Anthropophobia

[Roy H.]

Wondering why there is no information on this particular phobia/mental health issue that I can seem to find on this forum?


What does anyone here know about this? I was reading up on symptoms (I've been searching for answers for years as to why I have extreme fear of some people/social situations, and eye contact) and this seems like it could be what I've been struggling with my entire adult life.


Doesn't seem to be too much information on it out there, though.

 

[GaryQ]

Probably because of the following information I found:
Article emphasizes the part that it must not be caused by another disorder or medical condition


What are the symptoms?


Because anthropophobia isn’t a clinical condition, there are no specific clinical symptoms. However, it can be considered under the DSM-5 classification of “specific phobia not otherwise specified.” Criteria for this disorder include:

1. Major anxiety or fear about a certain situation or thing (in this case, a person or people).
2. The situation nearly always causes anxiety or fear.
3. The situation or thing is avoided when possible.
4. The fearful reaction is disproportionately more than the actual danger the situation warrants.
5. The anxiety lasts six months or more.
6. The anxiety causes noteworthy distress or hinders daily functioning in some way.
7. These symptoms aren’t caused by another disorder or medical condition.

Full article link https://www.healthline.com/health/anthropophobia#symptoms

 

[David Baxter PhD]

@Roy H, please also see my replies to you at:

Catatonia in those with ASD - Page 3

What Do You Call Fear of Having Visitors to Your Home?

 

[Roy H.]

@Roy H, please also see my replies to you at:

Catatonia in those with ASD - Page 3

What Do You Call Fear of Having Visitors to Your Home?

Why is there so little information of this phobia?

Wikipedia hardly even says anything on it.

Are "phobias" a sort of overused, generic sort of misnomer on rather regular issues that people in the West have? Is that in general, why "phobias" are not formally diagnosed? Is that what you are saying?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

What I'm saying is that the list of phobias people have invented has hundreds of entries, most of which are either completely made up or are so rare that most will not actually be seen in anyone's lifetime.

And yes, the term "phobia" is greatly overused in general conversation. Some of the more commonly occurring genuine phobias (like agoraphobia) are recognized and treated as valid mental health conditions.

 

[Roy H.]

What I'm saying is that the list of phobias people have invented has hundreds of entries, most of which are either completely made up or are so rare that most will not actually be seen in anyone's lifetime.

And yes, the term "phobia" is greatly overused in general conversation. Some of the more commonly occurring genuine phobias (like agoraphobia) are recognized and treated as valid mental health conditions.

Okay. Then, so, "Anthropophobia" could technically just be invalid?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Yes. Literally, it just means "fear of people". But what does that actually mean? It could mean many things...

And how is it supposed to be different from social anxiety disorder? or agoraphobia? or other recognized conditions?

That's one of the problems with so-called phobias: Most are either so specific that they are ridiculously improbable (e.g., fear of sparrows toes) or so vague that they're just not helpful.

 

[Roy H.]

Yes. Literally, it just means "fear of people". But what does that actually mean? It could mean many things...

And how is it supposed to be different from social anxiety disorder? or agoraphobia? or other recognized conditions?

That's one of the problems with so-called phobias: Most are either so specific that they are ridiculously improbable (e.g., fear of sparrows toes) or so vague that they're just not helpful.

I have a great fear of walking past people in hallways. The whole walking towards one another and eye contact and all that. Some times if I see someone I will turn around. Or sometimes if they see me before I see them turn around on me. What the hell is wrong with me?

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A lot of time I will just keep my head down do whatever to avoid eye contect. I literally make people physically ill, I can see it in their faces and manuerisims

 

[forgetmenot]

You see what you think you see what you are feeling
i too hated walking down street when others were on it a crossed over to the other side so i would not have to walk by them or talk to them.

Your fear is inside you it is not of people it is of yourself and your reaction towards them.

Social anxiety low self esteem and who cares what the title is just work on oneself to help yourself be more at ease in your surroundings. I tend to isolate but that is my choice and i am happy with that . If you are seeing a therapist work on making the eye contact and not feel the judgement of others.

 

[Daniel E.]

I find evolutionary psychology helpful sometimes to help normalize my feelings of awkwardness. Humans have mostly lived in small communities/tribes where everyone knew everyone else. Since that is no longer the case, some social stuff is truly comedic material. I have heard stand-up comics doing bits about the social dilemmas involved in walking down hallways at work, being in an elevator, etc.

Also, as an introvert/neurotic/whatever, I tend to personalize other people's behavior whereas my husband -- the extrovert -- does not. Like just now, I went to pick up my car from my neighbor/mechanic. His wife gives me these blank, almost angry stares. I tend to personalize it (to the point I think of going to a more expensive mechanic), but my husband says she does it to everyone and he has to start the conversation since she won't. I also find it helps to switch mental gears by worrying about something else that is more concrete and task-oriented like things I still need to do.

 

[Daniel E.]

BTW:

"Happiness and self-acceptance go hand in hand. In fact, your level of self-acceptance determines your level of happiness. The more self-acceptance you have, the more happiness you'll allow yourself to accept, receive and enjoy. In other words, you enjoy as much happiness as you believe you're worthy of [emphasis added]."

...In a sense, we all bear "conditional-love scars" from the past. We're all among the ranks of the "walking wounded."

The Path to Unconditional Self-Acceptance | Psychology Today

 

[gooblax]

To handle my relatively mild social anxiety in passing-in-the-hallway situations I've been trying to initiate a smile and saying "good morning" or "g'day how's it going?" to people at work even though I don't have a clue who they are. I had to practice it a bit especially with the eye contact but I've found that I feel a lot less awkward when I do that rather than us both trying to pretend we don't see each other. It's actually easier with guys because they do the whole head nod greeting which none of the women seem to do aside from me.

Edit: There are still times when it can be awkward when the other person doesn't respond. But that's fine by me cause at least I tried.

 

[Roy H.]

A lot of people have thought (or accused me) I was gay and I don't know if that plays into any of the social issues. I've always been sexua attracted to women and have only had girlfriends and female sexual partners but I guess my painfully shy introverted socially horrified personhood is why?

I don't know. I'm just a painfully awkward man.

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I guess people would also kind of call me an "incel"??

I've always been painfully standoffish. With girls. Didn't have first girlfriend and sex until I was 24. The only way I could meet the two or three women I had relationships with was by using alcohol, and I can no longer do that as recovering alcoholic

 

[Daniel E.]

Loneliness can be good motivator. Therapy was able to help me tap into it more. Years ago, I would rationalize my loneliness as just hereditary/resistant depression. And when I was in my 20s, I was not the kind to want pets (seeing them as another potential source of anxiety) but then one day a cat just walked into my house. So sometimes just a change in circumstances may help. (Like when my dad broke his hip and then later on my neighbor had a stoke. So those unforeseen circumstances helped me get out of my shell and become a caregiver, which required me to socialize more. Even with some depression and anxiety, I was still motivated out of empathy/guilt/boredom.)