How to Overcome Gamophobia: The Fear of Commitment

Whether you’re afraid of marriage, commitment, or just the idea of being in a relationship, you might suffer from gamophobia (also known as the fear of commitment). In this guide, we’ll go over everything there is to know about gamophobia, including its causes and symptoms, and how to get help for it. First off, what exactly does gamophobia mean? This fear of commitment is defined as an intense phobia that prevents someone from committing to relationships out of fear that they will be trapped in them forever.

What Is Gamophobia?

Gamophobia is the fear of commitment and may be caused by traumatic experiences from your past. It can lead you to distance yourself from relationships, sexual partners, and even activities that require any sort of commitment, such as taking care of a pet. People who are gamophobic will often go out of their way to avoid these sorts of commitments because they see them as binding contracts with future negative consequences if they ever break them.

Causes of Gamophobia

Gamophobia is the fear of commitment, and can stem from a variety of sources. Perhaps you grew up in a home where there was constant fighting between your parents, with the result being that you feared trying to marry yourself because you were afraid it would lead to the same disaster. Or maybe your first love broke your heart when they told you they wanted to pursue their dreams and move away and now you dread making any sort of long-term commitment with anyone else for fear that it will happen again.

Symptoms of Gamophobia

If you think you might have gamophobia, the first thing to do is have a good thought about whether your fear is actually just commitment. Commitment often makes people feel uneasy, but this feeling does not necessarily indicate that they are suffering from gamophobia. Rather than grappling with the fear itself, it may be more beneficial for you in the long-term to try and address the root cause of your fear.

 

Treatments for Gamophobia

Therapy for gamophobia is the most effective way to overcome this fear. However, there are a number of other techniques you can try before or in conjunction with therapy, including meditation, journaling, and thinking positively about your commitment.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been shown to be one of the best methods for overcoming gamophobia by gradually exposing yourself to commitments until they become less scary.

Mindfulness-based treatments have also proven helpful for people who suffer from gamophobia because it allows them to examine their thoughts on commitment without judgment.

 

Support groups for people with gamophobia have also been shown to be effective treatment as it gives sufferers a place where they can talk openly about their feelings without judgment.