Autophobia

An abnormal and persistent fear of loneliness, of being alone.

A fear of solitude.

Sufferers from autophobia may experience anxiety even though they realize that being alone does not threaten their well-being.

They may worry about being ignored and unloved, or they may worry about intruders, strange noises or the possibility of developing a medical problem.

Autophobia also has another sense, that of an irrational fear of oneself, intense self-fear that is groundless.

The word 'autophobia' is derived from two Greek words: 'autos' (self) and 'phobos' (fear) = literally, self-fear, fear of oneself.

'Autos' has given us many English words such as 'automatic' and 'automotive' (self-moving) and 'autonomy' (self-governing).

And 'phobos' has bequeathed us a vast number of phobias such as 'claustrophobia' (fear of closed places) and 'acrophobia' (fear of heights).