Fear of Love is an Actual Phobia:
Here’s the Symptoms and
How to Overcome It
by www.Sedona.com
Over 19 million U.S. adults – or nearly 9 percent of the population – suffer from some type of phobia, such as agoraphobia (fear of crowded, inescapable places) hydrophobia (fear of water), or philophobia (the fear of love), according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
All phobias involve a persistent fear and extreme avoidance of a specific object or situation, and in the case of philophobia, this means avoiding relationships, falling in love and even sometimes situations that could lead to it.
Symptoms of Philophobia: Fear of Love
People with philophobia are afraid of being or falling in love. Clearly, many of us have some anxiety when it comes to opening ourselves to love (and being vulnerable to possibly getting hurt), but in those with philophobia the anxiety is so strong that it interferes with their ability to have close relationships.
Symptoms of philophobia vary from person to person, but typically include the following physical and emotional symptoms (which appear when there is a possibility of deep feelings developing):
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath and rapid breathing
• Nausea
• Irregular heartbeat
• Feelings of dread
Above all else, a fear of love will keep you from pursuing meaningful relationships, and may even cause you to withdraw from those that already exist.
What to do if a Fear of Love, or Other Relationship Challenge, is Holding You Back
It can certainly be difficult to determine whether it is a fear of love interfering with your relationships or a variation of it, such as fear of intimacy, fear of commitment or fear of being alone. Each of these has its own unique characteristics, but in reality it doesn’t matter which fear is holding you back, only that you identify that a fear is present, then let it go.
“Fear of love, fear of intimacy, these are just a couple of the fears that get in the way of us relaxing and being open to love. It is not important to determine which fear is holding you back. It is more important to notice that the fear is only a feeling and you can let it go,” says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates.
Learning to let go of negative feelings that are holding you back from love (and likely other areas of happiness in your life like career or family) is simple with The Sedona Method. The Method is a unique, do-it-yourself system that will show you how to tap into your natural ability to release negative thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
“When you decide to let go of whatever inner obstacle you have to being in your ideal relationship,” Dwoskin says, “you clear the way to attract the right person into your life.”
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