Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
This article will discuss the characteristics of a fear of being forgotten, as well as the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for this phobia.
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Defining a Fear of Being Forgotten
Athazagoraphobia is an intense or irrational fear of being forgotten, or of forgetting someone or something. It may also include a fear of being ignored or replaced.
In some cases, this condition can be considered part ofsocial phobia. An estimated 15 million Americans live with a social phobia.A social phobia is when you have an irrational fear of being judged or rejected in a specific social situation.
People with athazagoraphobia may experience debilitatinganxiety, stress, or panic at just the thought of being forgotten. You may also experience physical symptoms of anxiety, such as nausea, rapid heart rate, or even a full-blownpanic attackwhen confronted with your fear.
The fear of being forgotten may also be related to specific worries about memory loss, such as a fear of developingAlzheimer’s diseaseordementia.This fear may arise while caring for someone with this condition.
What Are the Symptoms of Athazagoraphobia?
As with most phobias, the fear of being forgotten can present with both mental and physical symptoms. People with athazagoraphobia may experience symptoms if they are actually forgotten or ignored in a social situation, or when faced with the thought of being forgotten or forgetting someone or something.
Symptoms of athazagoraphobia may include:
What Are the Causes of Athazagoraphobia?
How Is Athazagoraphobia Diagnosed?
The DSM-5 TR does not include athazagoraphobia as a mental health condition. However, athazagoraphobia qualifies as a specific phobia. Thus, the DSM-5 TR criteria for a specific phobia can be applied to this condition.
The manual uses the following diagnostic criteria to diagnose specific phobias:
How Is Athazagoraphobia Treated?
There are a variety of treatment options that can help patients who have phobias. A licensed mental healthcare professional will create a treatment plan based on the symptoms you present.
Some treatment options used to address a fear of being forgotten may include:
Summary
The fear of being forgotten is called athazagoraphobia. When a person has this condition, there is an extreme fear of being forgotten, or of not remembering someone or something. There are treatment options such as mindfulness techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication. Working with a licensed mental healthcare professional can help you manage this condition.
What Is Haphephobia?
6 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.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Social anxiety disorder.Norman AL, Woodard JL, Calamari JE, et al.The fear of Alzheimer’s disease: mediating effects of anxiety on subjective memory complaints.Aging Ment Health. 2020;24(2):308-314. doi:10.1080/13607863.2018.1534081National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Lee GJ, Do C, Suhr JA.Effects of personal dementia exposure on subjective memory concerns and dementia worry.Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn. 2021;28(6):855-870. doi:10.1080/13825585.2020.1836119American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Samra CK, Abdijadid S.Specific phobia. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
6 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.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Social anxiety disorder.Norman AL, Woodard JL, Calamari JE, et al.The fear of Alzheimer’s disease: mediating effects of anxiety on subjective memory complaints.Aging Ment Health. 2020;24(2):308-314. doi:10.1080/13607863.2018.1534081National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Lee GJ, Do C, Suhr JA.Effects of personal dementia exposure on subjective memory concerns and dementia worry.Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn. 2021;28(6):855-870. doi:10.1080/13825585.2020.1836119American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Samra CK, Abdijadid S.Specific phobia. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
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.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Social anxiety disorder.Norman AL, Woodard JL, Calamari JE, et al.The fear of Alzheimer’s disease: mediating effects of anxiety on subjective memory complaints.Aging Ment Health. 2020;24(2):308-314. doi:10.1080/13607863.2018.1534081National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Lee GJ, Do C, Suhr JA.Effects of personal dementia exposure on subjective memory concerns and dementia worry.Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn. 2021;28(6):855-870. doi:10.1080/13825585.2020.1836119American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Samra CK, Abdijadid S.Specific phobia. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Social anxiety disorder.
Norman AL, Woodard JL, Calamari JE, et al.The fear of Alzheimer’s disease: mediating effects of anxiety on subjective memory complaints.Aging Ment Health. 2020;24(2):308-314. doi:10.1080/13607863.2018.1534081
National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.
Lee GJ, Do C, Suhr JA.Effects of personal dementia exposure on subjective memory concerns and dementia worry.Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn. 2021;28(6):855-870. doi:10.1080/13825585.2020.1836119
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
Samra CK, Abdijadid S.Specific phobia. In:StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
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