Does this sound awkward to you at all or is it normal to fear beautiful women? That question may sound wrong because you may be thinking that who fears beauty? Let us understand this together and also clear our doubts regarding Venustraphobia, the fear of beautiful women.
What is Venustraphobia
Venustraphobia refers to an unreasonable fear of pretty/beautiful women. It is also called Caligynephobia.
- Venustraphobia has been taken from two words – Venus that stands for The Goddess(Greek) that represents women and phobia refers to fear and scariness.
- Caligynephobia has been taken from – Calos that stands for pretty/beautiful, gyne = women, and phobia refers to fear.
People suffering from Venustraphobia suffer from anxiety and intense panic when are surrounded by beautiful women, this fear is caused by an immediate comparison by our brain between average-looking vs beautiful women.
Causes behind Venustraphobia
There are no specific causes of venustraphobia has found yet, it is observed that environmental as well as genetic factors play a major role in the cause of venustraphobia.
Venustraphobia is also developed when an individual’s family has a history of anxiety and other phobic issues, or we can say mental illness history also leads to such phobias.
Various environmental factors consist of uncertain memories and childhood trauma. venustraphobia is a sudden reaction it can be developed in anyone irrespective of any reason.
An individual will generate various issues like anxiety, become extra sensitive, fear-stricken, and anxious, in some cases trauma’s like humiliation, disrespect, and rejection caused in past by a pretty/beautiful woman can result in the generation of venustraphobia.
Symptoms of venustraphobia
Various individuals suffer from different symptoms of venustraphobia, but the most common sign is a panic attack and anxiety.
The main Physical symptoms are –
- A blur sight of pretty women and serious anxiety.
- Chills and muscle = body pain.
- Difficulty breathing and choking issues.
- Increased blood pressure.
- Lethargic routine, sleepiness, and nervousness.
- Balancing issues and dry mouth.
- Shaking of legs.
Emotional Signs
- Inability to concentrate.
- Avoiding social gatherings where the chances of the presence of beautiful women are high.
- Blunder of emotions.
- Crying and shouting.
- Inability in accepting reality.
- Humiliation.
- Suicidal thoughts.
Who has more chances to get venustraphobia?
Individuals who are likely to have the fear of women i.e Gynophobia reflect more signs in the availability of a woman.
A gynophobic person continuously thinks about getting humiliated by a woman, as a beautiful woman tends to be more intimidating than a bunch of people.
People suffering from inferiority issues are more like to generate fear as their insecurities make them draw a negative image of pretty/beautiful women.
How to find out that you or your known person is suffering from Venustraphobia?
If you want to find out whether you or a person you know has venustraphobia the first thing is to observe all the symptoms of venustraphobia discussed above and to see if you or that person starts stammering or stuttering when contacted or thought of a beautiful woman.
You will surely experience fear, sweating, and discomfort in such cases.
The first thing to do know is to look forward to a healthcare expert as soon as possible because if not taken care of, the symptoms can get worse.
Note – It is necessary to get the thoughts and condition of a venustraphobia person as the situation for them is very humiliating and requires immediate help.
Effects of Venustraphobia on a person
Venustraphobia can have the capability of dividing and resulting in more phobias in an individual like –
- Gynophobia– Fear of women, a person having fear of pretty women will somewhere fear other fair looking women too, and this results in serious issues.
- Coitophobia – Fear of having a sexual relationship, this phobia devastates the peace of mind of an individual as he continuously thinks of his inability to satisfy his partner, this complete process not only fills him with negativity but also impacts the relationship and makes it weak.
These fears force an individual to confine their social boundaries and results in substance abuse like increased alcohol as well as drug consumption.
Stepping out becomes a very anxious issue as their quality of living a healthy life is hindered leading to serious mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.
Even the sight of a beautiful woman becomes scary so as a result watching movies, tv, social media, etc. becomes an issue.
Treatment for Venustraphobia
The treatment for a venustraphobia person is similar to that of other phobias, it is therapies like psychotherapy and hypnotherapy or a combination of both. These therapies are proven to be beneficial and are the main treatments options of venustraphobia
1- Psychotherapy –
- It is done by exposing the individual to the object of fear so that he searches for coping up methods. It is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also called CBT.
- It is famous for its fast recovery time as compared to other methods.
- Firstly small steps like discussing the object of fear are done then gradually they are brought closer to the object and given the touching and interaction.
- This therapy helps in stabilizing the emotions of the victim by developing control over the object of fear. It focuses on building courage instead of removing fear.
2-Hypnotherapy –
Under this therapy, various hypnosis techniques are used, that are fairly effective against various phobias. This therapy helps in finding out about the main cause of the individual’s situation.
After finding out about the root cause of the fear resulting in a decline of the patient’s mental health, hypnotherapy moves forward to rationalize the incidents and controlling the intensity of the fear gradually.
This therapy has shown its success rate among people who have extreme fears.
3-Medications –
To control the blunder occurring in the patient’s mind regarding various treatments and therapies, medications are given. Medications are given to decrease anxiety and fear of dealing with various therapies.
One reason-giving medication is to balance the sleeping pattern and daily functioning of the patient’s life, depending on the severity of symptoms, these medications can be given for a longer on shorter time.
4-Mindfulness- Based stress control/Reduction(MBSR)
MBSR is carried out for 8-weeks that includes aggressive mindful training to assist people dealing with anxiety, stress, and other mental issues.
MBSR is proven to be highly effective for people having venustraphobia, as it is a systematic program as it provides a wide range of skills that helps the individual in decreasing their anxiety related to a specific phobia.
5-Self support
We know it is easier said than done, but you should try your best to help yourself from falling apart, the best ways of self-help are –
- Taking your care.
- Positive self-talk.
- Journaling your daily routine.
- Meditating.
- Setting small goals and achieving them.
- Affirmations.
How to help someone in dealing with Venustraphobia?
In case you are in touch with a person suffering from venustraphobia, then the first thing to do is to try and take them to get therapy, as there is no better solution than this.
Help them in believing that they can only get rid of their problems when they face them instead of running from them and there is nothing to be humiliated of.
Note – Forcing the patient to talk about their issues and dealing with them can be negative, so leave it for the therapist.
Relation between venustraphobia and social anxiety
It may be normal for people dealing with venustraphobia to have problems in dealing with social gatherings, it can be said that the fear of pretty/beautiful women leads to social issues in daily lives. Although it is not common for every prey of venustraphobia, but somewhere or the other humiliation will lead to isolation.
Far more, people dealing with Social Anxiety Disorder have more chances to develop issues like venustraphobia, androphobia, etc., as they have the signs that are related to some uncertain events with a beautiful woman. Sometimes people having SAD are mistaken to have venustraphobia.
Some victims of SAD experience anxiety when in contact with a beautiful woman, but their feelings are the same with other people too. Their anxiety is constant, irrespective of the company they get.
Is it normal to deal with venustraphobia?
There must be an uncertain behavior behind you having venustraphobia like a past situation where you might have been humiliated by a beautiful woman, or rejected by a pretty girl you like, so these negative experiences result in the development of venustraphobia, and this is perfectly normal.
But if you do not have any uncertain past or develop the fear of beautiful women just without any reason, then it can be a serious issue and you should consult a therapist for immediate help.
Conclusion
Venustraphobia is a strange and mentally devastating fear that can result in hindering the entire quality of a person’s life. This fear can be cured easily depending on your symptoms, all that you have to do is to consult a therapist as and when you observe the signs confirming that you are a venustraphobic person.
The earlier you indulge in therapies, the more your chances of getting fine increases, and always ensure that you consult a medical expert before dealing with your mental situations, as when you try to become your doctor, the conditions can get worse.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say venustraphobia?
The easiest way to pronounce venustraphobia is by breaking the word into various parts-
Venus + tra +pho+bia.
What is venustraphobia disease?
It can not be termed as a disease, however, we can call it an irrational or in some conditions a rational fear of pretty/ beautiful women.
What is the medical meaning of venustraphobia?
In medical terms, we can define venustraphobia / caligynephobia as unhealthy fear of beautiful/ pretty women.
Is Caligynephobia real?
Yes, caligynephobia is a real phobia, it can range from extreme to mild symptoms, but do not worry, it has a cure.
What are the short-term symptoms of venustraphobia?
Some of the short symptoms of venustraphobia are –
- Immediate tension.
- Anxiety.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Fainting
What do we suggest for phobias?
The basic things you should use to settle down your fears are –
- Go for professional counseling.
- Indulge in meditation and yoga.
- Search for panic treatment programs.
- Consult a therapist
- Share your feelings with close ones.
What is the name given to the fear of virgins?
Fear of virgins is termed Parthenophobia – It is an anxiety disorder (social) consists of irrelevant fear of young girls i.e. virgins.
What is the fear of a handsome man called?
There is no particular name given to the fear of handsome/beautiful men, but in general, androphobia is called fear of men that arise due to a bad history or negative past.
What to do if your partner generates a fear from you?
The first thing to do is to analyze the fear and find the root cause find the fear, you will surely find some past issues or something bothering you at work.
- Talk to him/her and ensure him that your partner is safe from you.
- Take him/ her for therapy sessions.
Name 5 most common phobias?
5 Most common phobias are
- Acrophobia – heights.
- Pteromerhanophobia – fear of flying.
- Monophobia – Scared of loneliness.
- Cynophobia – fear of dogs.
- Trypanophobia – Fear of needles.
What can be the reason behind having fear of beauty?
Some of the reasons behind fearing someone’s beauty are –
- Jealousy.
- We see ourselves as inferior so we run away from reality.
- We ignore someone’s beauty because according to us appreciating them means we are less beautiful.
Note – These reasons are a result of mental conflict and can be cured by therapy and talk sessions.