Autophobia

Autophobia is a specific phobia involving a morbid fear or dread of being alone, isolated, abandoned or ignored, rather than a fear of oneself or of automobiles despite what its name might suggest. People with the condition experience both psychological effects, including intense apprehension when alone, catastrophic thinking and difficulty concentrating, and physical effects such as sweating, trembling, nausea, dizziness, a racing heart and numbness, along with severe anticipatory stress before a period of solitude and a pervasive fear of seclusion even while surrounded by other people. The condition typically develops from childhood abandonment or trauma, particularly parental neglect during formative years, and can be amplified by depression and anxiety disorders, grief such as the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship, and its links to the broader cluster of agoraphobic symptoms; affected individuals tend to imagine the worst possible outcome of being alone, which feeds panic and avoidance behavior that reinforces the fear. Autophobia is not recognized as a distinct disorder in major diagnostic manuals but is classified as a situational-type specific phobia under DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria, and is treatable through psychotherapy and medication.