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Discussion » Questions » Health and Wellness » Fear of one's own downtime, inactivity: what's the name of that phobia?
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Fear of one's own downtime, inactivity: what's the name of that phobia?

Hello everyone!


I have an acquaintance who is a 48-year-old woman in France. She's been an anorexic/orthorexic with strong OCD for decades.
She also has a phobia: she fights against the least downtime. Too long inactivity gets her much distressed. For example, she can't sit too long.
As you can imagine, she doesn't sleep much (3 or 4 hours each night).
She also fear aging, paralysis and decrepitude. I think that phobia is more or less related to the fear of death (thanatophobia). 'Downtime' is said 'temps mort / dead time' in French.


-> I'd like to know the name of her phobia so that I can look up further and better understand what she experiences in that regard.


Thank you!

Posted - December 11, 2016
Tag : phobia

Responses


  • 17560
    All of those labels are not necessary.  She's a nervous nellie so let her stay busy and she'll be fine.  Spend some time with her if she is your friend.....drop by and share a milk shake with her.  However, you called her an acquaintance,  not a friend.
    No, I'm not a mental health professional......just someone who has fought battles for those who have had "labels" attached and almost lost their freedom because of it.  Has she asked that you assess her? You don't appear qualified to do that. This post was edited by Thriftymaid at December 11, 2016 12:09 PM MST
      December 11, 2016 10:22 AM MST
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  • In this i have to mostly, sorta, kinda,  agree with Thrifty in the following way... yes, it's good you try to understand your friend's mental health problems... but .. but.. we have to be careful not to impose our own understanding of what we think ails them..

    For instance.. maybe she has ADHD and very often that is accompanied by restlessness, sleep difficulties and the comorbid conditions of OCD etc.. so maybe it's not a phobia at all... and we have to be careful of labelling it as such...

    In an ideal world we would not give advice, just say, I am there for you.
      December 11, 2016 12:20 PM MST
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  • Love the last sentence :)
      December 11, 2016 6:29 PM MST
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  • 46117
    Couchpotatophobia
      December 11, 2016 1:35 PM MST
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  • 3934
    I have the opposite problem: Couchpotatophilia...;-D...

      December 11, 2016 1:46 PM MST
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  • 46117
    Uh oh.   They might find the both of us skeletonized in laz-y-boys.  It could happen.
      December 11, 2016 1:58 PM MST
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  • 3934
    According to the Book of Offical Explanations: "A body at rest tends to watch television"...;-D..
      December 11, 2016 2:02 PM MST
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  • 46117
    Unless the remote is too far.  Then a body just closes the eyelids.

    This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at December 11, 2016 3:05 PM MST
      December 11, 2016 3:02 PM MST
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  • It might not have one.  People can have personal phobias that aren't common enough to have any specific name.

    If you want to try and understand what she feels or experiences you really just have to read up on phobias in general.  most phobias are either specific or social phobias and each grouping has general feelings associated with them.  The specific triggers aren't usually very important as to the feelings they cause.

    I'd say this sounds more like a type of social phobia were the feelings are most likely over feeling inadequate or anxiety of being judged negatively.
      December 11, 2016 2:55 PM MST
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