Are you afraid of getting married? Here’s what you should know

Dr Kedar Tilwe tells you all you need to know about gamophobia – fear of marriage.

Aishwarya Vaidya | Published: June 20, 2018 1:26 pm

Know the signs of unhappy marriage. © Shutterstock

Natasha (name changed), a 30-year-old Mumbai resident couldn’t think of getting married as she was betrayed in her previous relationship. She would find reasons to avoid getting married. That is when her parents approached a doctor.

Read: 10 reasons girls can give their parents for not getting married in their early 20s

Do you know that there are a few people who are scared of getting married? Yes! You have heard it right! The fear of getting married or commitment is known as gamophobia.

Dr Kedar Tilwe, Psychiatrist, Sexologist and Geriatric psychiatrist at Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi – A Fortis Network Hospital explains, “Gamophobia means fear of marriage (Gamos – marriage and phobia – irrational fear). However, it is commonly used to denote an irrational or morbid fear of long-lasting commitment to a person or a relationship.”

Read: 10 STRANGE medical phobias you should know about

He adds, “Unfavorable past experiences and incidents; especially if associated with sense of betrayal, can be a major factor in the forming of this phobia. A person suffering from symptoms of a personality disorder (e.g. schizoid personality disorder), anxiety disorder, depression and so on, may also have difficulty with commitment.”

Dr Kedar Tilwe lists out the symptoms and the treatment

Symptoms:

One tends to become anxious or panics when topic of commitment or marriage comes up.
Avoiding discussions about topic related to relationships, commitment or marriage.
Some people may self-sabotage (e.g. make excessive or irrational demands of their partner) a budding meaningful relationship for the fear of obligation to make a commitment to their partner

Treatment:

A frank and open-minded discussion about your insecurities and perceived hurdles with your partner or trusted confidant will go a long way in reducing this distress.
Formal therapy in form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), couple’s counselling, Rational Emotive Behavior therapy (REBT), will help get over this phobia.
Medicines can also be prescribed to control the anxiety or depressive symptoms.

Image Source: Shutterstock

Published: June 20, 2018 1:26 pm

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