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Fear of People
Environmental Phobias

Anthropophobia – Fear of People

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Anthropophobia: The Excessive Fear of People

Do you experience extreme anxiety while in the company of others?

Do you dread those family meet-ups? Have you tried not to feel nervous when around others, but you still get the jitters?

Do you sweat profusely or experience panic attacks at the mere thought of meeting people?

Do you prefer being alone all the time but don’t know why? While you don’t have anything against people, do you refuse to go out because you might encounter someone, anyone? If so, then the question you need to ask is, Do I have anthropophobia?

If you think you might, read on to learn more.

What Is Anthropophobia?

Anthropophobia comes from two terms, anthro meaning “people,” and phobia meaning “fear.” Anthropophobia is an extreme and intense fear of people.

Anthropophobia should not be confused with social phobia. Social phobia includes a wide variety of social fears, such as public speaking and standing in front of people. With anthropophobia, you’ll feel anxious even in the company of one person. Dinner with your family will be a monumental task.

A person with social phobia may feel safe where they appear in disguise or where their appearance goes unnoticed. However, those with anthropophobia may react even when they’re in the back of a room, overlooked by everyone around them.

What Causes Anthropophobia?

While it’s challenging to identify a specific trigger for anthropophobia, experts attribute it to several factors. For many, there is a high possibility the fear was triggered by a negative experience with an older person.

What started your fear of people? Could it have been an incident of abuse, or were you a witness to a violent crime? Experiences such as these sometimes result in a phobia of people.

If you are naturally anxious, your fear could be a result of anxiety. Those diagnosed with anxiety disorders may develop anthropophobia.

Certain health conditions and disabilities can also trigger anxiety. For example, a person with albinism might prefer to be alone due to the stigma they’ve experienced, such as constant staring. If this fear is not addressed early, anthropophobia may develop.

It’s also possible to develop anthropophobia from learned behaviors. Learning a behavior doesn’t necessarily refer to the academic acquiring of knowledge. You could have started responding differently to others based on how someone close to you behaved when in the presence of others.

Anthropophobia Symptoms

What are the symptoms of anthropophobia?  There are no specific symptoms for anthropophobia. Health care practitioners refer to common symptoms experienced by others with various phobias. These symptoms may be physical, mental, or emotional.

Physical Symptoms

  • Stomach upset and discomfort
  • Sweating and shaking when talking to others
  • Troubled breathing
  • Increased heartbeat rate
  • Having speech difficulties
  • Experiencing sleeping problems

Mental/Emotional Symptoms

  • Major fear and anxiety about a person or persons
  • Anticipatory anxiety when you think of meeting up with people
  • Wanting to run away
  • Anticipating that something terrible will happen

Anthropophobia Treatment

Is it possible to live a life free of the fear of people? Yes!

While you can’t cure anthropophobia with medication, there are still other treatment options. Treating the phobia of people requires you to adopt a positive approach and suppress associated fearful thoughts and emotions. You can even try self-care tips before reaching out to a professional.

Self-Help

Self-help is the first form of treatment for any phobia. Meditating, joining a self-help group, anxiety coping methods, etc., will go a long way to reduce the impact the dread of people has on your life.

Apply Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques are diverse. One relaxation technique that works is controlled breathing. Taking deep breaths before leaving the house will calm you. Count as you breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.

If you feel the onset of a panic attack in the presence of others, controlled breathing will help calm your surging anxiety.

Use Self-Help Resources

Many resources like books and online programs will teach you how to cope with your fear. Some of these books and online resources were written by others who have overcome their phobias. What better way to treat anxiety than to hear from those that recovered from their fear?

Expose Yourself to Your Fear

Make a steady effort to interact with people. Interacting with people could turn your world around because you will be exposing yourself to the very thing you fear. Your anxiety may slowly start to shrink, and you may find yourself enjoying company other than your own. Getting used to being around people may take time, but it will surely be worth the effort. If you find yourself comfortable around just one person, you’ll have conquered a significant part of the battle.

 

Professional Treatment

Professional treatment for phobias relies on therapies. While many therapies are available, choose what suits you best. It might be hard to open up to a therapist because it means sharing a space with them. That’s okay. Pick an alternative that allows you to feel safe, like online interaction. Give yourself time and push harder every day. Ensure that you can point out daily progress.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy, or simply ACT, is a form of psychotherapy that will help you address and control challenging emotions. All you’re required to do is accept that there is a problem and act accordingly to alleviate it. A mental health professional will help you understand what you dread about people through what you share.

After you have accepted the very thing out of your control, take full charge and apply strategies that will put you firmly on the road to recovery.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychological treatment that works to ease a fear by helping the patient confront what they fear. CBT is different from the self-care tip where you expose yourself to your anxiety.

A professional will help you gradually interact with people in a controlled setting. They will do so according to how they understand your fear.

How to Cope with Anthropophobia

Anthropophobia is an extreme fear that robs you of a vibrant social life. While its implications are far-reaching, it doesn’t have to be that way. Recovery is possible and depends on your willingness and determination. Don’t allow a fear to dictate what you can or cannot do and whether or not you can have a social life.

Anthropophobia can cost you friendships, job opportunities, leisure activities, and family love. You’ll realize that all spheres of life require interaction. Before you decide to relocate to an island to live alone, address your anxiety about people.

Conclusion

Human contact is not only an important part of life, but a basic human need. While therapy works, addressing the phobia of people on a personal level is also helpful. Let it register in your mind that anthropophobia can be overcome and work towards unlearning any negative perceptions you have of other people.

Stories Submitted by Our Readers

Fear of People

I am so scared of people that I cannot ask for help. I can’t hold a conversation as my mind just stops and I can’t think. Since I cannot talk to others, I cannot negotiate prices and often pay way too much for any service since I cannot speak.

If I know I have to go somewhere and be around others such as a doctor’s appointment, I have panic attacks for several days before the time to go. My anxiety is off the charts.

My phobia is so bad that I cannot carry on a conversation on the phone. I may not remember anything I am told; my comprehension is so low. If I have to call my boss or my doctor, I have the same fear and can’t breathe.

What is strange is that it is only when I have to be one on one with people. I can handle grocery shopping, concerts, or conventions. However, if you want to talk to me privately, I go completely quiet and cannot think straight. I hate being the center of attention. I do so much better with strangers. I have been this way since I was very young. I could speak to adults, but not other kids.

Steve W.

SUBMIT YOUR STORY

FearAZ.com is looking for personal stories of any 'fear of' or phobia. If you have an interesting story you'd like to share, we welcome your submission. If the story fits with our content and guidelines, we'll add it to our site.
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Your Fear Goes Up and Down

Are you someone who would rather climb the stairs than take the elevator? You call it squeezing in a workout after being sedentary the whole morning. Or perhaps you claim it's a faster route. These are both typical, normal, and acceptable reasons. But what if you need to be in the conference room on the eleventh floor in five minutes, and you're wearing your business suit and wingtips? Would you still prefer to take the stairs? If your answer is yes, then maybe it's time to take a closer look at your reasons for avoiding elevators. Elevators stir all sorts of emotions in passengers. From the discomfort of closeness to strangers to the sensations in our gut, elevators can be a source of the heebie-jeebies for many, but for some, they can also be a source of terror. Let's dig a little deeper into the latter, and see what this terror is all about and what can be done to manage it. To begin with, does being inside an elevator give you chills or the sweats? Or does it trigger an unpleasant memory? Perhaps you remember movies you've watched where something terrible happens inside an elevator. From Silence of the Lambs, The Shining, Final Destination 2, or the king of all elevator horror films, 2010’s Devil, the elevator becomes witness to something sinister and horrible. And you want nothing to do with any of it. You know that you're not claustrophobic. You can deal with heights just fine, too. And you know that you're not going to be trapped inside. All of these contribute to a fear of elevators—but they don't apply to you. Yet being inside one does something to you. It's hard to explain.

What is the Fear of Elevators Called?

What you have is a fear of elevators, which is called elevatophobia. It is most commonly triggered by an experience of getting stuck inside either due to a power outage or technical maintenance. Hearing about other people's experiences or watching a movie about similar circumstances can prompt a fear of elevators getting stuck with you inside. Usually, claustrophobics and agoraphobics may also develop elevatophobia because the triggers and objects of these fears are related. Claustrophobia is the fear of closed and cramped spaces, while agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped without any means of escape. Put the two together, and the elevator becomes the perfect combination of both phobias. The space is limited and closed, with only one means of entry and exit. You can add another point of access if you consider climbing the cables like they do in the movies, but that certainly isn't ideal.

Symptoms of Elevatophobia

If for some reason an elevator stops due to an outage or some technical difficulty, passengers with elevatophobia may go into full panic mode. Even if the maintenance team advises that it will just be a matter of minutes, by then, the person's mind has become irrational with the fear of the elevator falling, being stuck for hours, or other unpleasant thoughts. You would expect a person to exhibit the following physical symptoms: Additionally, you would be filled with that overwhelming anxiety where you feel that you have zero control over the situation. You start fearing the unknown and are filled with negative thoughts about death and imminent doom. You become irrational and unresponsive.

Possible Complications of Elevatophobia

When the panic sets in, the possibility of emergencies related to pre-existing conditions may make themselves known. This might include serious health crises like heart attacks or asthma attacks. When this happens, fear becomes a medical emergency. Elevator rides do not last long; it's just a matter of minutes or even less. But the fact that a person can escalate from panic to a near fatal medical situation classifies the fear of elevators as a 'hard phobia.'

Trying Some Self-Help Methods

Your fear of elevators can likely interfere with your social and work life and relationships. Not everyone understands that elevatophobia, like most phobias, can be crippling. But don't be disheartened. Depending on the level of your fear and level of control, you can gradually face and manage your phobia. Here are some recommendations you can try:
  1. Make a List of Everything that Entails Riding in an Elevator This is a systematic approach to getting over your anxiety. By following a step-by-step process, you can identify where the fear kicks in at its strongest. You can write a list of steps like pressing the topmost button and waiting to arrive on that floor, watching as the door closes and opens, being alone inside the elevator, or having delays with the doors opening. Now try doing the opposite. For example, face away from the door or occupy yourself with your phone so that you are distracted.
  2. Create Your Fear Ladder Although the name says fear of elevators, it is not the whole process that scares you. There are just phases and parts of the elevator riding experience that cause you to panic. So go back to the list you initially created and label the fear level you feel. You can do it numerically, too, like ten being 'really scary,' six, 'manageable scary,' and one, 'not scary at all.' You can put the corresponding fear levels so you can focus more time and effort into activities that are more scary to you.
  3. Face Your Fear By now, you have identified what scares you the most. You can try repetitive action to minimize your fear and increase your sense of ‘normalcy’. Remember that the longer you expose yourself to your fear, the better you get at handling your emotions. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stop. Pushing yourself too fast and too soon can backfire. Modify your pace and go slower instead.
  4. Talk About Your Fear People by nature, unfortunately, are not quick to offer understanding and support. You need to tell them what's wrong before they can empathize. Talk to someone who you trust and ask for their support, especially in the initial phase of overcoming your fear. If you are too afraid to ride the elevator alone, you can ask them to go with you, and before you realize it, you are on your floor, and there was no indication of panic.
  5. Learn To Be Patient Be patient with yourself and your predicament. This is, after all, your fight against fear. It might take hundreds of elevator ride practices before the fear gets under control. Even then, there might be some hesitations and episodes of nervousness. These are acceptable and expected, so cut yourself some slack and congratulate yourself for every progress.

Seeking Professional Help

Along with self-help, you can always enlist a medical professional's aid to support you with your elevatophobia. Talking to someone who has experience with similar cases can be comforting, because you know that you are not alone, and this situation can get better. Talk to your doctor about the severity of your fears and the symptoms that you experience. Explain how you deal with it in an attempt to control it. An exam and a health history are made to ensure that there are no unrelated or underlying problems that your symptoms might mask. Usually, phobias like this are approached with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Your doctor will talk about these options with you, and it's entirely up to you, with your doctor's recommendation, what you want to pursue. For psychotherapy, the most common type is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which aims to help you find different ways of behaving, thinking, and reacting when about to step inside an elevator or when already inside it. With medications, there are beta blockers and benzodiazepines, but note that these can have side effects. Whatever these side effects are, you should promptly share it with your doctor.

Simple Tips to Overcome Elevatophobia

Elevators are not perfect, but their likelihood to malfunction, fall, or get stuck is very low. If you are not fully confident with this information, you can help overcome your elevatophobia by learning common elevator safety tips and basic elevator operations. These should help curb your mild fear until you become more self-assured. In addition to that, here are some of the things that you can do to gradually overcome your fear of elevators—both in getting on and riding one.

Conclusion

Yes, elevatophobia can be a challenge in today's world, but don't allow the elevator to win. Don't let it stop you from taking a job on the top floor or attending a social gathering on the rooftop. Sure, you can take the stairs if you insist and arrive winded and sweaty, with the party about to wrap up. But is this the quality of life you seek? Elevators are designed to make life easier. There are guaranteed ways to help you overcome elevatophobia. Take the first step and seek help. Soon, you’ll see yourself breezing through the floors with those arduous stair climbs little more than a memory.
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