Fear of failure , or atikiphobia, is an intense fear of failure. It can lead to postponing or avoiding any activity, exam, job or job interview that has the potential for an unsuccessful outcome. Someone with this condition may be afraid to try new things and take risks for fear of failing. It can also mean being afraid of a failed relationship, a failed career or being a disappointment to others. Psychotherapy techniques are usually used to treat it.
Fears often become self-fulfilling. For example, people who have an extreme fear of failing an exam may choose not to take it, and as a result may fail it completely. Fear of failure can lead to many emotional and psychological problems such as shame, depression, anxiety, panic attacks or low self-esteem. It can cause the person to fail in his/her professional or educational life and to experience negativity in his/her family and friendships.
What Causes Atikiphobia (Fear of Failure)?
The causes of atikiphobia may include many different situations. These may include having different phobias in any of the family members in the past, the environments in which the person grew up and grew up, the triggering effect of different phobias and some traumatic events. The factors that cause fear of failure are as follows:
Family history
When there is a family medical history of psychological disorders such as phobias, anxiety or depression, the person is more likely to have these conditions.
Learned behavior
It can occur when a person grows up in an environment that instills the notion that failure is unacceptable or that anything less than perfect is failure.
Other phobias
Some phobias occur together. A child with fear of school may also have a phobia of failure.
Traumatic experiences
People who have been subjected to punishment or other traumatic situations as a result of failure may be afraid of experiencing this situation again and as a result may have this type of phobia.
What are the Symptoms of Atikiphobia (Fear of Failure)?
Every person may be afraid of failing in some situations. When certain jobs or tasks are very important to the person, the level of excitement and fear may increase slightly. However, when it reaches levels that can negatively affect a person's life, this is considered a phobia. Phobias can lead to emotional and behavioral changes in people's lives.
People who are afraid of failure and have this kind of phobia may experience a number of signs and symptoms. The symptoms of atikiphobia are as follows;
- Fear of performing simple tasks at work, home or school.
- Anger or irritability
- Fear and anxiety about being judged by others
- Feeling depressed or sad
- A negative outlook on life and pessimism
- Tendency to postpone or avoid a task or activity if it seems difficult
- Inability to maintain and sustain relationships
- Unwillingness to accept constructive criticism or help
It can also cause some of the physical symptoms that occur in most phobias. These include tremors, dizziness, excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis), heart palpitations, nausea, shortness of breath (dyspnea), tremors, stomach upset or indigestion.
How is Atikiphobia (fear of failure) diagnosed?
There is no test that can be performed to diagnose atikiphobia . As a result of the complaints and symptoms experienced on this subject, professional support should be sought and mental health experts should be consulted. Fear of failure can be diagnosed as a result of interviews and examinations.
Experts may ask a number of questions to get a detailed medical history of the person and the family. When the complaints, symptoms and signs started and how long they have been going on are questioned. In addition, the extent to which these complaints affect the person's life may also be among the questions asked.
In order to have detailed information on the subject, the following questions can be asked by experts. These questions are as follows:
- How long have you been afraid of failure?
- How does your fear affect your life at home, school and work?
- Have you ever experienced feelings of anger, irritability, depression or hopelessness because of your fear of failure?
- Have you avoided or postponed tasks or activities because you thought you would not be able to complete them successfully?
- Do you experience problems such as insomnia or sleep disturbances as a result of these fears?
Atikiphobia (Fear of Failure) Treatment
There are different methods to treat atyphobia. In addition, these methods may vary by specialists depending on the patient's condition, medical history, behavior and the presence of different psychological problems. Fear of failure treatment methods include the following;
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
It is a form of psychotherapy that helps to change the negative thoughts about failure that have taken up residence in a person's mind. The therapist can help the person realize that some things that appear to be "failures" are actually positive opportunities for learning and growth. Methods such as deep breathing or meditation are also taught to help people cope with fear and loss.
Exposure Therapy
One of the most common therapies used to treat phobias is exposure therapy. The person is gradually exposed to the source of their fear and helped to overcome the fear response. The therapist may ask the person to re-script and relive an event in the past in which they felt unsuccessful. If this technique is done in a safe and supportive environment, the person may realize that there is no real threat or danger in the failure.
Medication
If the person has a different psychological disorder such as depression or anxiety, medication may be administered by specialists to manage the symptoms. In addition, medication is usually not the first line of treatment for phobias.