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A Complete overview on Gamophobia or Fear of Commitment

A Complete overview on Gamophobia or Fear of Commitment

Updated on May 27, 2022

Reviewed by Dr. Nereida Gonzalez-Berrios, MD , Certified Psychiatrist

Gamophobia (Fear of Commitment) - Signs, Symptoms and Treatment

Fear of commitment can have a great part in your thoughts and regular life for some people. The idea of getting involved in something for a long time can be terrifying for them.

If you are experiencing these issues you need to dig deeper in your heart to understand the problem.

Being in a relationship with someone is really difficult for anybody and the idea of being stuck with someone for your whole life can be a little overwhelming.

Relationships are not always about loving and caring about each other.

A relationship with someone can also bring you sorrow and complications in life. Disagreements and misunderstandings are also a huge part of any relationship.

These thoughts can really make someone nervous and confused about getting involved in something for long.

This nervousness and your fear of committing to someone can make you crazy and worried.

If your fear is affecting your life in a negative way and creating huge anxiety and stress in your life that can cause panic attacks. This condition can be called Gamophobia. 

Gamophobia Infographic

A Complete overview on Gamophobia or Fear of Commitment
A Complete overview on Gamophobia or Fear of Commitment

What is fear of commitment or Gamophobia?

Summary
Fear of commitment or Gamophobia can cause you extreme fear of any long-term commitment. You can get sweaty and anxious in the name of any long-term commitment or marriage.

The thought of getting married or committing to something can make your heart pound or can make you lightheaded. You can get worried about your future and can get insecure of failing in your responsibilities.

Committing to someone or something involves a lot of things along with it. There are lots of responsibilities you need to fulfill once you commit yourself to something.

People with gamophobia can be confused and overwhelmed with the thought of it and may start panicking. 

There can be several factors that are responsible for creating this fear of commitment in someone. You need to dig down in your heart and think about every detail of your life.

Something may be responsible for creating this condition on someone. 

Something may have happened in your past which is responsible for this condition.

All your insecurities and fear are triggered by certain situations in your life where there is a chance that you may have to commit yourself to something. 


Different forms of Gamophobia or fear of commitment 

Gamophobia or the fear of commitment can reflect in your life through different forms of it. You can be afraid to commit to something specific or you can be really afraid to commit to anything at all in your life.

someone can experience fear whenever there is a situation in their life where you need to give all their efforts to something specific and that thing can last in their life for quite some time.

They may feel insecure that they may not be able to maintain their side of the deal.

People with gamophobia can experience certain fears while choosing a career for the rest of their life. They can be afraid that they may not be able to focus on something particular to excel on and these thoughts can create excessive anxiety and stress in their life.

To excel at something will require all your attention and your full commitment to that work but people with the fear of commitment are unable to promise anything in their life.

They can be really confused and insecure that all their efforts can go in vain.

Someone who is experiencing fear of commitment can experience extreme anxiety when they are asked for marriage or a long term commitment in their love life. They are more comfortable in casual dating.

They are not very comfortable thinking about a future together. They tend to live in the moment and enjoy it to the fullest. People with gamophobia generally avoid talking much about their life and their future plans with their partners. 

The moment things turn into something when you need to move on to the next stage of a serious relationship they tend to take off all of a sudden.

The talk about marriage can bring a panic attack to them and they are not ready to take any long term investment with someone.

Thoughts about spending all life together with someone can induce fear in their mind. The responsibilities that are required in a long term relationship that is generally perceived as a burden by the people who have gamophobia. 

These people can fear any relationship that may require any long term commitment in general.

They tend to avoid having any life long friends and they generally prefer to be left alone. The reason behind this behavior can be any past memories of betrayal.

These people may fear that investing themselves in something big can cause harm in their lives.

They will be more vulnerable and exposed to others and other people can take advantage of them. They may be afraid of getting hurt by someone in the future. 


The factors that can be responsible for this fear of commitment

There are several factors that can be responsible for developing certain conditions in an individual. The main two factors that can be responsible for any kind of phobias are genetic factors and environmental factors. 

Gamophobia is an excessive reaction of fear and panic triggered by any situation that may involve any kind of commitment in your daily life.

Individuals with this kind of phobia frequently experience severe anxiety attacks in which they are not able to do anything to control. 

The reason for developing this condition can be something from your childhood days or something from your recent experiences in life.

People with severe health conditions are more likely to develop certain psychological conditions like gamophobia. 

Genetic factors

Genetic factors can be an important factor in case of phobia of commitments or gamophobia. Children with the traits of any anxiety disorder are always at a higher risk to develop certain conditions like gamophobia. 

Children with a history of any psychological condition in their family also have a higher chance of developing certain psychological conditions in their life.  

Environmental factors 

Several environmental factors are often more responsible for developing certain psychological conditions in different individuals. The development of a child and their environment and their family can play a very important role in their mental state.

Any abusive or violent environment during childhood or any experience of trauma can lead them to develop gamophobia in the future.

Any distressing experience in their past which has affected their life negatively can really be responsible for developing gamophobia.

Individuals with gamophobia can develop several medical conditions later in their life if they don’t follow proper treatment procedures.

This can affect their personal as well as professional life and ruin their interpersonal relationships. 


The probable reasons that can lead you to experience the fear of commitment 

There are several possible reasons that can lead you to develop an extreme fear of commitment in your life. For most people, the reason behind developing a fear of commitment can be something from your past.

Something from your childhood or any past memories that had a huge effect on your life can result in developing a certain fear or anxiety about something particular in your life. 

You may have experienced any kind of trauma in your past which may have affected your psychological well-being and caused any emotional breakdown in your life.

You may have overcome that pain but your mind has developed extreme fear about anything similar to that.

Whenever you come closer to a similar situation you experience excessive fear and anxiety and pain.

Your subconscious mind is not ready to go through the same experience all over again and causing several anxiety attacks to force you to avoid any kind of threats from the environment. 

Any time you come near any situation that may involve any kind of long-term investment you try to avoid certain situations in your life.

The thoughts of committing for someone or something can create severe anxiety and an unpleasant condition in your mind. 

1. Afraid of getting hurt

You may have experienced something awful in your life which has a huge effect on you and you have not been able to move on from that feeling yet. Something from your past that you loved once has caused severe pain in your life.

You may have committed all your heart, your time, and efforts into something in your past but that did not end well.

That particular situation has affected your life negatively and has caused enough damage and loss in your life. 

Psychologist McGregor gave a concept about past experience that if a child experiences a painful burning sensation when he touches a hot stove he may develop a fear towards any kind of stove in their life and will never repeat the same mistake again. 

Your past experience of pain is holding you back from repeating the same mistake all over again. You are afraid that you will end up getting hurt once again in your life if you commit to something with all your heart. 

The thought of investing your efforts and your love into something reminds you of the painful experience you had in your past and this feeling is not giving you permission to get involved in any kind of commitment with anyone in your life.  

2. Upbringing and childhood memories

Your upbringing and your childhood memories can play a very important role in your present and your future. If you are experiencing a fear of commitment in your life it is possible that you may have witnessed something awful in your childhood

Your childhood was not that smooth and you may have had a difficult time growing up.

It is possible that you had a rough upbringing and you have not witnessed much love and commitment in your family during your childhood. 

Any violent or hateful environment during your childhood can lead you in developing gamophobia later in life. You may have experienced certain complications or violence among your parents and you really do not want to experience the same in your life. 

If you have seen your parents arguing or fighting all the time about several things it is possible that you have lost all your faith from commitment in your life.

You may have been terrified of that unpleasant environment in your past that is still affecting your life negatively.

You may have witnessed divorce and hatred among your parents and throughout your upbringing, you have seen a long-term relationship in a bad way and extreme pain which may be the reason that you have lost all your faith in love and long-term investment.

You do not want to experience the same pain you have seen your parents or someone you loved to suffer from.

Coming close to any kind of commitment can trigger your childhood memories and the pain you have witnessed which is causing this condition in your life. 

3. Past relationships

Your past relationships can also be responsible for your current condition and your fear of commitment.

If you have been a part of any toxic romantic relationship with someone in your past who caused severe pain in your life that can lead you in developing gamophobia. 

You may have been a part of a romantic relationship for a long time with someone whom you loved with everything you had. You may have put all your efforts and your time to save your relationship and be happy with each other.

If you had such a relationship with someone and that broke without any notice or any warning that could break all your emotions and your psychological condition.

That heartbreak can develop an extreme fear of commitment or investment in a relationship for a long time.

You do not want to get hurt all over again in your life. You have worked really hard to move on from your past and get back on track in your life and you really do not want to repeat the same mistake all over again in your life. 

If you were a part of an abusive relationship with someone that can also break your belief and faith from love and commitments. You may start to believe that every long term relationship can lead to certain violence and abuse. 

If you do not have any experience of a bad relationship in your life but yet you have developed a fear of commitment it is possible that you may have witnessed someone close to you having a certain negative experience in their romantic relationships. 

Seeing someone you love to experience such pain and heartbreak in a relationship can create excessive fear about love and commitment in your life. 

4. Trauma 

Any trauma related to any relationship can be a reason for your gamophobia. You have experienced something really terrible in your past which may have affected your emotions and your mental health. 

You may have experienced certain situations of abuse or violence during your childhood which may have caused several emotional disturbances during your childhood days which is still affecting your mental health. 

You may have witnessed something terrible regarding any relationship with someone you cared for.

Which has affected your beliefs and your concepts about committing to someone for the future. You think that investing your time and efforts for someone can only result in pain.

If you had an unhealthy relationship in your past that can really affect your ability to trust people. An abusive relationship in your past can really create a traumatizing experience for you which can haunt you for the rest of your life.

Any history of any kind of physical abuse during your childhood or any mental abuse can lead you to severe trauma for the rest of your life.

You may lose all your hope and expectations from love or trust for the rest of your life. 

If you have experienced a certain abusive relationship closely for a long period that can also affect your life in a negative way.

Witnessing physical or verbal abuse among parents or parental divorce can really be terrifying and traumatic for certain children. 

You may develop an intense fear of any kind of commitment in your life which you think can help you to maintain your distance from anyone and never get hurt. 

5. Betrayal

Betrayal is another factor that can be responsible for gamophobia in certain people. If someone you really cared for has broken your trust for some reasons which have caused multiple personal damages for you it is possible to develop a fear about commitment.

You may have trusted someone with all your heart but that person may have betrayed you and broken your heart.

This can happen in case of any kind of relationship in your life. One of your closest friends could be the reason that you feel betrayed and heartbroken.

It can be that some of your closest relatives whom you trusted with some secrets did something behind your back that caused you some severe personal loss. This can be the reason that you are extremely afraid to commit something or trust someone for a long time. 

It is also possible that someone has cheated you in a romantic relationship for a long time which has affected your emotional state and caused a lot of pain in your life.

You do not want to feel that pain again in your life and you are not willing to walk through the same path again.

You have developed some severe trust issues in your life which are affecting your present as well as your future.

You are avoiding any situation where you may need to experience something similar and which can cause pain in your life. 


Clinical symptoms of gamophobia or the fear of commitment 

Fear of commitment to something for a long time can be really common in people. Committing to someone about spending a whole life together or commitment for marriage comes with a huge responsibility. 

Anyone can be afraid to take this big step in their life and be confused or insecure about their future. People can be really nervous while talking about their future together with their partner and while talking about marriage. 

Separating this fear from a normal point to a problem can be really difficult. If your fear of commitment is affecting your personal life and well your romantic life negatively then only we can count this behavior as a problem. 

If you are suffering from gamophobia you will experience several periods of intense anxiety attacks or panic attacks while talking or thinking about any kind of commitment in your life.

Here are some clinical symptoms that can help you to diagnose if someone has commitment phobia. 

  • The thought of commitment can create panic attacks.
  • These anxiety episodes can be really frequent if someone with commitment phobia is in a relationship. 
  • Depressive feelings or stress about relationships.
  • Tendency to escape from any relationship the moment it starts to get serious. 
  • Not interested in any future with someone or marriage. 

Whenever an individual with gamophobia is experiencing certain situations where they are asked to commit something or they are thinking about commitment certain physical symptoms may appear as an effect of intense anxiety. 

  • Increasing heart rate
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea
  • Chest pain
  • Headache
  • Sweating
  • Shaking
  • Losing sense
  • Lightheadedness
  • Flushing 

These physical symptoms are an outburst of your internal anxiety and stress that you experience whenever the thought of commitment comes into your mind. This can really have an impact on your personal and professional life as well as on your physical and mental health. 


Signs that can help you to understand if you have the fear of commitment

There are no tests available to find out if you have commitment phobia or not but here we are going to discuss some of the signs that can help you to find out if you have fear of commitment or not.

If you are dating someone and you think they may have some issues committing something to you and you really want to understand if they have a certain fear of commitment or not you can search for these signs.

Showing some of these signs can also be perfectly normal for someone. If you do not like someone that much but yet in a casual relationship with them you may not develop any emotional attachment

It is normal not to think about your future with everyone you date in your life or share your thoughts and ideas with everyone you meet.

You can not trust your partner at once with everything you have. That does not mean that you have a fear of commitment in your life.

You need to understand your perspective and observe yourself from different areas in life and different perspectives if you truly want to identify your issues.  

1. Setting your own priorities

If you are in a relationship with someone but you and your partner have different priorities in their life which are not at all related to each other can be a problem.

You may have developed your own priorities without considering your relationship or your partner. 

You may have your personal goals and desires and things that you put above everything else in your life but you do not think there is a need to share your priorities and thoughts with your partner.

You do not share the same goal or priorities as your partner in your life. 

2. Communication problems

Communication is a big part of our life and very much important for any relationship with someone. You do not understand the need for communication in your romantic relationship. 

You do not prefer sharing your thoughts and ideas with your partner and you are not ready to open up in front of them. You do not feel like communicating with your partner about your problems in life. 

You will not be comfortable talking about your emotions and your feelings about something or someone. You may find it hard to choose appropriate words to express your thoughts and your emotions while talking to someone. 

You may not be confident enough to stick to your points and there will be a tendency to use more hypothetical worlds in your speech. 

If you realize the importance of communication in case of any relationship in your life and you are willing to improve your skills in this area it will be easier for you to work on the solutions to your problems.

3. Leading your life differently than your partner

People with commitment phobia lead a very different life than their partners. They do not share any long-term goals In their life with their partners or with someone else.

They are more likely to plan their things on their own and set different priorities in life.

These people prefer to work alone and do not share their ideas and thoughts with anyone in their life. They do not feel there is a need to involve their partner in their choices and decisions about their life and their future. 

4. Narcissistic behavior

People with gamophobia may develop a narcissistic trait in their personality that can affect everything around them.

They are more likely to think only about themselves and they are not much interested in anyone else around them. 

They do not realize the need to think about other people and or form a sensible relationship with someone to spend their life with. 

These individuals always think about their own needs and desires and believe that everyone around them should fulfill all their wishes and make them feel good. 

They have a tendency to question everything around them and blame everything that is not contributing to their satisfaction. 

5. Afraid of doing something wrong in a relationship

People with gamophobia may be afraid of any kind of relationship and do not share the same goal as their partner.

If the person is sensible and understands the need of their partner in a relationship they may develop a fear of ruining everything.

They believe that their fear and insecurities can hurt their partner and things may take a wrong turn if they get more involved in a serious relationship.

They can be afraid of doing something negative or wrong in their relationship that can mess things up. 

People with agoraphobia may develop a fear or insecurity of failing their relationship with someone they really cared for.

They can complicate things with their partner because of their negative thoughts and insecurities.

The outburst of their internal thoughts and anxiety can affect their relationship and also can affect their partner in a negative way.

6. Afraid of an unhealthy relationship

People with commitment phobia are afraid of any long-term relationship and they think everything will end up in a bad way and cause pain in their life.

They are afraid that their partner can use them for their needs and break their hearts. 

It is possible that they were a part of any toxic or unhealthy relationships in their roast and which is the reason behind their fear and they are afraid that if they open up themselves the same can happen once again in their life. 

They do not want to feel the pain of heartbreak and negative emotions in their life.

They are afraid of being created and they think that if they open up in front of their partner they will be cheated and betrayed by their partners. 

They are afraid to commit to a relationship for a long period because they do not want to give an opportunity to someone to hurt them and ruin their life. 

7. Trust issues

People with gamophobia may have had certain experiences of betrayal and mistrust by someone close to them in their past. That can be the reason behind their behavior and their thoughts. 

They may not be able to trust someone to share their thoughts and feelings. They tend to keep everything to themselves and they believe that anyone can break their trust and use everything against them.

They are afraid to trust someone anymore and they do not want to experience the same traumatic event once again in their life.

They can be paranoid about everything around them and this tendency can increase more with time.  

These people can blame their partner for anything wrong in their life. They can develop a belief that their partners are trying to harm them and ruin their life.

This thought can increase the distance and ruin their relationship with anyone around them.

8. Tendency to keep things casual

Individuals with commitment phobia will tend to date casually and move on with their life. They do not want to get serious in any relationship with someone.

They do not believe in any serious relationship or any long-term relationship with one person. 

They have a tendency to enjoy the moment and they do not prefer to think about the future with someone else. They want everyone to leave them alone and not interfere with their thoughts and goals in life. 

The moment the partner starts getting serious about their relationship they have a tendency to avoid the situation and run from that relationship.

They believe that coming to a certain relationship can work as a trap for everyone and can ruin their life. 

9. Blaming others

These people have a tendency to make everything only about themselves. They depend on other people to make them happy and satisfied in their life. If anything goes wrong in their life they have a tendency to blame it on other people. 

They do not trust other people around them and can be really paranoid about everything.

They can blame their partners and make them responsible for certain things that may have gone wrong in their life. 

They have a tendency to project their fear or their anxiety and stress onto other people around them, and their habit to blame everyone around them can induce more fear about any kind of long-term commitment in their life.

10. Not opening up

These people do not open up themselves in front of anyone else. They think that if they start expressing their thoughts and emotions others can use it against them and ruin their life.

They are afraid to trust other people and to share their secrets with anyone around them.

They are not very comfortable talking about their thoughts and expressing their emotions. They think opening up to someone can make them vulnerable around other people and can make them weak. 

They have a tendency to often question their relationships and they believe that nothing can last for long.

Their partners can break their hearts and cause a lot of pain in their life and they do not want to make any mistakes that can cause harm in their future.  

11. Convincing yourself not to commit

If you are suffering from commitment phobia your mind will try to convince you not to trust anyone or not to get involved in any serious relationship with anyone in your life. 

You may start thinking about a long-term relationship but your inner mind will try to highlight all the negatives that can happen in your life.

Your mind will convince you that most of the time there is a higher chance of ruining your life if you trust someone with your heart. 

You will not be able to commit to someone even if you want to consider that thought. Your inner mind will convince you that committing to someone will be the biggest regret or the biggest mistake in your life. 

12. Not taking initiative to make plans

A person with commitment phobia will not take much initiative in making some new plans in their relationship. They do not understand the importance of making any plans for someone and how it can benefit someone. 

Making plans with your partner will need you to think about your future which you are not at all comfortable in.

You believe that there is no use thinking about your future with someone or involving someone in your future plans because nothing can last forever. 

You are afraid that if you make certain plans about your future all of them can fail and break your heart. If all of your plans are ruined, that can cause a lot of pain for you and can have a huge effect on your life. 

Sometimes the thoughts about making any plans with someone can induce excessive stress and pressure in your mind.

You can become anxious thinking about the failure of your plan which does not give you the courage to take that initiative. 

13. Not think about the future in the relationship 

You do not prefer to think about your future with someone else in your life. You are not interested in committing your future to someone and you believe this can have a negative effect on your life and cause trouble. 

You do not put much effort into your relationship and you do not prefer to invest much time in it.

You don’t understand the importance of spending much time with your partner because you do not believe in the concept of spending your future together. 

If your partner is trying to commit to you and talking about marriage and a future together this can induce anxiety and can cause panic attacks.

The moment things will take a turn you will try to avoid certain situations and remove yourself from them. 

If your partner is pushing you too hard to commit or to think about your future you may feel frustrated and anxious and react negatively. Your behavior can hurt your partner emotionally and cause a lot of pain. 

14. Not feeling emotionally attached 

You do not feel any emotional attachment with someone in your life. If you are in a relationship with someone you do not feel any emotion or any attachment towards your partner.

You think that any kind of attachment towards someone can cause you a lot of pain. 

You believe if you develop any attachment towards your partner even the thought of losing your partner can induce excessive pain in your life.

If you are not feeling attached to someone, the elimination of that person from your life will not affect you much even if you were having a good time with them. 

You really want to avoid certain uncomfortable feelings in your life. 

The reason behind your emotional attachment can be because there is a lack of development of any kind of attachment in your childhood.

You are unable to understand any kind of attachment and if you want to improve your condition you need to learn more about it. 

If you understand the importance of attachment in your relationship and you have started liking your partner but you are unable to commit anything veggie of your fear of commitment it will be easier to work on your issues and improve your condition. 

15. Uneasy feeling when someone talks about commitment

People with gamophobia will not be much comfortable around when someone is talking about any kind of commitment. They will avoid certain situations or conversations that involve any commitment or long-term investment. 

Whenever their partner is talking about any kind of emotional investment or investment of time and efforts for something that may induce anxiety and stress in them.

They will not feel much comfortable at that moment and will try to change the topic.

They avoid any conversation regarding their future with someone and the thought of commitment or investment can cause an outburst of anxiety in their life. 


How fear of commitment can affect any relationship 

Fear of commitment can really affect any kind of relationship in a negative way and ruin everything. If someone is dating a person with commitment phobia and trying to get serious about their relationship things can get really complicated.

If someone is dating a person with commitment phobia and he/ she is trying to take their relationship to the next level and never getting any emotional response or any positive reaction from their partner it can be really frustrating for them.

The person who is serious about their relationship can be ready to commit to their relationship and they will expect the same from their partner.

If they are dating a person with commitment phobia they can get really hurt and heartbroken and lose their faith in love.  

This can affect the person with gamophobia in two different ways. He/ she can also feel the pain and guilt when they realize that their fear is causing severe pain and heartbreak to someone else and they are unable to do anything about it. 

In the other scenario, the person with commitment phobia can get frustrated and angry with their partner pushing them too hard for commitment or a future together. 

In any way, commitment phobia can really harm your personal life and your interpersonal relationships. This can send you away from someone’s love and care and make you alone and left out for the rest of your life.  


How can you understand if you should seek medical help

If you are afraid to commit to someone and you are choosing to stay out of any serious relationship with someone that can be totally understandable. You can choose not to commit to someone or not to marry someone for the rest of your life. 

If you are acting out of your own free will then you do not have any severe issues in your life. You can control your fear and that is not affecting your choices in life.

Someone can always be happy without marriage and any serious relationship in their life. 

When your fear of commitment is starting to affect your interpersonal relationships and your ability to make a choice about your own life that is turning into a severe problem in your life that should be controlled. 

This unreasonable fear of commitment can really change your life as a whole and can take away your free will. You will start to make some wrong choices in your life even if you are not happy with your choice because of your fear and inability to control your anxiety. 

This can take away all your choices and can hold you back from everything.

You may not be able to be happy in your life because you are unable to do the things you actually want to do and the things that can make you really happy in life. 

This can affect your mental health and can cause a more severe emotional breakdown. If you are not emotionally satisfied and happy that can cause more anxiety and pressure.

This condition may lead you to several psychological conditions if you are unable to control your condition. 

If your mental health is affected that can also cause several physical health conditions. You can experience severe illness and physical deterioration. The chance of developing any critical physical disease will get higher along with your mental breakdown. 

This will also affect your personal life and interpersonal relationships with your family and your friends. You may feel alone and left out.

You may lack emotional support or love from someone because you have never committed to someone to stick by their side for all your life. 

Your health and your mental condition may also cause several complications in your professional life. You will not be able to give your best in your work which will reduce your productivity and affect your career negatively. 

When your fear is starting to affect your life and your health negatively you should take your condition seriously. You need to try to find out the reason that has caused this fear of commitment and work on your issues. 

In this situation, you should try different methods to control your condition and act on your free will.

You need to work on your courage to make your own choices and improve your control power and coping ability to reduce your anxiety and stress level.

If you are unable to work on your issues of your own and things are not in control you should start seeking professional help. You will be benefited from any mental health expert who will help you to work on your issues.

Proper medication and treatment are necessary to work on your anxiety, stress, and depression. Proper treatment and guidance will help you to achieve a healthy mental state and a healthy personal and professional life.


Treatment of gamophobia

Once your commitment phobia is being diagnosed and you have realized the need for proper treatment to improve your condition you should start your clinical treatment instantly. 

Sometimes it is possible that with your great willpower and deep realization you may be able to improve your condition on your own but sometimes it is really tough to work on your own in that situation you should seek help from a mental health professional. 

There are some treatment processes that can be followed to help you with your condition. 

1. Individual therapy 

Individual therapy is a great process to understand the reason behind your condition and the factors that are responsible for your fear. You will be able to share anything you want with your therapist and they will listen to you without any judgment.

Any past experience trauma, your upbringing, attachment issues, or your childhood memories any of them can be the reason behind your fear. In a therapeutic session, the therapist will help you to speak all about them and find out the responsible factor.

If you are experiencing some side effects of your condition which is leading you to some different psychological conditions, individual therapy can help you to deal with those problems too. 

In a therapy session, you will be able to understand the reason and with the help of your therapist, you will be able to find out a way to resolve all the factors that are responsible for your condition. 

2. Behavioral therapy

Behavioral therapy is another important therapeutic process that can help you to improve your condition and your well-being. This therapy generally helps you to modify your negative behaviors into positive ones. 

In this particular therapy, the therapist will help you to identify your negative behaviors which can harm you and others around you. The thoughts that can lead you to do something bad which can cause unhappiness and pain can also be identified. 

All your self-destructive behaviors can be replaced with some productive behavior with behavioral therapy and proper guidance from your therapist. You need to practice the things you are learning in your therapy sessions. 

3. Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help you to understand your thoughts and how they can affect your behavior.

This therapeutic process can also help you to identify your negative thoughts that can have an important role in your actions. 

You will be able to understand the reasons behind all your actions and your speech with the help of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

If your start to find out the actual reasons behind your certain behavior it will be easier for you to change them. 

This therapy process will help you to work on your thoughts and understand them. With proper guidance, you will be able to change the negative thoughts that can be harmful to you or can cause negative behavior. 

Once you have learned how to change or modify your negative thoughts it will be easier to modify your behavior and your thoughts are the reasons behind your actions.

By changing your behaviors you will be able to learn new reactions to certain situations in your life.

You will be able to update your negative thoughts and behaviors which will help you to find the positive sides of any commitment. This can change your reaction towards the thought of any kind of long-term commitment.

4. Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy or psychotherapy can play an important role to improve your condition of commitment phobia. This therapy can help you to reveal all your internal conflicts and thoughts that can be responsible for your condition. 

In this therapy, the therapist will help you to reveal all your dark thoughts or deep memories that are suppressed in your mind. The thing you were trying to avoid because you were afraid to face them or remember them can also be revealed with the help of this therapy. 

Once all your hidden complexities are out you will be able to understand the factors that are causing your fear about any long-term commitment in life. Psychodynamic therapy will help you to work on all unresolved issues you have in life.

You will be able to revolve all your complexities and your suppressed thoughts that can affect your well-being and your behavior.

Once you are able to cope with your situation and solve all your issues your condition will improve and you will be able to achieve happiness in life. 

5. Couple therapy 

Couple therapy can really help to work on your relationship and improve your bond. If you truly love someone but you are unable to move forward for your fear of commitment you should consider couple therapy to improve your condition. 

In this therapy, the therapist conducts the session with both of you and your partner. This therapy will help to identify all the challenges that you are experiencing in your relationship and the factors that are holding you back. 

You will be able to prepare yourself to face all the challenges that you need to win to move forward with your relationship overcoming your fear.

You will be able to resolve the factors that are not letting you move forwards with your partner once you find out all of them.

6. Medication 

Medication is not necessary if you are continuing your therapy sessions and your condition is getting in control. 

If you are unable to control your condition and that is getting really harmful for yourself and for everyone around you medication can help you have control over your condition. 

You need to consult with a doctor if you are experiencing certain complicated situations in your life.

If your doctor feels that there is a need for some medication in your case they will prescribe you something that can help.

If someone is experiencing an uncontrollable and extreme level of anxiety, panic attack or depression some anti-depression drugs or some drugs for treating anxiety can be used to treat your depression or anxiety. 


How can you deal with gamophobia

If you have extreme willpower you can really fight with your condition and help yourself. With your desire to improve your condition and ability to understand yourself you can take some steps to work on your issues and improve your condition. 

1. Talking about it

Sometimes talking about your problems can help you to find a solution to all your issues. If you really want to improve yourself and lead a healthy life you need to talk about your thoughts and your fear.

If you really care for your partner but are unable to do anything about it because of your fear of commitment you can try to open up with your partner.

You can share your problems with them and try to find a solution together. 

2. Asking yourself questions

If you feel that you are unable to continue any relationship for a long time or you are running away from your future together with your partner and you are worried that something is not right in your life, you can ask yourself some questions.

Try to find out if you really have a phobia of commitment. If you are really extremely afraid of committing something to your partner or you are unable to think about a future together. 

If all these thoughts create an extreme level of anxiety in your mind there is a chance that you are suffering from the fear of commitment. You can try to find out the probable reason behind your condition. 

Think about all your negative experiences that have a huge effect on your life and try to find out which of them can be really responsible for inducing such fear in your mind. 

3. Considering the concerns

If you are really concerned and worried about your situation and you are ready to work on your improvements you can start with looking into your inner self.

There are several probable reasons that can be responsible for your condition but you need to find out the right one. 

Think about all your childhood experiences if you ever had experienced any abuse or violence during your childhood that created extreme fear in your life.

You may have faced any attachment issues during your childhood development. 

Any past experience of a bad relationship can also lead to your current condition. You need to think deeper and find out which of them can be really responsible for your fear about long-term commitment in life. 

4. Journaling 

Journaling is an amazing way to express your thoughts and emotions. You can start maintaining a journal if you want to find out the reasons and work on them.

This habit can help you to remember every thought and feeling at any moment in your life.

While maintaining a journal on a regular basis can work like free association in your life. Your hidden or suppressed thoughts can come out through your writing at some point. This will help you to reveal your inner mind.

You may find the reasons you are looking for a very long time through journaling. This will also help you to release your thoughts and can reduce your anxiety level a little. 

Once you start to understand your thoughts that may lead you to certain behavior you can start working on them too and try to resolve your issues. 

5. Talking to your partner

If you really want to continue your relationship with your partner and you really care for them but you fear commitment coming in your way and you are unable to do anything about it, talking to them can help you to release your pressure. 

You can try to open up your thoughts and feelings in front of your partner. Share your condition and the thoughts you have with them and give them a chance to understand your condition. 

Expressing your thoughts and emotions is the first step to walking together with your partner. You can try to find a solution to all your issues together. 

If both of you are really interested in each other you can seek cou[le therapy that will help you to resolve all the issues you can have with each other one after another. 

6. Learning about attachment

It is possible that during your childhood you never got a chance to learn about attachment or form one with someone. All your issues have started since then.

Your lack of attachment has led you in developing a fear of commitment for a long time. 

You need to start working on your attachment skills. Once you can develop your ability to form an attachment with something or someone you will be able to experience all the positives of having an emotional relationship with someone in your life.

You will be able to learn about security, love, and compassion in a relationship.

Learning about attachment will help you to learn the way you need to behave in a certain situation or how you should reach a romantic relationship with someone. 

Securing your attachment with someone can be a starting point to work on all your issues and move forward with your improvements. 

7. Practicing commitment

If you are suffering from commitment issues and you are unable to commit to your partner for a long-term goal together it is possible that you will not be able to commit to anything in your regular life.

You will face certain problems while committing something to your family or your friends or committing to your workplace. You can start working with the small things before shifting to something big in life.

Start working on your commitment issues from a short-term goal at first. You can practice committing your time and efforts to something small about your work or your family. Each time you experience a failure, start from the beginning again. 

Once you achieve success on your first try moving to your next step. With enough practice and enough time you may be able to improve your condition with your willpower and all your efforts. 

8. Identifying the reasons

Try to understand all your thoughts and your feelings in every step of your life.

Dig deeper into your mind and try to find out the reasons behind your fear and your reactions to any kind of long-term commitments in your life.

If you can find out all your reasons behind certain behavior and understand the thoughts behind it you can try to find out a solution that can help you to resolve your issues and modify all your thoughts and behaviors in life. 

9. Willingness to face your fear

If you really want to improve your conditions and lead a healthy life you need to face your fear to overcome them.

Your fear of commitment always creates some boundaries in your life that you are unable to cross even if you want to. 

You always try to avoid any situation in your life that can connect you to your fears to avoid the pain and the unpleasant mental state that can cause. You need to stop avoiding certain situations and start facing them.

Facing your fear will help you to start developing certain coping abilities in your life which will help you to improve your condition and you will be able to learn to control your fear and move on in your life. 

10. Trying to be sensitive

Sensitivity is an important factor for working on your fear of commitment. You are afraid to have any long-term relationship with someone. This behavior can really hurt someone willing to commit to you for a life together with you.

You need to learn sensibility and attachment if you really want to understand how your thoughts and behaviors can affect other people around you.

Find a person who can understand you and observe their thoughts and behaviors about you. 

Try to improve your thoughts and try to feel their emotions and their pain. It will help you to induce some sensibility which can help you to work on your issues and improve yourself. 

11. Start relying on yourself

If you really want to improve yourself, stop relying on other people in your life and start working with yourself.

You need to look deeper into yourself and understand all your thoughts and feelings about different things. 

Start believing in yourself and work on your issues to resolve all of them. Stop depending on other people to make you feel good and stop blaming them for anything bad or negative in your life. 

Start taking responsibility for your own actions and think of the ways that can make you happy and give you satisfaction in life.

Work on your emotions and find ways to make yourself feel good about everything around you in your life. 

Wrap up 

Fear of commitment can be a serious problem in your life and can affect your personal as well as professional life in a negative way. This can also have an effect on your health and your mental condition.

Identifying the fear of commitment in someone is really tricky and complicated but with self-realization and willpower, this can be diagnosed and controlled. 

If someone really wants to improve their condition, commitment phobia can be treated and overcome with time and proper guidance from professionals.

Article Sources


1. https://www.healthline.com/health/gamophobia
2. https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/anxiety-disorders/gamophobia-fear-of-marriage
3. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamophobia

Are you interested to know more about ‘Samhainophobia’ then click here?

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