All About Oikophobia, the Fear of Home Surroundings, and How to Overcome it with Psychological Therapy & Counselling

What is Oikophobia?

Oikophobia is the Fear of Home Surroundings and, like all other fears and phobias, can cause significant anxiety and stress if you suffer from it.

It is a rare phobia and more likely to be the result of negative experiences in that particular setting rather than home surroundings in general.

There may be a number of reasons why you developed Oikophobia, for example:

• You may have experienced trauma in the home and lost any sense that home is a safe space.
• You might have picked-up the fear of Home Surroundings from a parent who suffered from it.

Although phobias are often described as ‘disorders’, there is no valid scientific evidence that Oikophobia is the result of any kind of biological fault or chemical imbalance as proposed in the biomedical models of mental illness.

On the contrary, Oikophobia is much more likely to be the result of your own, subjective evaluation (what you think your experiences mean) of what happened to you and is therefore better described as a psychosocial symptom.

Oikophobia Symptoms & Behaviours

All phobias, including Oikophobia, create feelings of anxiety because phobic objects or situations are always perceived as a threat.

Consequently, the symptoms of Oikophobia are both specific and generic and may include:

• Avoiding going into certain rooms or houses.
• Feeling unsafe in certain spaces.
• An elevated heart rate.
• A sense of dread about what might happen.
• Worrying that you might pass out.
• Feeling dizzy or disoriented.
• Having heart palpitations.
• Having a dry or sticky mouth.
• Hot sweats.
• Feeling Stressed.
• Difficulty breathing easily.
• Feelings of panic.

Moreover, you may have all, some or even different symptoms to these listed here and this is due to the subjective nature of Oikophobia.

Furthermore, you should also be aware that many of these somatic symptoms (symptoms felt in the body) listed above WILL subside over time and rarely last for more than 20 to 30 minutes.

What Causes Oikophobia?

it is likely that your Oikophobia is the result of either traumatic experiences or adverse situations that you experienced at some point in your life.

You may, for example, have experienced a break-in at your home at some time in the past and now find it difficult to feel safe in that house.

What’s more, because the Fear of Home Surroundings has never been linked to any biological factors, the most likely explanation for your Oikophobia is the way that you understood and made sense of your earlier experiences.

Counselling and Therapy for Oikophobia

We can offer you a number of different types of therapy and counselling for your Oikophobia the Fear of Home Surroundings.

Choosing the most suitable therapy depends on a number of different considerations including factors such as:

• How long you have had your phobia.
• Your personal preferences.
• How your phobia is affecting you today.

You can read more about the different types of therapy for Oikophobia on the following links:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Oikophobia
• Counselling for Oikophobia
• Pluralistic Therapy for the Fear of Home Surroundings

Although all forms of psychotherapy use slightly different approaches, the one thing they all have in common is the relationship that is formed between the client and therapist.

Furthermore, research also suggests that the therapy relationship may be the most important factor in achieving a good therapy outcome.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about overcoming Oikophobia or recovering from related mental health problems then why not arrange a free initial consultation with us.

During this consultation we will discuss your particular phobia and the different types of mental health counselling we offer without you having to commit to any counselling going forward.

The consultation lasts around 50 minutes and is a great opportunity to meet with either Paul or Joan and decide if you would like to proceed with any support.