TY  - JOUR
AU  - Husain, Waqar
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/09/10
TI  - Atimiaphobia: A Phenomenological Account of the Fear of Losing Honor or Being Labeled Shameless due to the Sexual Values Assigned to Femininity
JO  - OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine
SP  - 037
VL  - 10
IS  - 03
AB  - Honor and shame function as moral currencies in many collectivistic cultures, shaping individual behavior, gender roles, and psychosocial well-being. This paper introduces Atimiaphobia—a newly proposed specific phobia defined as the intense and persistent fear of losing honor (particularly for men) or being labeled as shameless (particularly for women). Rooted in patriarchal, collectivist, and honor-based cultures, atimiaphobia manifests through intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, emotional turmoil, and compulsive conformity to social norms. While distinct from social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and avoidant personality disorder, atimiaphobia is shaped by cultural imperatives surrounding moral reputation and familial dignity. Its recognition as a discrete mental disorder is warranted based on its phenomenological, cognitive-behavioral, and sociocultural distinctiveness. Integrating this condition into clinical taxonomies may enhance culturally competent diagnosis, intervention, and support.
SN  - 2573-4393
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2503037
DO  - 10.21926/obm.icm.2503037
ID  - Husain2025
ER  -