of rejection or from others being ignored or excluded.
In addition to the fear of spending time alone, people with autophobia also often exhibit a Fear of loss as symptom. Sufferers experience this fear of being close people, losing one’s partner, for the most part. Such a fear of loss often results in the partner overwhelmed with expressions of love will or others Strategies are applied to ensure that the partner remains with the affected person. The fear of being alone can also cause sufferers to have staying in partnerships, that are actually unsatisfying for them.
Autophobia can be physical symptoms come, which also occur in anxiety disorders. These include heavy sweating, accelerated heartbeat, rapid breathing, Nausea, vomiting, Diarrhea, a dry mouth and vertigo. In more severe cases, people with autophobia can be panic attacks occur. Thereby a extreme fear which is often accompanied by other emotional and physical symptoms is accompanied.
Causes Autophobia
The cause of a pathological fear of being alone often lies in childhood. It is believed that early experiences From actual or imminent losses and separations can lead to autophobia in childhood.
Affected persons fear a repetition of these traumatic experiences and want to avoid this at all costs. The fear of the feelings associated with loss is heightened to an unhealthy level in those with autophobia, leading to a lifestyle of avoiding separations and being alone as much as possible. Therefore, people suffering from autophobia very consciously build relationships and maintain them intensively, for example by planning many dates and spending time with their social contacts.
Diagnosis Diagnosis of autophobia
Autophobia, according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) system, can be described as a specific phobia be diagnosed.
A specific phobia is present when there is a fear of a specific object or situation. Being alone is considered a specific situation in this case.