maybe you know someone orhave friends who are afraid to fall in love. That matter it could benot because of lack of confidence, but because they have philophobia.
Philophobia is a mental condition in which a person is afraid of falling in love with another person. People who experience philophobia usually have bad experiences that cause psychic trauma, for example having been a victim online catfishing and being hurt by a partner, so they are worried about having another romantic relationship with someone else.
Recognizing the Symptoms of Philophobia
Not only does it affect a person's mental condition so that they are afraid to build relationships and commitments with other people as a partner, philophobia can also cause physical symptoms when the person is faced with love problems, such as:
- Rapid heartbeat or palpitations.
- Hard to breathe.
- Excessive sweating.
- Nauseous
A study proves that the crisis of trust in a partner makes many young people choose not to have a partner. This can also be one of the causes of many couples who are unable to maintain a relationship.
Various Ways to Deal with Philophobia
There are several ways that can be done independently, as an effort to deal with the fear of falling in love or philophobia, including:
- Learn from pastIf you have experienced a breakup, then learn from that failure. If in the past your relationship failed because of a lack of mutual understanding, then try to be more open to your partner and try to understand each other. If your partner was previously unfaithful to your commitments, then talk to your current partner about the seriousness and direction of your relationship from the start.
- Get rid of negative thoughtsWhen you are about to start a relationship again, you may have negative thoughts. For example, your partner may not really love you, or he may walk away from time to time because he doesn't think you're attractive anymore. It probably exists only in your mind. From now on, stay away from such negative thoughts. Try to make the relationship atmosphere more positive, by establishing good communication.
- Falling in love makes happyDon't avoid or deny feelings of fear of falling in love or philophobia. Instead, face and defeat the fear. Basically, falling in love will actually make you happy. Indeed, romantic relationships cannot be separated from problems that can make you sad or angry, but you must believe that every problem has a solution, and that problem will help you and your partner grow more mature in building a relationship.
If this fear feels excessive, you can consult a psychologist or psychiatrist to get the right treatment. It is likely that people with philophobia will be recommended to undergo cognitive behavioral therapy, which is useful in changing negative thoughts and beliefs, and changing reactions to the source of the fear, until the fear slowly disappears.
Of course, in handling philophobia, you need the support of your family and closest people. If not treated properly, philophobia can lead to complications, including social isolation, drug and alcohol abuse, depression and anxiety disorders, and even suicide.
Philophobia can happen to anyone. If you know someone who has philophobia, you can provide support and motivation. If necessary, suggest an examination to a psychologist or psychiatrist so that the philophobia he experiences can be treated immediately.