Eremophobia- Fear of being oneself or of loneliness
In this hectic and some would say crowded world, the idea of being alone and having the space that brings can be considered to be nearly bliss. However, for some the idea of being alone causes tremendous fear, discomfort and even terror. People who feel like this can be said to be suffering from eremophobia. People who suffer with this anxiety can make the natural act of making friends and socialising as having infinitely more importance and significance than for most people. These people have a need to be with people and fear the notion of dying from loneliness at some point of their lives. The connections that they make with people is often more deep than superficial friendships because these relationships are what sustains them. Without them, the person feels lost and confused and frightened. These sufferers would find even what one would consider normal times of being alone, things to be avoided at all costs.
As common with other forms of phobias, those who suffer with eremophobia may experience, physical shaking, difficulty breathing, extreme shifts in mood, inappropriate anger, aggression and spontaneous crying. On the other side, they can also experience a high level of pleasure regarding possible friendships and relationships.
People who suffer with this require assistance in how to interact with people and themselves. In psychotherapy, we would try to assist a client with new life skills and whilst not undermining the importance of friendships and relationships, showing the individual that he or she is an autonomous individual who is perfectly capable of standing on his or her own.
