Philophobia is the fear of falling in love. Not included in the DSM-5. The risk is usually when a person has confronted any emotional turmoil relating to love but also can be a chronic phobia. This affects the quality of life and pushes a person away from commitment.
Philophobia — a fear of love — can negatively affect your ability to have meaningful relationships. A painful breakup, divorce, abandonment or rejection during childhood or adulthood may make you afraid to fall in love. Psychotherapy (talk therapy) can help you overcome this specific phobic disorder.
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. Philophobia is not a condition that a doctor can diagnose because it is not in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
by Noe Garcia | October 1, 2021. Philophobia is the fear of love or being loved (philo meaning love; phobia meaning fear). At first this might seem like a silly or uncommon fear, but it affects more people than you may realize.
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.
[ fil-uh-muh-foh-bee-uh ] show ipa. noun. an extreme fear of kissing, especially romantic or passionate kissing.
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. People with this fear are afraid of romantic love or forming an emotional attachment.
So many people are scared of relationships because they have a fear of love. What lives inside of this urge is the subconscious awareness that to love means to open yourself to the possibility of getting hurt by losing the one you love or being rejected by them.
Erotomania is when you think someone is in love with you but they're not. It may be a person you've never met. They might even be famous, like a politician or an actor. You can be so sure of this love that you think you're in a relationship with this person. You may not be able to accept facts that prove otherwise.
Confidence and self-esteem play a vital role when it comes to love. However, many people are unable to find love because they don't think they're worthy of having it. These types of beliefs often have roots reaching as far back as early childhood and can have a huge impact on our lives.
Of course, there can be many different reasons why we may find it difficult to receive love. 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.
As far as unusual phobias are concerned; Philophobia certainly ranks high in the list. Often this phobia is known to have cultural or religious roots, where the person may have been committed to an arranged marriage and hence fears falling in love. This phobia is more common in women than in men.
“The fear of intimacy can be caused by different reasons including abuse or neglect, medical problems, fear of abandonment, or religious beliefs. Sometimes, it can even be a combination of issues and securing the help of a professional is necessary.”
It's not just a nervous tick that causes your anxiety to rise; it's actually the stimulation of adrenaline and norepinephrine, says Dr. Kirk. “This can lead to having a physical sensation of craving and the desire to focus your attention on that specific person,” she says.
Signs and symptoms of philophobia include: Excessive or persistent fear regarding the thoughts of love. Afraid of becoming emotionally close to another person or considering long-term relationship commitments. Avoidance toward people—a person with philophobia may learn to fear all people and not just potential lovers.
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.
Philophobia (fear of love). Pistanthrophobia (fear of trusting others or being hurt by someone you love).
Philemaphobia is not a distinct condition in the DSM-5. However, symptoms of a fear of kissing may meet the criteria for a specific phobia. A healthcare provider can assess your symptoms, make a diagnosis, and then recommend treatment options.
Kissing triggers your brain to release chemicals such as oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, which make you feel euphoric, encourage feelings of affection and bonding and ignite the pleasure centre of the brain. It also lowers your cortisol (stress hormone) levels.