Fear Of Being Alone

Most commonly known as Monophobia, the fear of being alone is also referred to as Autophobia and Isolaphobia. While this is not just the simple fear of loneliness, this involves the inordinate fear of being by oneself. There are some people, who, without proper understanding of the situation, would call the sufferer a coward and try to use his/ her fear to tease the person. If you suffer from this fear, you will find that you will always want to be with your friends and family and that, on your own, you lack the basic amount of confidence that a person should have. You might even find it difficult to use a lavatory without someone accompanying you to the room. If you suffer from the fear of being alone, take heart – you are not alone. There are many people around the world who have similar fears and who are successfully battling them. Read on to know what it is all about and how to cope with the fear of being alone.

What Is Monophobia

Causes of Monophobia

There are some children whose parents might have locked them up in a room for many hours as a means of punishment. This could have traumatized the child to the extent that the fear of being alone remains throughout his/ her entire life.
Abandonment by both or one parent could lead on to monophobia since the ultimate association with this fear is the feeling of being unwanted or unloved.
Death of a parent of a loved one is another cause, especially if the family was a very close-knit one.

Symptoms Of Monophobia

Nausea.
Sweating.
Rapid breathing or inability to breathe properly.
Irregular heartbeat.
Dry mouth.
Violent shaking.
Inability to think or speak clearly.
Loss of control over emotions.
Detachment from reality.
Full-blown anxiety attacks.
The fear of dying at any moment.

Coping With Monophobia

Find the root of the problem.
To reduce the impact of anxiety attacks, develop emotional first-aid techniques such as breathing control.
Try to desensitize yourself to whatever is the cause of the fear.
Seek a therapist if you find that handling this fear is out of your control.

Treatment Of Monophobia

Hypnotherapy - A process where the subconscious is “re-programmed” to clear out the thoughts that give rise to this phobia.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) – A study of the underlying fear patterns and use of self-awareness and effective communication to address the fears.
Energy Psychology – Also known as acupuncture for the emotions, this technique helps release emotional stress by means of body/mind energy methods.
There are drugs available that calm down a person during anxiety attacks. However, drugs provide only a temporary solution and are not permanent cures. Therefore, in order for them to be most effective, these drugs should be taken along with good therapy.

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Health & Fitness'