Gynophobia, more commonly known as the fear or hatred of women (venustraphobia) is actually a social phobia .
In most cases, men are more likely than women to experience fear of women.
People who have venustraphobia or gynophobia may have bad feelings towards women in their family, including mothers, sisters, aunts, and cousins.
Furthermore, those who fear or loathe women refrain from having sex with them or marrying them.
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A closer look at the fear of women
Medical specialists often attribute venustraphobia to traumatic experiences that a person has gone through due to certain women. This could include an abusive or neglectful mother, suffering from emotions, physical or sexual abuse by a woman during puberty, or habitual rejection by women.
As already mentioned, men are more likely to suffer from this phobia of women than other women, and they are likely to view women as unreliable or otherwise misleading.
Both adults and children are capable of suffering from gynophobia. If this fear and discontent with women is not addressed, it almost always lasts into adulthood.
Also, people who suffer from this social phobia see women as physical and emotional threats.
Readiness to fearful and unpleasant women
While negative experiences increase the likelihood of contracting this irrational fear, other factors increase the likelihood that a person will develop a fear of women.
High levels of emotional sensitivity and a propensity for negativity make one more susceptible to dislike or fear women.
People who have relatives with anxiety disorders or other social phobias may be more likely to experience this phobia.
Finally, observing, listening to or reading about adverse encounters with the female sex can generate apprehension.
In general, young people, as young as 10 years old, are more prone to phobias than their older counterparts.
Although mental health specialists remain unsure of the exact cause of gynophobia, negative and traumatic experiences with women remain the most likely factor, followed by heredity, environment, and changes in the brain.
Venustraphobia, Gynophobia and Misogyny
On many occasions, gynophobia, venustraphobia, and misogyny are used interchangeably.
Misogyny is defined as “hatred, contempt or prejudice towards women or girls”.
While some people see these two terms synonymously, others argue that fear of women breeds hatred, contempt and prejudice against them… In other words, in the eyes of some individuals, gynophobia is the mother of misogyny.
The validity of the above theory is highly debatable. However, Lovepanky states that phobia is a clinical social anxiety disorder, unlike misogyny.
Although gynophobia and misogyny share similar traits, the former is a genuine mental illness, while the latter is rooted in hatred and prejudice.
Classifying this problem as a social anxiety disorder explains why fear is triggered by coming into contact with women.
Unlike misogynists, someone who suffers from the clinical fear of women is likely to experience cold sweats, nausea, and increased heart rate when in contact with women.
Therefore, gynophobic people often do their best to refrain from coming into contact with women.
This includes avoiding physical and verbal interactions. When people with gynophobia come into contact with women, they are usually inclined to separate immediately.
Misogyny
Unlike gynophobia, misogyny is totally under our control. Individuals who detest women who harbor prejudices against them exert this form of negative energy when interacting with them.
Also, misogyny is not a clinical disease. People suffering from this condition are not affected by the aforementioned physical symptoms that accompany a genuine phobia of women.
There are many theories about misogyny, its underlying roots, and causes.
While misogyny is defined as a person who hates or harbors contempt and prejudice towards women, some psychologists think that misogynists hate and despise women who “ do not act out of beliefs that the misogynist has about how women should think and behave “.
The above theory further supports the belief that gynophobia and misogyny are totally different entities.
While gynophobia is a clinical phobia of all women, misogyny targets specific categories of women.
Treatment options for Gynophobia
Fear of women may not seem like a serious problem to most people, but psychology claims that this phobia can have an adverse impact on people’s careers , personal / professional relationships, and the ability to function properly in one’s life. daily life.
People with this disorder are strongly advised to seek medical treatment if the phobia begins to wreak havoc at work, school, or interactions with other people.
In most cases, the doctor will advise people who have this disorder to undergo therapy or take medication.
Exposure therapy
Exposure therapy is a step-by-step process that gradually exposes grieving individuals to things that involve women.
This form of treatment is designed to create a gradual comfort level with women and rid patients of their phobia. However, this process takes time and will not happen overnight.
Most of the time, exposure therapy designed to help people with gynophobia begins simply with looking at pictures of women.
After a certain level of comfort and confidence is built, the person may be exposed to audios and videos of women.
After enough time has passed and the patient is ready, the therapist will likely have their patient adventure in an environment with women, such as an outdoor park or shopping mall.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
People who have this fear may also be advised to get involved in cognitive behavioral therapy.
This form of treatment takes a psychological approach to understanding and ultimately fighting women’s fear.
Cognitive behavioral therapy encourages grieving individuals to view their phobia in a different light, to learn to master and control the symptoms associated with the disorder, and to manage the emotional repercussions.
After this form of treatment has ended, the feathered individual should experience confidence, the ability to control their thoughts and feelings of relief.
Medicines
In some circumstances, a doctor will decide that medications are better suited to combat women’s phobia than the forms of therapy mentioned above.
Most of the time, medications are used to relieve gynophobic offshoots of panic attacks and anxiety.
However, doctors state that the medication should only be administered in the initial stages of gynophobia treatment.
If the afflicted individual is prescribed medication, they are likely to receive beta-blockers or sedatives. Ultimately, both forms of medicine are designed to combat these problems.
Beta-blockers focus on calming the adrenaline that the body experiences during anxiety attacks.
This can have a monumental impact, as uncontrolled anxiety can lead to higher blood pressure, wobbly limbs, shaky voices, heart palpitations, and increased heart rate.
While beta-blockers focus on counteracting the negative impacts of anxiety associated with gynophobia, sedatives decrease anxiety completely. However, sedatives are extremely addictive and should only be taken with the utmost vigilance. Also, people who have had previous problems with drugs or alcohol should completely abstain from sedatives.
Although all forms of treatment are used to combat gynophobia, exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy focus on the root cause of gynophobia, while medication is primarily focused on addressing the symptoms of the phobia, not the cause. underlying.
Conclusions
Every human being faces various challenges or difficulties that must be overcome. Individuals who have a fear of women or other ailments should never feel inferior to other people because of this.
Sometimes basking in self-pity can be so easy and tempting, however, focusing on that energy toward overcoming the phobia is considerably more productive and will benefit each person in the long run.
As stated, dealing with this issue doesn’t happen overnight, although having a strong support system can make recovery much easier and smoother.
No matter what one is going through in life, the benefits of a strong, loving and compassionate support system are well documented.
Being able to ask for help and support is not a sign of weakness, but of strength.
Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.