Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPrevalenceSymptomsTreating ChronophobiaPrevention

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Prevalence

Symptoms

Treating Chronophobia

Prevention

We all fear getting older to some degree, or wish we had more time to spend with our friends and loved ones, but most of the time, this does not rise to the level of a phobia, which requires persistent debilitating anxiety and other associated symptoms in response to the object of our fear. Data on the prevalence of chronophobia is not readily available, although it’s a fear many of us can understand.

Causes of Chronophobia

Some populations experience chronophobia, the fear of time, more than others. In fact, since it is so common in prison populations it is sometimes known as “prison neurosis,” which is connected to the disorienting nature of spending an extended period of time behind bars.

The elderly, as well as people facing terminal illnesses who worry that their time on Earth may be limited, may also face this fear. Time becomes their enemy, and they fear that its passing will ultimately lead to their death. That said, a phobia diagnosis typically requires that the fear be excessive or unreasonable. In the case of illness, sadly, these fears may not always be unreasonable.

The fear of time also sometimes presents in the wake of severe trauma, such as a natural disaster, particularly if the daily routine is seriously disrupted.  It is also has been seen in shipwreck survivors and others who are trapped in a high-anxiety situation with no familiar means of tracking the passage of time. In fact, a sense of a foreshortened future has previously been used as one of the diagnostic criteria forpost-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).

Many people will also experience panic, anxiety, and claustrophobia, which are common symptoms of most phobias as well as common reactions to trauma. Panic attacks, sweating, shortness of breath, and even persistently haunting thoughts are also often reported, but only in extreme cases.

Phobias in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

In extreme cases, untreated chronophobia can lead to isolation, depression, and even increasingly disordered thinking. It is important to seek advice from a qualified mental health professional as soon as possible.

In some cases, psychiatrists may prescribe medications, but psychotherapy remains the primary treatment for phobias. Unlike many specific phobias,exposure therapymay be less relevant for chronophobia, as it is not easy to expose a person to time or its passing the same way you can a more tangible fear object.

Prevention of Chronophobia

Additionally, making an effort tofind your purposein life can help you make the most of your time on Earth, whether you have chronophobia or not.

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Leer-Salvesen P.Fear of the Future and Theology of Hope. In: Bergmann S, editor.Eschatology as Imagining the End: Faith between Hope and Despair.Routledge. 2018:30-44.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Facts & statistics.Naik KR, Mall A, Palace BH.The Problems of Prisoners: An Analysis.IJRAR. 2019;6(2):267-287.Ratcliffe M, Ruddell M, Smith B.What is a “sense of foreshortened future?” A phenomenological study of trauma, trust, and time.Front Psychol. 2014;5:1026. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01026Klochko Y.A person in a closed environment as a psychological problem.Psychology in Russia. 2013;6(4):143. doi:10.11621/pir.2013.0412American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. 2013.

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Leer-Salvesen P.Fear of the Future and Theology of Hope. In: Bergmann S, editor.Eschatology as Imagining the End: Faith between Hope and Despair.Routledge. 2018:30-44.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Facts & statistics.Naik KR, Mall A, Palace BH.The Problems of Prisoners: An Analysis.IJRAR. 2019;6(2):267-287.Ratcliffe M, Ruddell M, Smith B.What is a “sense of foreshortened future?” A phenomenological study of trauma, trust, and time.Front Psychol. 2014;5:1026. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01026Klochko Y.A person in a closed environment as a psychological problem.Psychology in Russia. 2013;6(4):143. doi:10.11621/pir.2013.0412American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. 2013.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Leer-Salvesen P.Fear of the Future and Theology of Hope. In: Bergmann S, editor.Eschatology as Imagining the End: Faith between Hope and Despair.Routledge. 2018:30-44.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Facts & statistics.Naik KR, Mall A, Palace BH.The Problems of Prisoners: An Analysis.IJRAR. 2019;6(2):267-287.Ratcliffe M, Ruddell M, Smith B.What is a “sense of foreshortened future?” A phenomenological study of trauma, trust, and time.Front Psychol. 2014;5:1026. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01026Klochko Y.A person in a closed environment as a psychological problem.Psychology in Russia. 2013;6(4):143. doi:10.11621/pir.2013.0412American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. 2013.

Leer-Salvesen P.Fear of the Future and Theology of Hope. In: Bergmann S, editor.Eschatology as Imagining the End: Faith between Hope and Despair.Routledge. 2018:30-44.

Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Facts & statistics.

Naik KR, Mall A, Palace BH.The Problems of Prisoners: An Analysis.IJRAR. 2019;6(2):267-287.

Ratcliffe M, Ruddell M, Smith B.What is a “sense of foreshortened future?” A phenomenological study of trauma, trust, and time.Front Psychol. 2014;5:1026. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01026

Klochko Y.A person in a closed environment as a psychological problem.Psychology in Russia. 2013;6(4):143. doi:10.11621/pir.2013.0412

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. 2013.

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