What is the fear of women called, its symptoms and consequences

What is gynophobia

Gynophobia (gynecophobia) is an irrational, panicky fear of women. And if someone is scared by all representatives of the fair sex, then other gynophobes are afraid of representatives of a specific type. Differentiation can be based on any sign, but most often they talk about the following subtypes of gynecophobia:

Fear of pregnant women (gravidophobia). Probable causes: miscarriage, death of a spouse, stillbirth, conflicts with the mother.
Fear of virgins (parthenophobia). Probable reasons: fear of disappointment, fear of blood and pain, fear of ruining oneself or another person's life, lack of experience in communicating with girls.
Fear of beautiful women (venustraphobia). Probable reasons: lack of self-confidence, inferiority complex.

Behind gynophobia are different types of men’s fears: fear of intimacy, fear of intimacy, fear of business relationships with a girl, fear of any interaction and communication with representatives of the fair sex.

Sometimes gynophobia is understood as a fear of men or relationships in women. However, this fear has its own name - androphobia.

Treatment of gynophobia

A person suffering from gynophobia requires mandatory psychotherapy sessions. Fear of women prevents a man from leading a normal professional, personal and social life. To date, this phobia has been thoroughly researched. Many methods and techniques of therapy have been developed. The following methods are used for treatment:

Hypnosis. Gynophobia can be successfully treated using hypnosis. The basis is to keep the patient in a trance, his attention is directed inward, and negative incidents arise in memory. The brain under hypnosis protects the psyche more thoroughly than in a waking state. The process of immersion activates past emotions and memories.
Group therapy. This treatment method can solve internal problems by relieving emotional stress. The psychological association of people who also suffer from gynophobia helps to realize that they are not the only ones who have a similar problem. With support, the risk of depression is significantly reduced and the ability to combat phobias increases.
Cognitive behavioral therapy and neurolinguistic programming make it possible to build the correct behavioral stereotype and improve communication skills with women.
Drug therapy. It is necessary to treat gynophobia with medications if the problem worsens. To improve the condition, tranquilizers and antidepressants are used. The prescription of the drug, course of treatment and dosage is carried out only by the attending physician. It is prohibited to buy and take medications on your own. There is no need to rely on the advice of strangers. An incorrectly selected drug or an overdose can lead to serious complications, including death.

Reasons for fear of women

Reasons for the development of fear in women:

Authoritarian, abusive mother or lack thereof. Dislike for the mother, fear of getting another spanking or being rejected is transferred to all women.
Childhood trauma associated with violence from a teacher, nanny, or bullying from girls.
Painful breakup with a girl as an adult, toxic relationship.
Betrayal by a friend, any negative situation related to the girl.
Denial of femininity, fear of growing up and pregnancy, sexuality (female cause).
Traumatic sexual experience.

In women, gynophobia may be associated with a fear of competition. Perhaps the girl is afraid of being less attractive, successful, and in demand than other girls.

Causes of gynophobia

The main cause of phobia is deeply hidden psychological trauma, which the patient himself refuses to acknowledge. In this case, the best option for eliminating fear is hypnosis. The hypnosis method is aimed at finding the patient’s understanding of himself, awareness and acceptance of his own problems in order to get rid of fears and anxieties. Experts often point to a man’s complete denial of the problem; he is absolutely sure that everything is fine and he is healthy, but in reality this is not the case.

The causes of gynophobia also include excessive severity of the mother, suppressive and harsh upbringing by the female sex. This reason is characterized by the lack of authority of a man, the lack of will of the father, his non-participation in raising and punishing the child. If a woman is the main one in the family, teaches the father in front of her son, takes upon herself all the problems and their solutions, makes a lot of noise and speaks in a raised voice, then it is precisely this behavior that leaves an imprint on the child’s psyche. The image of an oppressive mother remains in the subconscious, which will haunt the man throughout his life if he is not treated.

The development of gynophobia is facilitated by contradictory sexual attitudes. This means that a man is interested and attracted to a woman, but an unsuccessful relationship experience or memories of a certain situation stop him from starting communication. The phobia is especially pronounced in relation to pregnant women. In this case, the man views sexual relations as something unnatural and harmful. In most cases, fear is associated with a man’s usual misunderstanding of female physiology. Misunderstanding and denial of the problem turns into disgust, anger, disgust and misogyny, which does not allow him to lead a normal life.

Signs and symptoms of gynophobia

With gynophobia, two patterns of behavior are noticeable:

A gynecophobe despises and hates women, treats them with disdain, and tries to destroy them morally and (or) physically.
A gynecophobe is shy about women, avoids contact with them, and is afraid to meet women.

Sometimes gynophobia is associated with a specific area or a specific type of woman, for example, a gynophobe is afraid of women in leadership positions or afraid of tall women. It all depends on the root cause of the fear, the type of injury. For example, if the phobia is associated with the cruelty of the mother, then a man may be afraid of those women who are in some way (externally or internally) similar to their mother.

At the sight of a representative of the fair sex or when trying to talk to her, the gynophobe falls into panic. This is accompanied by a number of somatic reactions:

nausea,
vomit,
headache,
dizziness,
chills,
tremor,
tachycardia,
arrhythmia,
fainting.

In advanced stages, gynophobia turns into xenophobia and misogyny.

Description of the phobia

Gynophobia (gynecophobia) is the name given to panic fear of females, characterized by an anxious state in a person. The main carriers of the phobia are representatives of the stronger sex, although sometimes it occurs in women.

The man experiences great fear and understands that this is not normal. But nothing can change. This mental state complicates life: a person fails to start a family. When communicating with a representative of the opposite sex, this guy begins to behave inappropriately. He is aggressive because he is subconsciously trying to defend himself. Gynophobia is sometimes confused with misogyny. These are different phenomena, although with age fear can develop into hatred. What are the causes of this mental illness?

Treatment of fear in women

Psychologists recommend using the technique of gradual rapprochement. In addition, it is important to deal with psychological trauma. For this it is better to use psychoanalysis. Therapy is aimed at working through trauma, increasing self-esteem, getting rid of complexes, and developing communication skills. Group psychotherapy has a good effect.

Don't take a pickup course. They don’t teach adequate interaction and don’t deal with trauma. They make money there on weak, traumatized people.

How to overcome your fear of women yourself - advice from a psychologist:

Try, try and try again. Only through practice can you destroy old neural connections and hone new reactions. Ask yourself: is your life in danger? If not, then there is nothing more to be afraid of. Everything else, for example, a woman’s refusal, is stupidity that does not deserve your attention. Imagine that you are going to the store: “Did you bring bread? - No. - Well, okay".
Increase your self-esteem, get rid of complexes. It all comes down to your insecurities and doubts. Analyze in detail everything you need to deal with. Do this step by step.
Study psychology in general and women's psychology in particular. Pay special attention to the psychology of communication, including non-verbal.

Treatment methods

Fear of mirrors - what is the scientific name of the phobia?

To get rid of the fear of girls, it is better to use an integrated approach. It is expressed in a combination of drug therapy and psychotherapy. Do not neglect the help of specialists, as they will speed up recovery.

To normalize the functioning of the nervous system, tranquilizers, antidepressants, and B vitamins are usually prescribed. All this helps reduce the level of anxiety and restlessness. With medication, sleep normalizes and the person does not experience panic attacks.

Restoring your physical condition is important for gaining mental balance. Only after this can you begin to work on the phobia. A specialist will help you find the reason for the development of fear of women. For this it is better to use hypnotherapy. Using special techniques, a person is immersed in a trance. In this state, he will be better able to remember repressed episodes from childhood. Perhaps the reason for the violation is hidden in some of them.

Therapy may take several months

There is another option with cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. With it, a person is gradually trained and accustomed to the subject of fear. He encounters it every session, and the contact time gradually increases. Due to this, the individual gets used to it and begins to understand that there is no point in being afraid.

Sometimes the therapist may take an unconventional path. Art therapy allows you to work with a person’s subconscious. Through drawings the patient expresses his fears, after which they are destroyed, this is a metaphor for his phobia.

A psychotherapist can describe a person’s fear in detail and grotesquely, in colors and clearly exaggerating. All this will allow the patient to experience strong emotions, in the end the specialist will explain that all this is just fiction, in fact there is nothing to be afraid of.

Self help

At the moment of an attack, you must immediately pull yourself together, breathe deeply and try to forcibly switch your thoughts to something else, for example, to nursery rhymes or songs.

Important! The text must be repeated until the attack subsides.

Any monotonous activity can become distracting at this point. If possible, you can finger your rosary while concentrating on counting, knit, or do any other manual labor.

You can take up yoga as it teaches effective relaxation techniques. With the help of several asanas, a man is distracted from fear.

Forms of the disease

Regardless of the reasons that led to the occurrence of the deviation being studied, the result is always the same - the patient cannot find a common language with the opposite sex, as a result of which his life undergoes significant adverse changes.

Experts distinguish several forms of the disease, each of which is characterized by its own type of fear and individual model of behavior.

Fear of caring. Courting lovely life partners is a whole science. They demand attention, gifts, declarations of love and actions from the male. A healthy person, if everything happens correctly, enjoys himself, giving pleasant emotions to his chosen one. This process is a kind of modern interpretation of hunting for prey. In the form of a reward - reciprocity, love, tenderness and affection. How do events unfold if no one taught a person how to care, and he himself cannot understand what needs to be done? Usually, many mistakes appear, from which, it would seem, you need to learn, but this does not happen. It is good if the patient notices the problem in a timely manner and takes the necessary measures to eliminate it. For better results, you can seek help from experienced friends or a psychotherapist - getting rid of difficulties at this stage is easier than under other possible aggravating circumstances.
Dating anxiety. For many, just the thought of going on a date causes panic. Of course, spending time in a noisy company is much easier than being alone with a girl and making a good impression on her. Here you need to set yourself up for a confident wave, independently believing that the girl is interested in you, that you are an excellent conversationalist and an outwardly attractive man. Even if nothing worked out on previous dates, don’t despair - maybe you simply came across the wrong ladies. If the fear of being alone with a girl persists, organize a two-by-two date. Ask the girl to take a friend, take a friend yourself. Even in such a close circle it will be easier for you.
Fear of sex. One of the most serious difficulties that can arise is fear of a woman. In some cases, this even leads to impotence. It is unnatural for a man to be afraid of sex, because by nature he is a male who is obliged to continue the race. Fears arise mainly due to personal complexes - from uncertainty about one’s appearance to doubts about the quality of the upcoming process. At the same time, men are afraid not of sex as such, but of possible failure, which will inevitably be followed by a serious blow to personal dignity and self-esteem. To combat such a complex, it is advisable to consult a psychotherapist. Additionally, if problems with potency have developed, you should go to an appointment with a urologist and/or andrologist.

React to existing problems in a timely manner, take the necessary actions to eliminate them and be healthy!

Features of the phobia

Gynophobia (or gynecophobia) is an anxiety-phobic disorder characterized by an unreasonable fear of women.
This pathology occurs in males, but it happens that the phobia also affects women. As a rule, the gynophobe himself cannot rationally explain the reason for his fear, and psychologists claim that the source lies in the sexual area. Such a psychological deviation makes the life of a gynecophobe simply unbearable : at work, at home, in medical institutions and other social spheres, he willy-nilly has to constantly deal with the cause of his phobia - women. Fear provokes constant tension and further weakens the nervous system of the sufferer, which can ultimately lead to the complete destruction of his psyche, as well as serious drug addiction diseases.

Causes of pathology

As in situations with other types of phobias, gynecophobia in most cases develops in childhood or adolescence. Often the reason for this is the child’s mother: with her domineering and strict upbringing, she tries with all her might to raise her son to be a real man, but in the end she gets the complete opposite - an insecure and indecisive man who is terribly afraid of women.

In families where the mother plays the dominant role, the father is either absent altogether or completely subject to female opinion and influence. In such a family model, the child develops a misconception about male behavior, as a result of which he subsequently transfers the image of his mother to all other female representatives. That is why it is so important for a boy to grow up in a full-fledged family, where all the roles are correctly distributed: the mother is a soft and gentle keeper of the hearth, and the father is the head of the family and a role model, raising masculinity, will and character in his son.

Gynecophobia can also develop at an older age, when a guy seeks to gain his first experience in relationships with women. In this case, any negative scenario is enough for unpleasant associations to be deposited in the subconscious, which subsequently, with a high degree of probability, will develop into various fears and complexes associated with the female gender.

The causes of gynophobia in women also come from childhood and are associated with the incorrect behavior of elders.

There are situations when parents really dreamed of a boy, but in the end a girl was born. And it’s good if the adults turned out to be smart people and raised their daughter correctly, but it also happens differently: the mother or father (and often both) try to “make a boy” out of a girl, cultivating masculine character traits in her and instilling in her erroneous judgments about what that the female sex is weak and even inferior in some way. Thus, from an early age, a child develops a rejection of his feminine side, which later develops into personal contradictions, and then into fear of people of his own sex.

Symptoms and manifestations

In the initial stages, gynophobia is not permanent or pronounced.
Many young people are only slightly worried when communicating or meeting a girl. Some people simply cannot bring themselves to approach the fair sex they like, but this is not regarded as an initial symptom of a serious deviation, but as banal indecisiveness or shyness. There may also be a strong fear of entering into an intimate relationship, but this is again attributed to uncertainty or shyness. At the next stage of development of the phobia, fear of women in general is formed. A man feels uncomfortable in the company of representatives of the opposite sex and tries with all his might to avoid communicating with them. Some gynophobes include a defensive reaction, which is expressed in emphatically arrogant or boorish behavior, as well as aggression and focusing on their physical superiority.

If the disease continues to progress, unpleasant physical reactions are added to it:

increased sweating;
dyspnea;
cardiopalmus;
nausea and even vomiting;
fainting state;
nervousness and constant anxiety;
severe panic attacks.

In advanced stages of the phobia, the patient completely isolates himself from communication with women, and therefore from society as a whole. Severe forms of pathology lead to depression and extremes in the form of alcohol, drug and other addictions. Some psychologists argue that homosexuality and transvestism are not congenital deviations at all, but peculiar forms of gynophobia.

In rare cases, the phobia acquires a completely unpredictable character, manifesting itself in the form of manic states.

In psychiatry, this fact has been fully proven by numerous examinations of the most famous maniacs (half of them suffered from gynecophobia), who admitted that even the death of a female victim did not relieve them of the all-consuming fear of the latter.

Consequences of a phobia

Fear of women is a serious problem. A gynophobe cannot feel like a full-fledged member of society, since most of society is women. He cannot enter into a close relationship with a woman, start a family or have sexual contacts. The result is depression, mental and physical dissatisfaction. The person withdraws into himself and does not appear in public. Then we can already talk about anchoretism - voluntary hermitage leading to the degradation of the social personality. A gynophobe risks not starting any relationships until old age.

Some seek salvation in alcohol, drugs, and gambling. Others go to the extreme of homosexuality. There are worse options - gynophobia can become aggressive.

According to research, many maniacs were driven to crime precisely by the fear of traditional contact. Therefore, they raped the victim and this was the only way they received satisfaction. However, the fear did not disappear.

The most common manifestations of phobias

Of course, not all representatives of the stronger half of humanity have a fear of women that leads to a complete refusal to communicate with them. Usually, “within normal limits,” the phobia manifests itself in certain situations, but otherwise the man communicates quite successfully.

The most common manifestations of this mental disorder are:

fear of approaching girls, even just acquaintances or work colleagues, and for the purpose of the most ordinary business conversation;
fear of girls when it comes to the need to meet a girl yourself; some representatives of the stronger sex are unable to overcome their fear of the girl they like, although they are quite capable of approaching someone with a “simpler” appearance first;
anxiety when it comes to communicating with a group of girls, although the young man communicates quite freely with one representative of the fairer sex;
fear of direct intimacy (occupies a separate place in the official list of phobias and is called “genophobia” or “erotophobia”), etc.

A common type of this mental illness includes fear of pregnant women. Men's anxiety about this completely natural phenomenon intensifies if the hormonal fluctuations of the expectant mother are reinforced by her regular hysterics, whims and scandals.

Sometimes this fear extends only to the possibility of intimacy with a partner who is in an “interesting” position. A man may be afraid of harming both the woman and the unborn baby. And it happens that this anxiety does not go away even after a significant time after a successful birth.

Of course, in most cases, representatives of the stronger sex manage to successfully overcome the fear of meeting girls, they cope with their anxieties, communicate, create long-term alliances, and get married.

The presence of a phobia of women can be diagnosed only when the “phobia of women” becomes insurmountable, or independent attempts to cope with it lead to destructive behavior.

For example, some gynophobes communicate with women, but at the same time, without any reason on their part, behave pointedly rudely, demonstrate physical superiority, try to humiliate the girl, etc.

In severe cases of mental disorder, a person exhibits more severe symptoms: rapid heartbeat, weakness in the legs and arms, headache, hot flashes of sweating, shortness of breath, nausea.

Important! If you observe such symptoms, immediately seek help from a doctor! Without proper treatment, this illness will eventually lead to isolation in society (after all, it consists of fifty percent of the weaker sex), or become the beginning of more serious mental illnesses - depression, neurosis, etc.

Treatment of the disorder

Treatment is necessary for any type of phobia. Gynophobia is no exception, since such a deviation can ruin the life of not only the patient himself, but also his loved ones. The main condition for complete recovery is self-confidence and a deep understanding that any phobia is perfectly treatable.

How to cope on your own

Experts say that the unadvanced stages of gynecophobia can be cured on their own, but such a struggle requires enormous will, perseverance and limitless patience on the part of the patient himself. You also need to prepare for the fact that you will have to radically reconsider your beliefs and lifestyle, in other words, completely transform your personality.

Basic rules for getting rid of gynophobia on your own:

No alcohol for courage! Many men admit that alcohol helps them feel more confident and brave when communicating with women. This may be true, but this approach is extremely negative, since constant resort to drinking will not only not bring the long-awaited healing, but will also “give” another problem in the form of addiction and even greater mental disorder.
Review your habits. An incorrect lifestyle does not add self-confidence in any way, but rather, on the contrary, steals its remnants. Healing from a phobia begins with a complete change in habits: instead of morning smoking, jogging and a contrast shower, and instead of watching an action movie in the evening with a glass of beer, go to the gym. Strengthening your body and spirit is the main key to getting rid of fears.
Under no circumstances should you avoid meeting the cause of your fear (women). On the contrary, it is necessary to intentionally make such meetings more frequent. In psychology, this practice is called “response burnout.” Its essence is to consciously encounter frightening situations and allow your psyche to develop a kind of immunity or protective mechanism to such “dangers.” For example, we can recall the rides, which are much more scary to get on for the first time than the second, third, etc.
Relief from tension. It is very important to teach your body to relax, but not under the influence of pills or alcohol, but naturally. There are many relaxation techniques, for example: muscle relaxation, meditation, yoga, breathing exercises and others. By the way, many former gynophobes admit that they completely got rid of their fears with the help of yoga.
Only positive thinking. No matter how trivial it may sound, it is the negative thought process that is the culprit of any fear. This statement can be easily proven by the example of how two completely different people flying on the same plane think. A person with aerophobia shakes and panics, constantly spinning one thought in her head: “This plane is about to fall! I will die soon!" A positively-minded person in the next chair thinks like this: “We will land soon, and I will be able to fully enjoy my vacation: swimming in the warm sea, eating fragrant shrimp and admiring the beauty of the resort.” The difference is obvious.

Contacting a psychotherapist

In a situation with advanced gynecophobia, the methods described above will be ineffective, since the fear is so rooted in the subconscious that it is unlikely to be possible to cope with it on your own. The specialist will professionally assess the stage of the disease and prescribe the necessary treatment.

Among the therapeutic techniques used for various types of phobias , the most popular and effective are:

Hypnotherapy is a fairly old and very effective treatment method in which the patient is put into a sleep-like state. At the same time, the patient hears and perceives everything that the doctor tells him. Thus, the specialist has the opportunity to delve into the depths of the patient’s subconscious and identify the true cause of the phobia, and then instill in the patient the correct attitudes. The method is very complex and has a number of nuances, so you only need to trust your psyche to a professional hypnotherapist.
Drug treatment is prescribed for gynophobia with pronounced depressive and anxiety states.
Psychotherapy is a method that involves treatment using special techniques developed by leading experts in psychiatry.

Gynophobia is not a death sentence. With great desire, strong fortitude and self-confidence, you can quite easily cope with this unpleasant disorder. Such healing will allow you to begin to see in a woman not a monster from a horror movie, but a beautiful fairy who can give a sea of happiness, tenderness and love.

Reasons for the formation of gynophobia

Fear of women has sexual overtones. Its roots must be sought in childhood. The first woman in a boy's life is his mother. If she suppresses the child’s will from an early age and scolds him in front of strangers, then he develops incorrect behavioral attitudes. The same thing happens in the case of a hysterical, psychotic mother.

If a boy is brought up in a single-parent family, he develops a distorted idea of the relationship between a man and a woman. He does not see a man's relationship with a woman. If the father is a weak-willed, weak-willed person who is led by the mother, a redistribution of roles occurs. In this case, they speak of a destructive dysfunction of the family in a person’s life. On a subconscious level, he is afraid to have a family, a wife.

The reasons that cause women’s fear do not always need to be sought in childhood. Phobia occurs for the following reasons:

negative experience with a woman;
unsuccessful first sexual contact;
the role of a loser in a children's team;
complexes about one’s own appearance;
men's groups;
separate schooling for boys and girls;
priority to study and the image of a “nerd”.

Often, gynophobic teenagers are afraid of beautiful girls. A person suffering from gynecophobia may have no experience with women at all. If we are talking about adolescence and adolescence, then as you grow older, the fear will pass. If we are talking about an adult, we need to sound the alarm. He wants contact, attention from girls, but the fear of repeating a bad experience is stronger.

Often, the development of such a phobia is caused by uncertainty about one’s financial capabilities and social status. A gynecophobe has doubts that he will be able to provide for his chosen one. Therefore, he refuses a serious relationship, and then any connection.

One of the subtypes of gynophobia is the fear of pregnant women. An obsessed man considers such a relationship unacceptable and unnatural. Approaching the feminine sacrament frightens him. Hormonal surges and mood swings cause disgust.

Negative experiences can trigger a phobia