Autophobia

Autophobia is an intense fear of being alone or isolated, often accompanied by anxiety about being abandoned or unable to obtain help. The term is also used for fear of oneself, but this page concerns fear of being alone.

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Specific phobia: An anxiety disorder involving persistent, disproportionate fear of a particular object or situation. Autophobia is often described in phobia terms, though it is not a distinct diagnosis in standard diagnostic manuals.
Anxiety: A state of apprehension and heightened alertness in response to anticipated threat or uncertainty. Autophobia centers on anxiety linked specifically to being alone or isolated.
Clinical assessment: The process of evaluating symptoms, history, functioning, and context to guide care. Assessment distinguishes intense fear of solitude from ordinary preference for company or another condition.
Monophobia: A term commonly used for intense fear of being alone. Monophobia is often treated as a synonym for autophobia, though terminology varies across sources.
Psychometrics: The theory and methods of measuring psychological traits and mental states. Reliable measurement would help distinguish fear of solitude from loneliness and separation concerns.
Panic attack: A sudden episode of intense fear or discomfort with physical and cognitive symptoms. Anticipating solitude can trigger acute episodes of panic in some people with this fear.
Loneliness: A distressing sense that one’s social relationships are insufficient in quality or quantity. Loneliness is a felt lack of connection; autophobia is fear of being alone, even when connection is available.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: A diagnostic classification manual published by the American Psychiatric Association. Autophobia is not listed as a standalone diagnosis in the manual’s current diagnostic categories.
Autophobia (fear of oneself): A less common use of autophobia for fear of oneself or one’s own identity. The prefix can produce a different meaning; this page addresses fear of being alone.
Comorbidity: The presence of two or more health conditions in the same person. Fear of being alone may appear alongside panic, depression, or other anxiety problems.