Gamophobia (Fear of Commitment) : Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Gamophobia is most commonly known as the fear of commitment. There are millions of people who avoid being in a relationship or have commitment issues. People take it casually but in reality not promising to be in any kind of commitment is quite complex.

Fear of Gamophobia avoids you from being committed to something for a long time whether it’s a job, a goal, a city, or a relationship. The commitment issues most often come in the context of romantic relationships.

Some of the symptoms of Gamophobia are as follows:

• Panic caused in a relationship (marriage)
• Anxiety
• Chest Pain
• Nausea
• Emotionally unstable
• Dizziness
• Inability to commit to other areas of life
• Negative thoughts
• Flashbacks
• Fainting
• Shortness of breath
• Aggression/anger
• Loss of control
• Repetitive behavior/pattern

Some of the causes of gamophobia are:

• Insecurity
• Fear of abandonment
• Depression
• Unhealthy parental attachment
• Self-destructive tendencies

Gamophobia or fear of commitment is a serious issue that can lead to a person staying isolated. This fear of commitment can severely damage any kind of relationship and family life.

It is advised to consult a doctor as within a very little time you can cope with gamophobia. If, however, the above symptoms have occurred for a long period of time, like for example six months, and have already disrupted the life of a person, one needs to start the treatment.

Gamophobia is just another kind of phobia that is treated like other phobias and mental health problems. A few treatment options are mentioned below:

• Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT): Cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT may help if you do not feel ready to try exposure therapy. In CBT, you’ll be working with a therapist to challenge and reframe negative thoughts about fear of commitment. CBT is recommended for patients who have bad impulse control and those who have severe cognitive behavior. Treatment with this therapy is found very helpful for a person suffering from Gamophobia.
• Counseling: Counselling is one of the most important treatments and is highly effective. It is non-invasive in nature & the least intensive form of therapy. Counselling allows people to share their experiences, fears, & feelings. Counseling works best for people who have experienced trauma or unfavourable conditions in their past.
• Hypnotherapy: This therapy is not so popular due to different types of opinions surrounding this practice. Hypnotherapy is advised for people who tend to suppress their past memories and are in denial of an underlying problem.
• Behavioral Therapy: This therapy helps in replacing the negative reinforcement with a positive one. It changes any undesirable behavior or pattern observed in the person. The type of therapy is ideal for people raised with any unhealthy attachment and is a time-consuming therapy.
• Medication: In many cases, your medical health practitioner will recommend some medications, either with therapy or as a treatment. It is to be mentioned that treating this phobia is easy and can be easily overcome with a positive attitude and right treatment.

There are lots of ways to overcome your fear of commitment. Some of them are mentioned below:

• Individual therapy:

  This therapy helps you in examining possible reasons why being committed is a challenge for you. Some of the reasons could be grounded in past relationships, childhood experiences, or your personal lifestyle.

  Discussing with your therapist these problems can help you address your fear. This therapy also helps in overcoming your anxiety and emotional distress problems too.

• Couples therapy:

  If you truly love your partner and want to make your relationship work but there is something that is holding you back and preventing you to take some steps towards commitment, then couple therapy could help you.

  A professional couple therapist will surely help you and your partner to cope up with these challenges and help to develop a stronger relationship and partnership.

Let’s say the most severe case of cold feet ever known to mankind belongs to you. In fact, the mere mention of marriage may even cause you to panic or become aggressive. These symptoms are commonly associated with gamophobia or the fear of marriage. For many people who have major concern about marriage and for some this is fine.

Some commitment phobes have personal insecurities that aren’t related to the relationship, while others suffer from depression or have negative associations to relationships that they simply cannot shake. Below are the 5 ways to get over gamophobia:

1. Realize that nothing really changes after marriage:

   Getting used to being referred to as someone’s wife or husband, the reality is that most aspects of your relationship actually don’t change after you get married.

2. Surround yourself with happily married couples:

   If you’re a gamophobia who can manage to tolerate conversations about marriage, participate in a little bit of exposure therapy by engaging with married folk who are still smitten with one another after getting hitched. When you locate them, you’ll probably find that at least one party had some reservations beforehand. If possible, talk to them how they overcame their fear of marriage, and think about how you can apply some of those approaches to your relationship.

3. Get to the root of your fear:

   Take a look around you and determine if it’s possible that your fear of marriage is the result of you internalizing all the failed relationships you’ve observed. Perhaps your parents marriage troubles left an imprint on you, causing you to instantly reject the notion of committing to someone forever.

4. Examine your expectations of marriage:

   Are your expectations being realistic? A major reason people fear engagement is because they’re afraid their marriages won’t succeed. In essence, the fear causes them to deny their marriages a chance to succeed before they even get to the point of proposal.

5. Seek therapy:

   You can take help of a professional to help you sort things out. Whatever you choose to do, make sure it involves taking preventative measures to stop fear from destroying your relationship.

Healthy relationships and marriages are the most solid building blocks of society. To have healthy and long-term relationships, it is a must to cope up with your fear of commitment or marriages. All you need is to have trust and maintain self-confidence. You must also not hesitate to take the help of an expert. Mentioned below are some steps that will definitely help you in dealing with gamophobia:

• Don’t be biased
• Ignore the negative family patterns you see around you
• Make sure you know yourself and your partner properly
• Share each and everything with your partner
• Respect the individuality of your partner
• Have some space between your partner
• Share what you expect from marriage and be open to your partner about them
• If you feel that you are under stress for any reason in your relationship, never hesitate to take the help of an expert.