People who have philophobia have a fear of love. This fear is so intense that they find it difficult, sometimes impossible, to form and maintain loving relationships. “Philos” is the Greek word for loving or beloved. “Phobos” (phobia) is the Greek word for fear.
One of the most common fears is Philophobia which is being afraid of falling in love. According to Health Guidance, 250,000 people are affected by this fear.
Avoidance toward people—a person with philophobia may learn to fear all people and not just potential lovers. Avoiding contact with family, coworkers, neighbors, and friends (severe cases) Extremely possessive or may ward off their loved ones with their detachment. Suppressing inner feelings.
Philophobia is a rare but true phobia of love or being loved. The word philophobia is a Greek derivative word that means fear of love, wherein philo means to love, and phobia means fear hence the fear of love.
Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth. Arachibutyrophobia is a rare phobia that involves a fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
Philophobia is the extreme fear of falling in love, developing an emotional connection, and maintaining that connection. It can be a form of attachment disorder that may result in social isolation, substance abuse, or depression.
1) Arachnophobia – fear of spiders
Arachnophobia is the most common phobia – sometimes even a picture can induce feelings of panic. And lots of people who aren't phobic as such still avoid spiders if they can.
A lot is happening in the adolescent brain and body, including high levels of puberty hormones being released. Hence, teens feel all their emotions more strongly and experience more intense mood swings than older people.
Real love makes us feel vulnerable.
A new relationship is uncharted territory, and most of us have natural fears of the unknown. Letting ourselves fall in love means taking a real risk. We are placing a great amount of trust in another person, allowing them to affect us, which makes us feel exposed and vulnerable.
Philophobia is a fear of falling in love. It can also be a fear of getting into a relationship or fear that you will not be able to maintain a relationship. Many people experience a minor fear of falling in love at some point in their lives. But in extreme cases, philophobia can make people feel isolated and unloved.
Real love makes us feel vulnerable.
A new relationship is an uncharted territory, and most of us have natural fears of the unknown. Letting ourselves fall in love means taking a real risk. We are placing a great amount of trust in another person, allowing them to affect us, which makes us feel exposed and vulnerable.
Fear of Rejection
Of course, one of the strongest fears that keeps us from saying what is in our heart is the fear of our feelings not being returned. Love is like a seesaw: It's easy to begin with one person caring more for another at the start, but a balance of give-and-take is what gives the relationship momentum.
Low self-esteem can cause feelings of repulsion toward love or relationships. If you do not feel attractive, valuable, or loveable, you may subconsciously feel that others will not see you in this way. Low self-esteem can be improved through self-care and practices that increase self-compassion, like meditation.
It could be past trauma, unfamiliarity with receiving, feelings of unworthiness, and much more. Regardless, it is very common to feel resistance to receiving love in compliments, affection, accepting help, and more.
Not wanting to fall in love can sometimes signify a problem with esteem, attachment, anxiety, or another issue. You might feel anxious about becoming attached to someone and potentially losing them. Or you might have low self-esteem and struggle with feeling that you are unloveable.
Emophilia is defined by a tendency to fall in love quickly and often, which is associated with rapid romantic involvement. However, questions linger as to how it is different from anxious attachment, which also predicts rapid romantic involvement.
But as uncomfortable or scary as it may feel to consider your child with a romantic life, remember that this is a normal, healthy, and necessary part of any young adult's emotional development.
Teen love is real if it's meaningful to you, and whether it's healthy and joyful is typically more important than whether it lasts forever. The tips on this list can help you pursue positive relationships during adolescence, and the support of a therapist can help you navigate this part of life as well.
Women, men, and gender-nonconforming people can all experience gynophobia. However, there is no research regarding which genders experience gynophobia or the rate at which they do so. Women, however, are more likely to experience specific phobias in general.