What is athazagoraphobia?

It is the fear of being forgotton or ignored or forgetting. Cindy calls her friends while she is on vacation because she doesn't want them to forget her.

While Mat is working on his car, his friend Mark, goes to a movie and Mat feels he was forgotten because Mark didn't interrupt his work on the car.

Mike worries as he works. 'What if I forget the right word? What if I forget my keys at the office?

It may also include a fear of being ignored or left out, isolation, depression or anger and the death of loved ones which may cause the feeling of being forgotten or left behind.

Sheila's mom passed away and she finds herself resentful because she now has no one to confide in. 'How could she leave me?'

Athazagoraphobia can be treated with hypnotherapy, which is used to take the mind to the time that a negative experience caused the phobia and allow the subconscious to confront the fear and deal with it.

It can also be treated by looking into one's past or, looking at each occurrence of the fear.

Why do I feel she'll forget me? Why do I feel ignored by her? What was said, done, or not said or done that made me feel this way.

If you are able to be honest with yourself about exactly when or where the fear began, you can explore the situations yourself and work on ending the fear.

If not, a therapist who specializes in Athazagoraphobia should be consulted to get you started.

There are patients who are able to conquer their fears quickly and only need direction in what to do and how to do it.

Others, either from inability to confront the phobia or, from the inability to locate it's starting point will take longer.

Either way, this fear, like most other fears, is treatable provided you, the patient, are willing to work at it.

Anxiety drugs are sometimes prescribed during treatment to lower the level of anxiety about being forgotten or forgetting. If your daily life is impaired by your fear, talk to your health care provider to see which one they would recommend.