Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionSymptomsCausesDiagnosisRelated ConditionsTreatmentCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Related Conditions
Treatment
Coping
Monophobia is the irrational fear of being alone. It is also sometimes known asautophobia,eremophobia, orisolophobia. Monophobia occurs when a person is so afraid of being alone or abandoned that it causes extreme anxiety that far outweighs the actual threat or experience. The fear is so intense that it impacts daily functioning.
This article discusses monophobia, as well as its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
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Defining the Fear of Being Alone
Some mental healthcare professionals may consider monophobia a situational phobia, which is a type of specificphobia(an intense, unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little real danger).
However, the fears associated with monophobia are generally more complex and often stem from other psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, mood disorders, or personality disorders.
Having monophobia doesn’t just mean having a fear of being physically alone; it’s also feeling as though you’re unloved or being ignored. It can also mean having a fear of being separated from a particular person.
Like most phobias, the fear of being alone has both mental and physical signs. People with monophobia will experience symptoms when alone or faced with the idea of being alone.
Symptoms of a fear of being alone include:
To obtain a diagnosis of monophobia, a mental health professional or healthcare provider will refer to the fifth edition of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM-5), the American Psychiatric Association’s official handbook.
The manual uses the following diagnostic criteria to diagnose specific phobias:
Mental health conditions besides monophobia can also lead to a fear of being alone. A mental health professional or healthcare provider can ask detailed questions about lifestyle and fears to rule them out. Similar conditions include:
Primarily, treatment involves different types of therapy. Although medication is available to control symptoms, it’s not always necessary.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) is a type of talk therapy that helps people explore how they think and behave. It can help you better recognize and change distorted and maladaptive (negative) thoughts and behaviors. It may also change how you ultimately feel.
CBT is considered a first-line treatment for anxiety disorders and may be helpful for phobias because it allows a person to examine their feelings and actions in response to their automatic thoughts.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR, is a trauma-based treatment. It was designed to help people with trauma andpost-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) overcome the emotional distress of their traumatic memories. A 2019 meta-analysis found that EMDR therapy demonstrated a positive effect on both panic and phobia symptoms.
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRE)
Exposure therapy, which involves exposing a person with phobias to the object they fear while in the care of a mental health professional, has been the primary therapeutic treatment for phobias for years.
Virtual reality offers a new realm for exposure therapy. Research shows that people with phobias who participated in individualized virtual reality exposure therapy have experienced a decrease in symptoms.
Medication
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs) and selectiveserotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors(SNRIs) are effective treatments for certain anxiety disorders.Although not generally first-line in the treatment of specific phobias, they may help with some of the symptoms associated with monophobia. These medications include:
Coping With Fear
There are some ways to cope with phobias that you can try at home. These include:
Help Is AvailableWhen a fear is so debilitating that it’s restricting or impacting your quality of life, it may be time to seek help. Contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineonline or call1-800-662-4357for more information on how to find support and treatment options in your area.
Help Is Available
When a fear is so debilitating that it’s restricting or impacting your quality of life, it may be time to seek help. Contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineonline or call1-800-662-4357for more information on how to find support and treatment options in your area.
Summary
Monophobia, the fear of being alone, can be thought of as a type of situational phobia. Symptoms of monophobia vary based on the severity of the condition but can include anxiety, avoidance, difficulty maintaining relationships, or physical symptoms like nausea and trembling when faced with being alone or the notion of being alone. Treatment for monophobia includes different types of therapy and, if necessary, medication.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Barber C.Loneliness and mental health.British Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 2018;7(5):209-214. doi:10.12968/bjmh.2018.7.5.209University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.Specific phobias.National Health Service.Overview: phobias.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596MedlinePlus.Agoraphobia.National Institute of Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder: when worry gets out of control.Patel AK, Bryant B.Separation Anxiety Disorder.JAMA.2021;326(18):1880. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.17269Frasca, DJ.A codependency mindset in medicine: etiology, manifestations, and ways ahead.Fam Pract Manag.2022;29(6):35.Faretta E, Dal Farra M.Efficacy of emdr therapy for anxiety disorders.J EMDR Prac Res. 2019;13(4):325-332. doi:10.1891/1933-3196.13.4.325Botella C, Fernández-Álvarez J, Guillén V, García-Palacios A, Baños R.Recent progress in virtual reality exposure therapy for phobias: A systematic review.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2017;19(7):42. doi:10.1007/s11920-017-0788-4National Institute of Mental Health.Social anxiety disorder.National Health Service.Social anxiety (social phobia).
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Barber C.Loneliness and mental health.British Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 2018;7(5):209-214. doi:10.12968/bjmh.2018.7.5.209University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.Specific phobias.National Health Service.Overview: phobias.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596MedlinePlus.Agoraphobia.National Institute of Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder: when worry gets out of control.Patel AK, Bryant B.Separation Anxiety Disorder.JAMA.2021;326(18):1880. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.17269Frasca, DJ.A codependency mindset in medicine: etiology, manifestations, and ways ahead.Fam Pract Manag.2022;29(6):35.Faretta E, Dal Farra M.Efficacy of emdr therapy for anxiety disorders.J EMDR Prac Res. 2019;13(4):325-332. doi:10.1891/1933-3196.13.4.325Botella C, Fernández-Álvarez J, Guillén V, García-Palacios A, Baños R.Recent progress in virtual reality exposure therapy for phobias: A systematic review.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2017;19(7):42. doi:10.1007/s11920-017-0788-4National Institute of Mental Health.Social anxiety disorder.National Health Service.Social anxiety (social phobia).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Barber C.Loneliness and mental health.British Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 2018;7(5):209-214. doi:10.12968/bjmh.2018.7.5.209University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.Specific phobias.National Health Service.Overview: phobias.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596MedlinePlus.Agoraphobia.National Institute of Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder: when worry gets out of control.Patel AK, Bryant B.Separation Anxiety Disorder.JAMA.2021;326(18):1880. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.17269Frasca, DJ.A codependency mindset in medicine: etiology, manifestations, and ways ahead.Fam Pract Manag.2022;29(6):35.Faretta E, Dal Farra M.Efficacy of emdr therapy for anxiety disorders.J EMDR Prac Res. 2019;13(4):325-332. doi:10.1891/1933-3196.13.4.325Botella C, Fernández-Álvarez J, Guillén V, García-Palacios A, Baños R.Recent progress in virtual reality exposure therapy for phobias: A systematic review.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2017;19(7):42. doi:10.1007/s11920-017-0788-4National Institute of Mental Health.Social anxiety disorder.National Health Service.Social anxiety (social phobia).
Barber C.Loneliness and mental health.British Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 2018;7(5):209-214. doi:10.12968/bjmh.2018.7.5.209
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.Specific phobias.
National Health Service.Overview: phobias.
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
MedlinePlus.Agoraphobia.
National Institute of Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder: when worry gets out of control.
Patel AK, Bryant B.Separation Anxiety Disorder.JAMA.2021;326(18):1880. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.17269
Frasca, DJ.A codependency mindset in medicine: etiology, manifestations, and ways ahead.Fam Pract Manag.2022;29(6):35.
Faretta E, Dal Farra M.Efficacy of emdr therapy for anxiety disorders.J EMDR Prac Res. 2019;13(4):325-332. doi:10.1891/1933-3196.13.4.325
Botella C, Fernández-Álvarez J, Guillén V, García-Palacios A, Baños R.Recent progress in virtual reality exposure therapy for phobias: A systematic review.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2017;19(7):42. doi:10.1007/s11920-017-0788-4
National Institute of Mental Health.Social anxiety disorder.
National Health Service.Social anxiety (social phobia).
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