Most people confuse loneliness to auotophobia but I can't blame them since they pretty look much alike;but if you do enough research you'll find out that they aren't.Some of you are like why am I addressing this type of phobia and there other serio...
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Autophobia actually is an anxiety disorder that is triggered by the feeling or idea or experience of being alone.The desire for connection and the fear of being alone is normal for many, the fear can be so overwhelming that it creates incredible amounts of anxiety for some people.At one point even introverts an the shyest of people want to have friends or someone they can consider a friend.The human mind is set in away that needs us to have someone we can share everything in mind with,someone to talk to or someone to love and have faith in.Today i'll be focusing on Autophobia.Autophobia has quite some fancy names like monophobia,isolophobia and eremophobia, but let not the names scare you its quite a real problem.Imagine waking up one day alone at home(like Kevin from home alone),your parents aren't at home,you have no one to talk to and all your friends don't want to talk to you......somehow you are a loner.The feeling of being left alone triggers the mind to feel: -a sense of impending doomlike
-they are unsafe
-afraid an intruder may break in
-overwhelmed by anxiety
-like they can't breathe
-like they might faint
-like they might die
-like they can't think clearly
-compelled to flee or find company
The thought alone scares the hell out of me.When you analyze the words autophobia - auto means self and phobia means fear this definition come to think of it makes autophobia the fear of oneself literally .Most of the individuals facing the phobia when left alone fear that something terrible may occur and this in not the only sign accompanying autophobia.In an interview with one of the autophobic people, he was asked what it felt like when left alone.The person made it seem like those moments when you are watching Arya Stark escaping King Landing while Daenerys is destroying the whole city........You get my point.
He stated that the mind creates all sorts of negative situations that may arise when alone.You see now, the mind and autophobia seem to be somehow connected.One wise man i don't remember his name but his message that i remember once said fear is an obstacle created in the mind and its up to you to overcome it.In my opinion autophobia is like a hurdle and the only way to surpass it is by jumping over it.If this situations are created by the mind then yes they can be erased by the mind.That is what therapy tries to do,creates possible situations for the mindset.
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They are some symptoms though like nausea,dizziness,shakiness,hyperventilation and increased heart rate .This symptoms are similar to those suffering from a panic or anxiety attacks.Now you see,lonely people don't experience this symptoms.However
when you're lonely you crave a deep connection with someone, often a friend or romantic partner. The true meaning of loneliness isn't about the number of people you know, it's about how having the right people in your inner circle.If you try to find the meaning of autophobia you'll find out that its actually the fear of loneliness.Though autophobia when one has the phobia can have the following behaviours different when one is lonely:
-going to extreme lengths to avoid being alone
-trying to find company as soon as possible when alone
-not wanting people to leave even when this is impractical
-a lack of independence in relationships
If you have a family member or friend with this phobia its important to be with him most of the times to show him or her that indeed you care about him/her.Through this you can prevent the person from harming one self.Since fear may drive one to kill himself.Other measures include living with roommates, traveling in a pair or group or constantly being on a phone or video call when home alone.They may prove to be quite useful to help one suffering from it.
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Though they are few researches on autophobia, possible solutions on how to deal with it are there .The most common one is therapy like CBT(Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and Exposure therapy.Have you like seen movies where the good guys are trained to be superhuman ......its by exposing them to their fears repeatedly till they learn how to live with it.I once saw a scene where one was afraid of death and the organization he was working made him face all situations where the naked eyes would say he was going to die.The person after facing all this brush with death situations finally overcame his fear.Likewise in Exposure therapy one is put in situations where he is all alone.With time the cycle breaks and the person finally learns how to live and control the phobia.Other solutions include medications like Beta-blockers and benzodiazepines which reduce anxiety though if used excessively may lead to addiction.
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Just like any other type of phobia autophobia can be managed or even successfully treated.In the beginning i said its all about ones mindset and yes the mindset matters.If you have autophobia you can create situations in your mind of people who you love,of friends,relatives and people you care about to get your mind of those negative vibes.Whenever you are alone have somehow pictures of people who truly matter to help you overcome the phobia.Plus you have God remember He is always watching on you.Learn toovercome you fear or the fear will enslave you.I hope this writing will prove to be useful to you.
Autophobia is just a phobia -DENNIS FADHILI
"When I get lonely these days, I think: So Be lonely, Liz. Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience. But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilled yearnings." ― Elizabeth Gilbert.
