Haptophobia: symptoms and manifestation. What to do if there is a fear of touching?

Personal boundaries are an integral element of a healthy human personality. One of the important factors in maintaining personal space is tactile integrity. Someone else's touch can cause confusion and discomfort. Sometimes this happens by accident, sometimes someone needs to touch it in order to give some kind of signal. But, there are people who experience painful emotions if another person touches them - thixophobes .

Thixophobia can spread not only to strangers, but also to those close to you. This disorder causes people to perceive the touch of others as an invasion of personal territory or a threat to health and cleanliness. Thixophobes constantly maintain their distance in any circumstances, and where they fail to do this, personal psychological and physical discomfort begins.

Thixophobia is a general term for phobias of this kind. This disorder includes phobias of a narrower focus, for example, tactilophobia and others.

Haptophobia: what does it mean?

Those suffering from this phobia are afraid when the boundaries of their space are violated. Each person has his own concept of the distinction between personal and public. Haptophobes have a vague idea about this.

Since most people live in large cities, they cannot build barriers from other residents. Constant contact occurs on public transport, when visiting museums and shops. Close contact with other members of society is simply inevitable.

During “penetration” into the personal territory of a person who is afraid of the touch of strangers, uncontrollable feelings of disgust and fear appear. This is not disgust. Such people need the help of specialists to get rid of fear. If the phobia is not treated, then such a person can easily withdraw into himself, he will no longer be able to get out of his psycho-emotional state.

Treatment

Treatment for haptophobia should begin when the first signs are identified, before the disorder leaves a serious imprint on your life.
Since over time it can lead to depression, social isolation, and as a result, degradation. Fear of touch begins with simply unpleasant sensations; a person is wary of people who come closer than a meter to him.

But in the end it ends with him stopping leaving the house, communicating with loved ones, even by phone. Therefore, there can be no talk of any sexual, romantic, family or friendly relationships with such a phobia.

So contact a specialist immediately as soon as you suspect something is wrong. With the help of a psychotherapist, you will understand the causes of this fear and explore ways that will help you cope with it in critical situations, especially when a panic attack occurs.

A psychiatrist will prescribe medications that will reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and stabilize mood.

Causes of phobia

There are internal and external factors that contribute to the emergence of a phobia.

Internal factors are

1. Character traits.
2. Racist beliefs.
3. Diseases of the central nervous system that are chronic.

Many people have personality traits. For them, interference in the inner world of outsiders is unacceptable. One of the most common reasons for such a hobby is increased disgust.

Some have racist beliefs. Such people avoid touch from representatives of other nationalities. Women may have fear of being touched by men.

The main external factors include

1. Chronic diseases of the nervous system.
2. Sexual abuse experienced in childhood or adolescence.
3. Disability.
4. Specific professions.

With chronic diseases of the central nervous system, a haptophobe develops psychoses and neuroses. For this reason, they do not tolerate anyone interfering in their personal space.

In childhood or adolescence, it happens that an individual experiences violence. Fear of the touch of strangers is typical of boys who have been abused by pedophiles. They suffered psychological trauma that was reflected in adulthood.

People with disabilities also tend to avoid touching strangers. Sometimes such a phobia can develop into aggression.

Anancaste disorder can cause haptophobia. Also, fear of the touch of strangers provokes puberty. At this time, the guy or girl is afraid of being touched by the opposite sex. The teenager is embarrassed that others will notice his sexual arousal.

There are specific professions. They leave an imprint on a person’s relationship with other members of society. Dermatologists encounter skin diseases every day. They don't like other people touching their skin.

When to see a doctor

Particular concerns can be extreme, especially in children, but they often go without medical attention.

Fear of touch is a crippling fear that is difficult to overcome due to the cultural and social expectations of touch that are constantly surrounding us.

If this fear persists for more than six months and leads to a distorted perception of everyday situations in the mind, beginning to negatively affect personal or work activities, a person should definitely contact his doctor.

Phobias are highly treatable. Using daily coping mechanisms can reduce the impact on the patient's life and help them cope with the phobia in the long term.

Haptophobia is a painful reaction to tactile contact with acquaintances or strangers, expressed in the form of a phobia, an irrational fear of third-party touches. Otherwise, the phobia is called aphenphosmophobia, aphephobia, haptephobia, haphephobia, thixophobia, haphophobia, hapnophobia.

Tension and internal fear provoke other people's touches in people with autism, but the phobia itself is not a congenital pathology. This condition is considered rare, often accompanying the population of megacities. A phobia can develop under the influence of minor circumstances and due to serious traumatic situations.

Uncontrolled fear of this type leaves a serious negative imprint on a person. And it can lead to adverse consequences for the haptophobe if the pathology is left unattended. It is impossible to eliminate this fear on your own. To get rid of it, you need to carry out corrective work together with a specialist according to a developed individual plan of psychotherapeutic influence.

Haptophobia can occur at any age and regardless of a person’s gender. The presence of certain personality traits, which include suspiciousness, emotionality, disgust, isolation, distrust, a tendency to “get stuck” and the development of obsessive states, is fuel for the rapid formation of pathology.

In small settlements, cases of such a phobia have practically not been recorded. This probably happens because the degree of tension and distrust towards strangers in large cities is much higher than in villages or towns.

Main reasons for development

Often the root cause lies in psychological trauma received in childhood. Violence of any form, aggression directed at a child, coldness and indifference on the part of parents seriously affect a person and often become the basis for the formation of an irrational fear of touch. In this case, fear can also extend to tactile contact with the immediate environment (family, friends).

The next reason is the negative attitudes created in the human mind, aimed at other people of any gender. They are formed due to intimidation and total control of parents. Against this background, fear of sexual violence can develop.

Separately, it is necessary to highlight the physiological cause, which is the basis for the occurrence of hapnophobia. If hormones are not produced correctly in the human body, a condition such as asexuality can develop. With it, there is no need for intimate and simply close tactile contact with another person, libido is reduced, and there may be a disgusted attitude towards other people’s touches and immediate fear.

Additional reasons include:

• subconscious fear of contracting some disease;
• internal attitude that strangers can offend and hurt;
• serious injuries sustained in childhood or adulthood, resulting from the fault of other people;
• neurosis, in particular manifested by various obsessions, psychoasthenia, some personality disorders can be both a consequence of thixophobia and the basis for its occurrence;
• excessive isolation, careful attitude towards one’s personal space and pathological control of the comfort zone.

In a number of cases, pathology is noted on the basis of a negative attitude towards people with a different skin color, a different nationality, people with disabilities, and representatives of informal groups.

Internal causes of phobia

A sharp decrease in the sexual activity of a woman or man often means a fear of being touched. This is usually associated with weight problems and human health. Experts recommend paying attention to hormonal levels.

Due to low testosterone levels, a person's libido decreases and he no longer has the desire to make love and touch his loved ones.

The phobia often occurs in boys during adolescence. Young men do not seek contacts with people of the opposite sex. They are afraid of the appearance of an erection at the most inopportune moment.

Aphenphosmophobia becomes a result of rape. A haptophobe associates strangers and overly intrusive acquaintances with danger. If a person had sexual intercourse in childhood, then the state of loneliness becomes closer to him; the individual has certain difficulties in contact with other representatives of society. Women are afraid of strangers trying to take them by the hand. They do not give them the opportunity to touch the body. It happens that girls run away from men and fight back. A lady can hit a stranger in the nose or face.

During a panic attack, patients lose control of their own actions. If boys were victims of adult men, then at a conscious age they not only develop a fear of the touch of other people, but also have certain difficulties in socialization. Such male representatives cannot establish friendly or romantic relationships with women, as they are constantly afraid of a repetition of the situation.

Some patients find it uncomfortable to touch certain categories of people. For example, contact with people with dark skin, excess weight or physical features is unacceptable for them. This disorder is based on racist beliefs or hostility towards people with disabilities or overweight. Also, on a subconscious level, the patient himself may be afraid of gaining weight or getting injured.

Consequences of the disorder

Such a person cannot feel comfortable in society. An elementary ride in an elevator with other passengers makes you nervous every time. Psychologists note that to build trusting relationships, people need physical contact. Trainings to increase the level of trust in a team are popular, in which colleagues lead the subject blindfolded through an office building or street. Letting someone become your eyes is very difficult, just like falling backwards into the arms of your colleagues.

Such exercises make healthy people who are not afraid of being touched nervous. Such trainings exaggerate life situations, revealing the essence of relationships between people, last no more than an hour, after which all participants return to their normal lifestyle. For a patient with haptophobia, everyday life in society is more difficult than collective sessions with a psychologist, which raise the level of confidence.

Such people most often have no personal life. Only a union of two people with a developed fear of hugs can be ideal. However, a person with such a diagnosis does not at all strive to start relationships, even friendly ones.

Haptophobes tend to be alone

Important! Not only physical touch, but also emotional invasion of personal space drives the patient crazy. Anyone who knows from personal experience what haptophobia is does not even have the desire to build a personal life together with someone

Only living alone, without outside interference, can provide emotional peace and peace of mind

Anyone who knows from personal experience what haptophobia is does not even have the desire to build a personal life together with someone. Only living alone, without outside interference, can provide emotional peace and peace of mind.

A person with this disorder will not be able to build a career as a successful doctor, dancer or manager. Any profession that involves direct contact with people becomes torture for a person with a mental illness. The same applies to situations in which such a person needs medical assistance, but he cannot survive the examination procedure. There are often cases when a patient chooses physical suffering from illness instead of qualified medical care. Therefore, haptophobia is considered by doctors as a phobia that threatens human life and health.

External factors in a phobia

Medical and social workers have a fear of being touched by others. Every day they have contact with drug addicts and unkempt homeless people. Gradually, more and more fears regarding disease and dirt appear. They have an obsession that people carry bacteria and viruses. A mild form of disgust easily turns into a phobia.

In addition, phobia is one of the symptoms of mental retardation and autism. Fear of touch is closely related to a focus on one's own inner world. They perceive aggressively the attempts of others to penetrate their comfort zone.

Fear of other people's touches is diagnosed in people with nervous disorders. For example, these may be obsessive states and psychasthenia. They don't want to come into contact with strangers or even relatives because they think they might pick up bacteria. For such individuals, it is important to monitor their own hygiene and cleanliness. They always have wet wipes and antiseptics with them, so they react quickly and sharply to dirt and stains.

For some people, the smell of the interlocutor acts as an irritating factor. It can be repulsive and cause negative emotions. The aroma often evokes associations with the past. You just need to stop communicating with such a person for a certain period of time. There is no need to be too nice and polite.

Treatment and overcoming

One of the biggest obstacles to overcoming a phobia is avoiding the situation that causes the fear. Treatment aims to help the person cope with the anxiety associated with fear and gradually overcome it.

Effective treatment for phobias includes:

Psychotherapy or talk therapy

There are many types of therapy that can help a person manage or overcome phobias. These include

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can teach a person new behaviors and thought processes to help them cope with the anxiety they experience when touched.
• Exposure therapy is a therapy in which a person is gradually exposed to fear in a safe, controlled environment over a period of weeks or months. This may start with imagining touching and progress to physical touching or standing in a crowded space.
• Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy allows you to experience objects or situations in a safe and controlled manner without the risk of being near the object or situation. One review found that it may be a useful therapy for treating phobias.

Medicines

Medications such as beta blockers or antidepressants may help provide immediate relief from anxiety and panic symptoms. These drugs are often used in combination with psychotherapy.

Copy mechanisms

Breathing exercises and other relaxation techniques are useful for relieving anxiety and panic attacks. Focusing on taking long, deep breaths can reduce the immediate symptoms of touch anxiety.

Practicing mindfulness can help a person understand their thought processes and behaviors and develop better ways to cope with anxiety. A recent review found that mindfulness is effective for treating and preventing anxiety and depression.

Exercise and taking time to rest and sleep are powerful ways to improve overall mental health.

Self-care is often used to relieve anxiety and panic, and can also help a person cope with their phobias.

Main symptoms of haptophobia

In large cities, people are forced to use public transport almost every day. If you have a phobia of people touching, it will be unbearable for a haptophobe to ride near other passengers. They are experiencing a storm of emotions.

Such an individual’s pulse immediately quickens, his body trembles, and nausea appears. Breathing gradually becomes difficult, and the lack of oxygen begins to be felt more and more acutely. The cause of fainting may be dizziness. If haptophobia is not treated, it will worsen the patient’s mental and physical condition every day.

When the owner of a phobia touches a place where another person has been, he feels the need to immediately wash his hands and wipe them with an alcohol wipe.

Fear of being touched by strangers is often associated with a burn or feeling like a piece of ice has touched bare skin. The body is instantly covered with goosebumps. It is quite easy for others to identify a phobia by the disgusted facial expressions of its owner.

Haptophobes try not to openly demonstrate their hostility towards other people, especially when their personal space is invaded. He tolerates hugs and kisses from his family, but experiences negative feelings. Some of them resort to demonstratively wiping their hands with a napkin immediately after shaking hands. This is how they show the degree of their hostility, demonstrate fear of the touch of strangers .

Haptophobe has a special way of life. Such a person becomes more withdrawn and is not interested in communicating with others. Aphephobia can also be a consequence of other phobias. For example, a person is afraid of sexual harassment, he has a fear of contracting an infectious disease.

How to identify a haptophobe

Fear of being touched by strangers is easily identified. Such individuals constantly keep their distance. They don't like to let people into their lives. It gets to the point where family relationships become more and more difficult. Such a person diligently avoids hugs; he does not want to communicate with his loved ones. Sexual relationships gradually cease, as they instill disgust and fear in the owner of the phobia.

Touch phobia makes a person more aggressive and irritable. When attempting physical contact, he reacts sharply, can shout at other people, hit them, if only his personal space has been violated. A haptophobe does not always do everything consciously. Such people wear closed clothes, try not to be in crowded places, and practically do not use public transport. Before going out into the world, they need to prepare themselves psychologically and emotionally.

The person himself may not understand that the phobia has long grown into a disease that interferes with normal life activities. In this case, haptophobia needs to be treated. Fear of being touched by strangers in some cases requires outside help, for example, you need to see a psychotherapist.

Diagnostics

If a person notices symptoms of haptophobia, he will have to see a doctor to confirm the diagnosis. It is impossible to diagnose yourself, just as it is impossible to get a haircut, cut out an appendix, or heal a tooth on your own. Entrust your health to a professional - a person who has studied psychology for many years. This could be a psychotherapist, psychiatrist, neurologist.

Fear of touch is diagnosed using special questionnaires and tests for various disorders. Remember: most often, haptophobia is not an independent illness. This is a “component” for another, more serious mental disorder.

One way or another, you shouldn’t be afraid of such symptoms. Psychology is actively developing, and all ailments are treatable.

Fear of touching: how to get rid of it

First of all, a person must admit that he has haptophobia. After this, he must realize and accept the need for treatment.

Treatment measures are carried out based on the individual characteristics of the patient. During a personal conversation, the specialist determines the reasons why the phobia arose. In order for the fear of the touch of strangers to go away, sometimes it is simply enough to get rid of negative memories.

If the phobia is seriously advanced, then drug treatment and the use of antidepressants cannot be ruled out. To get rid of fear, psychologists advise doing yoga and partner dancing. Over time, you will enjoy contact with other people.

With this kind of phobia, patients often give up on their personal lives. To get rid of fear, you need regular sessions with a psychotherapist. If a person is taken out of his “comfort zone,” then he is no longer able to cope with the problem on his own.

Impaired social interaction

Haptophobia forces a person to isolate himself from the company of other people. Alone, the “patient” is calmer. Over time, he becomes more and more withdrawn, because we all strive to protect ourselves from danger and find spiritual comfort. Also haptophobes. But their concept of safety and comfort is distorted. For them it is the absence of touching. No potential danger. Lack of people nearby.

This problem often makes it impossible to work and communicate. A person leaves a place of work where he needs to constantly interact with others. He becomes withdrawn, and this negatively affects the psyche. For mental balance, a person needs communication, communication, interaction. This is how we are made.