Venustraphobia Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Venustraphobia or caligynephobia is a phobia or excessive fear of beautiful women.
The word “venustraphobia” itself comes from the Latin, venus, which means ‘goddess of love and beauty’. Meanwhile, the word “caligynephobia” comes from the Greek, Cali, which means ‘beautiful’, and gyne which means ‘woman’.
Venustraphobia is a type of phobia, as well as a branch of gynophobia and puellaphobia.
Gynophobia is an excessive fear of all women. While puellaphobia is the phobia of all girls.
Symptoms
The symptoms of venustraphobia can vary from person to person. The signs that appear depend on the severity of the fear, the characteristics of each person, and the person’s mental status.
The symptoms of venustraphobia are basically the same as other phobias in general. Sufferers can experience physical as well as emotional symptoms.
Physical symptoms when a person has venustraphobia include:
- Hard to breathe
- Breathing quickens
- Heart palpitations
- A cold sweat
- Body shaking
- Nauseous
Meanwhile, emotional symptoms with people with venustraphobia include:
- Total fear
- Feeling anxious or restless
- Feel embarrassed
- Thoughts of disappearance or death
- Always wanted to avoid situations when there were beautiful women
- Always feel inferior and not confident
- alone
Reason
The exact cause of venustraphobia is not known. However, venustraphobia is most likely caused by:
- genetic factor
- Environment
- Psychological trauma in childhood related to beautiful women.
Someone who has a family history of psychiatric problems such as anxiety disorders or phobias is also prone to experiencing similar things later in life.
In addition, someone who has experienced violence perpetrated by older beautiful women or other traumas, such as being the victim of repeated heartbreaks with beautiful women, can also be a cause of venustraphobia.
Psychologists also think that feelings of excessive low self-confidence or low self-esteem, fear of rejection, fear of not being accepted, or fear of failing to build a relationship can also be the cause of phobia of beautiful women.
Risk Factors
There are several risk factors that increase a person’s experience of venustraphobia, including:
- There is a family history of similar problems
- Had a bad experience with a beautiful woman
- Young age
- The side of personality that is more sensitive than others
Diagnosis
A mental health specialist (psychiatrist) can determine the diagnosis of venustraphobia through a detailed medical interview regarding the phobic symptoms felt by the sufferer.
To be able to establish the diagnosis of venustraphobia, sufferers generally experience the above symptoms for at least 6 weeks or more.
Treatment
Although there is no specific therapy that is done to treat venustraphobia, in general venustraphobia can be overcome with several combinations of therapies, including:
1. Psychotherapy
Some of the psychotherapy to treat venustraphobia are:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
One of the psychotherapy that is undertaken to help overcome venustraphobia is CBT. This therapy helps sufferers deal with anxiety or panic attacks.
In CBT therapy, the therapist will help teach the patient to change irrational thoughts to excessive fear or negative thoughts and help increase the patient’s self-confidence.
- Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a therapy given to sufferers in a hypnotic state, in which the logical function of the mind is reduced so that sufferers can enter a subconscious state.
This makes the patient’s subconscious can be “reprogrammed”. The phobia will be reprogrammed so that the symptoms of fear are kept to a minimum.
- Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy or exposure therapy can also be a therapy that can be done for people with phobias. This therapy is often used and is generally effective for treating phobias.
The process of this therapy is by exposing the stimulus in stages, for example from pictures, videos, or beautiful women directly to the sufferer.
Then, the doctor or therapist will help guide the sufferer to deal with the situation.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is an effective therapy for sufferers who cannot control their emotions. This therapy uses a “half smiling” or half smiling.
That is, when there is anxiety or fear of the phobia, sufferers are advised to smile.
This will help reduce negative thoughts and emotions so that sufferers can manage the reactions that arise in their phobias.
2. Drugs
Apart from psychotherapy, doctors can also provide medicines to help overcome venustraphobia. Commonly prescribed medications are:
- Antiansietas
To help reduce anxiety, doctors can give antianxiety drugs. An example of an antianxiety drug that is commonly used is the benzodiazepine class.
- Anti-depressants
Apart from using anti-anxiety drugs, doctors can combine treatment with antidepressants.
One of the anti-depressant drugs used is the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) group, such as fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, citalopram, and escitalopram.
Prevention
There is nothing specific to prevent venustraphobia. It is best if you immediately see a doctor if the symptoms of venustraphobia appear above.
Moreover, there is a family history of similar disorders or other phobias.
Complications
In general, venustraphobia that is left untreated and not handled properly can increase complications, such as:
- Interfere with daily activities and social relations with others
- There are other phobias such as coitophobia, which is the fear of having sexual intercourse
- Depression that can result in suicide
- Drug abuse
When to See a Doctor?
Immediately see a doctor if you experience unnatural fear or excessive anxiety when you see a beautiful woman, because you may experience venustraphobia.
Moreover, this feeling of discomfort interferes with daily productivity and social relations with other people.