Malaxophobia (fear Of Love Games): Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
One of the characteristics of specific phobias is that they can appear in any area of a person’s life, so sexuality is not exempt from them either. The dynamics of seduction and intimate games can be very life-giving if you know how to do them.
However, the ambiguity that is usually characteristic of some of these situations, combined with negative experiences and a lack of social skills, can be the perfect breeding ground for the appearance of certain anxiety disorders such as malaxophobia
Malaxophobia is a specific anxiety disorder in which the person experiences a deep fear of behaviors related to seduction or love games
Although it is true that some people feel uncomfortable in these types of situations or dynamics of an intimate nature, for the feeling of anguish to be categorized as a phobia, the fear experienced must be completely irrational, exaggerated and constant throughout the life. time and situations.
Therefore, in cases of malaxophobia the person feels completely incapable of carrying out any behavior, just as submerging is any type of situation that involves having to face behaviors that have the purpose of starting or maintaining an intimate or romantic relationship with another. person.
However, luckily for people who suffer from it, The symptoms of this mental disorder can significantly reduce their intensity and even completely remit thanks to psychological interventions specifically created for this type of anxiety disorders.
Since malaxophobia It is part of the disorders known as specific phobias, shares a large number of symptoms with them. The clinical picture of this anxious disorder usually appears in those situations in which the person who suffers from it must face or carry out activities or behaviors related to love play and seduction.
When this occurs, the person experiences a large number of symptoms typical of an excessive anxiety response. Although these signs of the presence of a phobia can vary both in quantity and intensity among people who suffer from it, as a general rule and for the fear to be considered phobic, a series of physical and cognitive symptoms must appear. and behavioral.
1. Physical symptoms
The physical symptoms may appear at the same moment in which the person must face the feared situation or, on the contrary, in response to anticipatory fear That is, before the situation occurs or only when thinking that it may happen at some point.
These physical symptoms consist of a series of completely uncontrollable physical alterations and changes that the person experiences in response to the appearance of the phobic stimulus. The origin of these organic alterations is due to hyperactivity of the central nervous system and can manifest themselves in the following ways:
2. Cognitive symptoms
The experience of physical or organic symptoms is conditioned by a series of cognitive symptoms that appear in advance and consist of a series of irrational ideas and beliefs about the feared situation. In the case of malaxophobia, these ideas are related to intimate love games and behaviors related to seduction.
These thoughts are usually related to an excessive fear of feeling humiliated, rejected or embarrassed by the other person. Among the cognitive symptoms of this phobia are:
3. Behavioral symptoms
As a consequence of the symptoms described above, the person also experiences a series of symptoms or behavioral patterns that appear in response to the appearance of the feared situation.
The objective of this behavioral symptomatology is to avoid said situation or flee from it if you have not been able to avoid it. In this way, experiencing feelings of anxiety and anguish will also be avoided.
These behaviors refer to avoidance and escape behaviors In the first case, avoidance behaviors refer to all those behaviors or acts that the person performs to avoid the possibility of having to face these situations. On the other hand, escape behaviors appear when the person suffering from malaxophobia is already immersed in the feared situation. During this period of time, the person will carry out all types of acts or behaviors that allow them to escape from the situation as quickly as possible.
What causes does it have?
Although at the moment the specific causes of a phobia cannot be reliably determined. The evidence points towards the possibility that experiencing highly traumatic events or experiences or with a great emotional charge, together with a genetic predisposition to the harmful effects of stress, establish a basis for the appearance of the phobia.
For example, a person whose genetics constitute a risk factor and who has suffered rejection or humiliation while in an intimate situation is susceptible to developing malaxophobia.
However, it must be taken into account other factors such as personality, cognitive styles or learning by imitation which can favor the appearance and development of irrational fear of any type of object or situation.
Is there treatment?
Malaxophobia, although strange, is a highly disabling disorder for the person who suffers from it, which is completely incapable of initiating and maintaining any type of intimate interaction with another person.
This fear can be highly frustrating, since the person who suffers from it feel the need and desire to be with another person, but at the same time the fear of having to face said situation. So that makes this completely impossible.
Luckily, treatments have been developed that can reduce this anxiety and even eliminate it completely. Intervention through psychotherapy has proven to be highly effective in the treatment of phobias.
Through a treatment that combines cognitive restructuring to eliminate psychological symptoms, along with systematic desensitization techniques or live exposure, as well as training in relaxation techniques, it can help the person be able to overcome their phobic fear and rebuild their life. in a normal way.
