Philophobia is the fear of falling in love, which can lead to avoidance of emotional connections. Its cause is unknown, but it can be treated with desensitization therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Philophobia is the term given to the fear of falling in love. A person with philophobia may experience something like an anxiety attack when in the presence of a person of the opposite sex. If he continues like this, his fear of her may lead him to withdraw from people with whom he has an emotional connection. It’s not known what causes this fear, but some believe it has to do with a painful breakup that the person hasn’t dealt with. Whatever the cause, it is possible for a person with this phobia to overcome this fear and have normal relationships.
The phobia usually begins with a fear of forming an attachment with a potential romantic partner, but in its severe form, philophobia can cause a person to start avoiding their friends, family, and other people. At first, a person may feel anxious or nervous about being in situations with a person they are attracted to. Your heart may start beating faster or irregularly and you may have stomach pain. You may feel the urge to run away from the situation, and in some cases, you may even simply avoid situations where there may be a possibility of meeting someone of the opposite sex.
While it is not known what causes philophobia, there are theories as to why a person should fear falling in love or forming emotional attachments. One theory is that a person with fear has been in a relationship that ended badly and hasn’t been able to move forward. For that person, all relationships represent pain or rejection. To avoid experiencing that pain again, the person may try to avoid relationships. However, this theory has not been medically proven and the real reason for this phobia remains a mystery.
It is possible for a person with philophobia to overcome this fear. Two treatments that can be used to help a person overcome it are desensitization therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. The two therapies are often more effective when used together. Systemic desensitization therapy introduces the philophobic into human interaction until desensitized by it. The therapist can even use computers to simulate this interaction and help a person prepare for a real-life situation.
With cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a therapist tries to help a philophobe understand and recognize his or her thinking. So when negative thoughts start creeping into his mind, the patient can stop them. The idea behind CBT is that a person’s thoughts influence their behavior. By training thoughts of her, a person can learn to change his behavior and his response to the object he fears.
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