Gamophobia: What is it? Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

While many people wait their whole lives to be together forever with the person they love, the story may be different for others.

Gamophobia is the fear of marriage. Marriage is a bond that unites two individuals.

However, for some people, the fundamentals of marriage are terrifying as hell.

Any irrational fear of getting married or making an engagement is known as gamophobia.

It is derived from the Greek word “games,” which means marriage. Gamophobia is manifested by an intense, irrelevant, and constant fear of marriage and commitment.

The person is terrified of entering a marriage, or a permanent relationship, which involves spending a lifetime with only one person.

A germophobic person’s fear of marriage is similar to dying.

 

A germophobic person may be in a relationship with someone but will walk away and become nervous if the subject of marriage or formal engagement comes up.

This phobia is different from aquaphobia, which is the fear of being single, and phobia, which is the fear of falling in love.

Causes of gamophobia

Gamophobia is a common phobia that occurs in people, especially men.

Men tend to fear marriage because of the personal, financial, and social risks. Therefore, gamophobia can be caused by:

Personal insecurity

Personal insecurity can be a significant cause of gamophobia in people. Marriage is not easy. Hundreds of responsibilities are added.

You do not share only one relationship, all your personal, social, legal, and financial belongings are transferred.

Fear of marriage can develop out of fear of these risks and vulnerability.

Related distressing incident

Gamophobia can also be associated with any unwanted and distressing event that involves a negative image of marriage in a person’s mind.

These incidents can be parental divorce during childhood, parental abuse, watching parents or other married couples fight, a previous marital failure, partner betrayal, or hearing extensively about failed marriages.

Any related affliction can be responsible for gamophobia in people.

Depression

Other depressive conditions can also cause fear of marriage and commitment.

A person may be willing to get married, but they are just scared and anxious to go through it.

Lack of self-confidence, poor self-image, lack of sexual confidence, and various other types of depression can also keep a person away from marriage and commitments.

Symptoms

The main symptoms that can occur with someone who has gamophobia are:

  • Irrational and extreme fear of marriage and commitment, even thinking of marriage or seeing someone else marry, can trigger anxiety.
  • Altogether avoid marriage or related events and conversations.
  • Aggression, panic attacks, and temper at the thought or conversations regarding marriage.

Panic follows physical signs such as shaking, crying, racing heart, trouble breathing, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, sweating, and abdominal discomfort.

Gamophobia can be a severe problem as it can cause a person to remain isolated.

A germophobic person is simply afraid of ​​marriage and is unwilling to marry or enter into a stable husband and wife relationship.

This fear can seriously damage a person’s relationships and family life. In such circumstances, consulting with a doctor is necessary.

On the other hand, treatment should be started if the above symptoms have occurred over a long period, more than six months, and interrupted a person’s life.

Treatment of gamophobia

Gamophobia can be treated using different psychotherapies and medications.

Effective psychotherapies for the successful elimination of fear are:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most effective treatment therapies for gamophobia.

Gamophobia can be related to a distressing event or experience that remains in memory.

The behavioral therapist counsels the person and tries to unearth negative thoughts one has toward marriage.

A germophobic person tends to have a wave of fear due to the negative and disturbing images associated with marriage and not directly due to the wedding.

The therapist conducts continuous sessions of talking and sharing and giving prompts to replace these negative images with positive ones.

Exposure therapy

Exposure therapy is also another effective psychotherapy used for the treatment of gamophobia.

In exposure therapy, the therapist brings the person into a marriage-like setting or leads to a discussion about marriage.

The therapist also tries to keep the person calm and relaxed during the session.

Through regular exposure, the person becomes accustomed to ​​marriage and will be able to develop tolerance and control anxiety.

Family therapy

Family therapy is an essential component throughout the treatment process. The therapist works with the family and makes them aware of the phobic situation.

Regular counseling sessions with the family develop support and motivation for the person of their relatives.

This can be a massive boost to the entire treatment process.

Medicines

In severe cases of isolation and anxiety, medications can be used. Commonly used medications are anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants.

However, therapies are considered more effective than drugs in treating gamophobia.