Haphephobia (Fear of Being Touched): Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments

What Is Haphephobia?

Haphephobia is the extreme fear of being touched or hugged by another person. Haphephobia is an anxiety disorder that impacts a person’s day-to-day functioning. It can create persistent anxiety that the person may be touched at any point when interacting with others.¹ It is distinct from hypersensitivity because individuals with haphephobia do not experience physical pain when touched.

Haphephobia can create or exacerbate the fear of intimacy and the fear of intimate touch, making it often difficult to engage in relationships. Haphephobia disorder has become more common as various diseases have spread, and fear of germs has impacted interaction with others, including intimacy.

Other names for haphephobia include:

• Aphephobia
• Aphenphosmphobia
• Chiraptophobia
• Thixophobia

Haphephobia Symptoms

Symptoms of haphephobia can be both physiological and psychological. Individuals will experience their symptoms at varying levels of intensity. Children with haphephobia experience different symptoms than adults, as they might have a more difficult time knowing why they are experiencing the feelings that they have.

Common symptoms of haphephobia in adults include:

• Crying
• Running away
• Hives
• Sweating
• Panic attacks
• Avoiding large crowds
• Becoming isolated
• Hypervigilant around others
• Difficulty in intimate relationships

Common symptoms of haphephobia in children include:

• Refusing to participate in activities with peers
• Wanting to remain close with parents or caregivers
• Difficulty in forming friendships
• Avoiding playing games where touching is expected (like tag or football)
• Crying spells when in peer groups
• Complaints of pain when being touched
• Avoiding hugs or affectionate touch

Haphephobia Triggers

A variety of factors may trigger Haphephobia. A person with haphephobia might be fearful of germs, nervous about physical intimacy, or triggered by a situation resembling an experience in which touching resulted in something traumatic.

Common avoidance behaviors related to haphephobia include:

• Avoiding handshakes or hugs by keeping your hands full
• Avoiding social situations
• Wearing clothing that covers an entire body even in weather that is not appropriate to do so
• Avoiding romantic relationships for fear of becoming too close
• Avoiding travel to not engage with others

Causes of Haphephobia

There is no known cause for haphephobia, but other mental health disorders and negative associations with touch are risk factors for developing this phobia.⁴ Trauma that increases the chances of haphephobia includes childhood emotional neglect and sexual trauma. Additionally, those with a family history of specific phobia disorders or other anxiety disorders are more likely to develop a fear of touch.³

You are more likely to develop haphephobia if:

• You have a family history of anxiety disorders
• You have other mental health conditions
• You have had a traumatic experience related to being touched
• You have difficulty processing senses
• You struggle with emotional regulation, and touch from someone else overstimulates you
• You struggle with personal boundaries

Other Disorders as Risk Factors for Haphephobia

Haphephobia is a disorder the actual cause is unknown. Some people are at higher risk of experiencing haphephobia if they have a family history of this disorder.

Disorders that may be risk factors for developing haphephobia include:

• Agoraphobia: Individuals diagnosed with agoraphobia may fear going into the public as they find that if they are in spaces with others, they have the potential of being touched by someone else.
• Mysophobia: Those who are diagnosed with mysophobia have a fear of germs. If an individual has this diagnosis, they are likely also to fear being touched as it would cause the potential of germs from others.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): An individual with  OCD will have fears related to intrusive and compulsive thoughts and behaviors. This behavior is related to the potential contamination by others if one was to be touched.
• Panic disorder: Those with panic disorder may find that when they experience fear of being touched, they cannot control their reaction and spiral out of control.
• Schizophrenia: A person diagnosed with schizophrenia can have hallucinations or delusions and not recognize the world around them for what it is, fearing being touched by someone else and not knowing what that truly is or who it truly is.

Is Haphephobia Related to Autism?

While being diagnosed with autism does not necessarily mean a person will automatically be diagnosed with haphephobia, the chances are likely. Autistic individuals often have heightened sensitivity to touch and can often feel uncomfortable when in situations where touch with someone else is likely. This can result in difficulty forming relationships or a fear of being in public spaces where touch is likely.⁵

Impacts of Haphephobia on Daily Life

Haphephobia will likely negatively impact day-to-day life because a person might begin to isolate themselves from others for fear of being touched. In turn, this will limit opportunities for emotional connection and can lead to loneliness. A child who fears being touched may have difficulty developing healthy relationships with their caretakers and peers.²

In romantic relationships, if a person fears being touched, taking a further step within the relationship may be challenging. Humans tend to crave affection and connection by nature. When others are turned down for hugs or other forms of socially expected touch by a person who has haphephobia, it will impact relationships and friendships.

How Haphephobia is Diagnosed

Haphephobia is diagnosed under the umbrella of s specific phobia diagnosis. For this diagnosis to occur, it is important to rule out that the fear of being touched is not just a secondary cause of another mental health diagnosis.

Criteria for a specific phobia diagnosis include:

• Fears are not a result of another mental health disorder
• Fears occur for six months or more
• Fears are out of proportion to the situation
• Fears impact other areas of your life
• Fears invoke an immediate response

Treatment for Haphephobia

Haphephobia is treated the same as all other phobias, and there are a variety of phobia treatments and coping strategies available. It is important that a person speaks with a specialist that can work with them and their phobia to find if therapy, medication, or a combination of the two is best for treatment.

Treatment options for haphephobia include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT helps individuals with haphephobia to examine their thoughts about touch and how it impacts their interactions with others.
• Exposure therapy: In exposure therapy, an individual is exposed to their specific touch triggers safely. This enables them to navigate and work through their thoughts and feelings when triggered.
• Virtual reality exposure therapy: Using virtual reality exposure therapy allows a person to be exposed to the idea of touch without physical touch happening. This is a great first step for someone to warm up to touching someone else before taking the next step in moving forward.
• Hypnotherapy: The treatment of hypnotherapy can be a useful source in decreasing the fear of touch through hypnosis. A hypnotherapist might work with a person to reduce the reaction to a trigger.
• Medication: Medications for anxiety or depression, like beta-blockers or antidepressants, can help haphephobia disorders. They can help a person stabilize their mood when triggered and reduce anxiety when thinking about being touched. They are most effective when used in conjunction with therapy.

How to Cope With Haphephobia

While seeking treatment is an important first step in managing haphephobia, learning ways to cope is also very important. Learning the right coping tools for each person helps decrease the overwhelming symptoms. Many skills can be done at home, from muscle relaxation, exercise and learning how to do breathwork.

Here are six coping techniques for haphephobia symptoms:

1. Progressive muscle relaxation: Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique of relaxing various muscle groups in the body after intentionally making them tense. This feeling of letting go allows a person to feel control over their own body.
2. Breathwork exercises: The use of breathwork gives a person the ability to check in with their breathing. This helps when noticing triggers and feeling the ability to slow down breaths and feel more grounded.
3. Mindful breathing: Through mindful breathing, a person can take moments outside of the triggering moment and be aware of how triggers can impact breath.
4. Physical exercise: There are several benefits of exercise to a person’s mental health. Exercising regularly will help increase endorphins to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression associated with haphephobia.
5. Spend time with friends: While it may be challenging to be surrounded by people that a person does not want to be touched by, it’s essential to find a network of people that feel safe to keep engaging with others.
6. Journal: Taking the time to journal will help to write out the thoughts associated with the fear and find patterns of fear.

When to Seek Professional Help

Touch is an important piece in a person’s daily life; humans generally crave interaction. When a person starts to notice that they are retreating and isolating from others, it’s time to seek support. An online therapist directory is a great place to identify a therapist specializing in specific phobia disorders and practicing the modality of therapy that feels right for you.

In My Experience

It is important to get to the bottom of the triggers for a person with haphephobia to support themselves best. Finding the right treatment for each person is important to uncover specific triggers and be treated with the best care. With the proper treatment, people with touch aversions may build trust to tolerate and overcome adverse reactions to touch.