What is autophobia (fear of being alone)?
People who have autophobia have an irrational, extreme fear of being alone. A person may experience this fear when they’re alone.
Some people may have autophobia even when they’re with other people. In this case, the fear centers on worries about isolation. They may feel alone in a crowd. Or they may worry about people leaving them, or having to go home and be alone.
Other terms for fear of being alone include:
- Monophobia.
- Eremophobia.
- Isolophobia.
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What’s the difference between fear of being alone and loneliness?
When you’re lonely, you feel unhappy or sad about the quantity or quality of social connections in your life.
When you have autophobia, you feel anxious or scared when you’re alone or when you think about being alone. You feel this way regardless of how many loved ones and friends are in your life.
What is a phobia?
Phobias are a common anxiety disorder. They cause you to become afraid of something that isn’t truly harmful. Autophobia is a specific phobic disorder. With it, you’re fearful about situations where you’re alone.
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How common is autophobia (monophobia)?
It’s hard knowing exactly how many people have a specific phobia, like autophobia. Many people may keep this fear to themselves or may not recognize they have it. We do know that about 1 in 10 American adults and 1 in 5 teenagers will deal with a specific phobia disorder at some point in their lives, though.
