Monophobia- Fear of solitude or being alone
We human beings are social creatures, by which I mean, we crave socialisation. As the song says “people need people”. However, for most of us, we also have a desire from time to time to have a bit of solitude. Living in the city can lead to a need for people to get away from others and just be by themselves. Others, such as people who seek the religious life, spend most of their time alone and in silence. There are people who the idea of being alone is terrifying. They crave to be around people all the time and dislike being in their own company. These people are said to be suffering from monophobia which is an intense and pathological fear of solitude or of being alone.
This fear generally begins in a person’s early development. Perhaps as a child they were left alone quite a bit by their parents or perhaps left to get on with activities on their own without the supervision and support of their parents. Another possible cause is that a sufferer, may be an only child and desperately craved the company of a brother or sister which they never had.
When working hypno-psychotherapeutically with these clients, it is essential to get the client to recognise that being in their own company can be a very pleasant and desirable thing. Helping the person to like themselves more is also a potential route for treatment.
