Androphobia

Androphobia is a phobia or excessive fear of men. Sufferers of androphobia can feel anxiety and panic, fast heart rate, cold sweat, even nausea, when thinking about or interacting with men.

Feeling nervous or afraid when talking to someone is a common thing that happens occasionally. However, fear that appears consistently and only to men is a symptom of androphobia so it needs to be addressed.

Androphobia is a type of anxiety disorder that can affect both women and men. If left untreated, androphobia can lower the sufferer’s quality of life and cause complications, such as depression, mood disorders, and suicide attempts.

Causes of Androphobia

Specific phobias such as androphobia are suspected to be caused by abnormalities in the part of the brain called the amygdala that functions to release emotions, including when a person needs to protect himself.

In androphobia, the amygdala produces an exaggerated emotional response to men even in the absence of dangerous situations. This condition is suspected to occur because the sufferer has one or more of the following factors:

• Ever been a victim of violence or bullying by men, both physically, verbally, and emotionally
• Experiencing sexual violence or rape by men
• Experiencing neglect or violence as a child
• Having a family member who suffers from a phobia of men or other phobias
• Ever heard bad experiences about men from family or friends
• Suffering from a mental illness, such as bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Symptoms of Androphobia

Symptoms of androphobia generally appear when the sufferer meets, interacts with, or even just thinks about men. These symptoms can appear even if men do not do or show behavior that may harm the sufferer.

The symptoms of androphobia can vary, ranging from mild to severe. Complaints that may appear include:

• Panic attack
• Heart pounding
• Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)
• Trembling
• Tense muscles
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Dizziness or headache
• Dry mouth
• Hard to focus

In addition, sufferers of androphobia will also immediately feel like leaving if there are men around and avoid situations that will involve men.

Symptoms of androphobia generally appear for the first time at the age of 10. Children with androphobia will usually shout, cry, run away, or try to hide when meeting men.

When should you go to the doctor?

Check with a doctor if you or your child experiences the symptoms as mentioned above, especially if the symptoms interfere with daily activities, for example when working, studying, or interacting socially.

Diagnosis of Androphobia

The doctor will ask about symptoms, health history of the patient and family, as well as traumatic events that the patient has experienced. After that, the doctor will perform a comprehensive physical examination to find out if the patient’s complaints are caused by a certain disease.

A person can be said to have androphobia if the following criteria are met:

• Excessive fear in men occurs continuously, at least for 6 months
• Symptoms of androphobia always immediately appear when the sufferer thinks about or is around men
• Fear and anxiety make sufferers want to avoid men and situations involving men
• Fear of men makes sufferers unable to socialize, work, or enjoy life
• Situations related to men that make sufferers anxious or afraid are actually not something dangerous

Treatment of Androphobia

The treatment of androphobia aims to improve the quality of life while helping patients to control their thoughts, feelings, and reactions to situations and conditions that can trigger androphobia. Some treatment methods that can be used to overcome this condition are:

Display Therapy

Exposure therapy is a commonly used treatment method for androphobia. This therapy aims to change the mindset and regulate the patient’s response when dealing with men.

During the therapy session, the psychologist or psychiatrist will gradually display photos, voice recordings, and even videos about men. After that, the therapist may also be able to ask the patient to meet or approach men.

That way, the mindset of androphobia sufferers can change and over time can interact with men in real life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is done by teaching patients to change the way they look at and respond to situations or past events that cause androphobia symptoms. That way, the patient’s negative thoughts towards men can slowly become positive.

Medicines

Certain drugs, such as anti-anxiety or sedatives can be given to sufferers of androphobia to overcome the anxiety or panic that may arise when dealing with men. The above medicines can generally only be used for a short period of time and under the supervision of a doctor.

Complications of Androphobia

If left untreated, androphobia can interfere with the sufferer’s daily activities. This can affect the quality of life and cause some of the following complications:

• Social relationships are severed
• Mood disorders
• Depression
• Panic disorder
• Drug abuse
• Feelings of wanting to hurt yourself or attempted suicide

Prevention of Androphobia

There is no sure way to prevent androphobia. However, some of the efforts below can be made if you experience a traumatic event or see something that causes anxiety:

• Immediately ask for help from close friends or family if you experience violence from men
• Share stories with family or friends you trust when there is a traumatic event that has been hidden
• Consult a doctor if you find it difficult to manage the feelings that arise after experiencing an unpleasant event

McLean, C., et al. (2022). Exposure Therapy for PTSD: A Meta-Analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 91, pp. 102115.
Choudhury, T., & Choudhury, R. (2020). The Conversation: Understanding Young Women's Childhood and its Impact on Mental Health at the University Counseling Center. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Studies, 2(4), pp. 159–169.
Cleveland Clinic (2021). Diseases & Conditions. Androphobia.
Healthline (2018). Androphobia.
Psych Central (2022). How to Help Someone with Trauma.
Verywell Health (2022). What is the Fear of Men?