What is Marital Phobia (Gamophobia)?

What is Marital Phobia (Gamophobia)?

Marital phobia is also called fear of commitment or gamophobia. People with this phobia have a fear of commitment. People with gamophobia feel extremely anxious and worried when they think about marriage or enter into the marriage process. This leads to avoiding marriage and not enjoying meaningful relationships. An unhappy family life in childhood, parental divorce or abandonment in adulthood can cause this condition. Treatment can be provided by psychotherapy techniques applied by specialized therapists.

People with gamophobia have problems with close relationships and feel constantly anxious and worried that their relationship will end. Such symptoms are persistent, lasting six months or longer. Many people are thought to have such fears. However, many people may not realize they have such fears or may keep them to themselves. In addition, since phobias are generally an anxiety disorder, psychotherapy techniques are used in their treatment.

What Causes Gamophobia (Marriage Phobia)?

The causes of marriage phobia are thought to be traumatic experiences in childhood and adulthood. The person may experience fear about relationships because they witnessed family unhappiness, indifference, conflicting fights and contentious divorces during their childhood. These fears may emerge as a protective reaction to these situations.

People who have experienced the pain of love in adulthood due to infidelity, separation or divorce may be afraid of getting back into a relationship and may have this kind of phobia. Some people may also be afraid to start a relationship for fear of not finding the right person.

What are the Symptoms of Gamophobia (Marriage Phobia)?

The levels of anxiety, worry and fear experienced by people with marriage phobia can vary from mild to extreme. Gamophobia symptoms may show similar symptoms to other phobias. Fear of marriage causes individuals to have problems in bilateral relationships. Even if everything is going well in a relationship, as the seriousness of the relationship increases, these individuals cannot prevent themselves from ending the relationship and have serious fears of marriage. These anxieties and worries can negatively affect the person's daily life and relationships. This can cause some physical and emotional symptoms. The symptoms of marriage phobia can be listed as follows:

  • Dizziness
  • Tremor
  • Excessive sweating
  • Heart palpitations
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath
  • Indigestion and stomach disorders
  • Choking sensation
  • Excessive worry and anxiety

Complications of Gamophobia (Marital Phobia)

Constantly pushing people you love away or avoiding relationships can negatively affect your physical and mental health. You may experience

  • Depression and suicidal thoughts
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Anxiety and panic disorder
  • Substance use disorder

Diagnosis of Gamophobia (Marital Phobia)

There is no specific test for diagnosing gamophobia. Experts will ask about the symptoms the person is experiencing, their mental health medical history and whether they have other phobias. They also refer the person to mental health professionals who specialize in phobias and anxiety disorders.

Gamophobia can be diagnosed if the person experiences sudden anxiety and worry when thinking about marriage and being married, has difficulty imagining himself/herself as a married person and is afraid of this situation, avoids meeting married people in his/her close environment, and sees marriage as an obstacle to dreams.

Gamophobia (Marriage Phobia) Treatment

As with other phobias and anxiety conditions, marital phobia can be treated with therapy led by a psychologist, psychiatrist or other mental health professional.

Specialists help to challenge the fears and ensure that they do not cause serious problems in the person's daily life. Over time, it becomes easier to manage these fears and the person can live a happier and more peaceful life, free from their fears.

The most commonly applied techniques in the treatment of marital phobia are as follows:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapy technique in which a person with fear of marriage or fear of attachment learns to replace their negative thoughts with more positive ones. It also teaches new coping skills to help people develop healthy, supportive relationships with less fear of commitment. It is the first step in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is a treatment that helps people become more comfortable with relationships and commitment by gradually exposing them to the source of their fears. In addition to gradual exposure to the feared situation, techniques such as deep breathing, visualization and progressive muscle relaxation can be added. This reduces the person's fear response over time. Research shows that exposure therapy helps to reduce phobic symptoms immediately after treatment and that these effects often last for years.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of therapy that involves focusing on trauma while engaging in bilateral eye movements. It has been shown to be effective in reducing the intensity of traumatic memories and can be helpful in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as symptoms of panic and phobias. It may also be effective in cases where symptoms of fear of marriage are linked to past traumatic experiences.

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CreatorNP Istanbul Hospital Editorial Board
Updated At05 March 2024
Created At20 February 2023
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