Is there a name for this "phobia" I have?

Question

Hi, I'm George. I'm 13.

For some extremely odd reason, I feel the need to hide my face when I'm in the car riding with my mom. Like when we're at a stop light, I feel like people from other cars waiting for the green light are staring at me, judging me or looking at me weirdly. I just bend down and not look up for a few moments. Is this a phobia?

Answer 1

Not sure if it is a Phobia...you should check out this list

I have a Mottephobia if it makes you feel any better.  

Answer 2

it's odd... but probably more self conscious than anything.  Try to remember most people on this earth are self conscious also and try to avoid eye contact in general when in public... next time you're in the car and this happens try to look those people in the eye and maybe crack a smile.  best case you get a smile back, worst case you get someone wondering what your deal is... but who cares...  Seriously, people are going to judge you 100 times more often when you bend down and stare at the ground than if you just behaved "normally" and/or looked at them / looked around in general.

Answer 3

I am not sure if there is a specific name for this; but at your age being self-conscious of your appearance is absolutely normal and a sign that you are slowly maturing. Yes, it's hard to deal with but the way you choose to cope with these problems will in fact help you mature. Try counting to five before hiding your face at the traffic lights next time - set yourself an achievable goal. Then the next time count to six, then seven etc. Good luck. Remember that your behaviour in the car may well distract your mom so be a little considerate!!

Answer 4

Its normal for 13 year olds to be a bit concerned about what everyone else is thinking about you. The good thing is as we learn more about people we find out that they are wondering what you are thinking about them! are  you? You are not thinking about them, you are thinking about them thinking out you. In school if you take psychology you will learn about a thing called "Imaginary Audience." It is something that people do, they think they are the center of the universe but none of us are. Be yourself, don't worry about what other people are thinking or doing. They are not thinking about you right then and they are not thinking about you later either.

Think about something you are good at, what you appreciate about your life, anything to get out of the habit of watching for others. And remember we are all our own worst critics. That means we are hardest on our selves. Its awesome you are thinking about how you think. You are very smart to do that. Keep up the good work!

Answer 5

Ophthalmophobia- Fear of being stared at.

also

Hodophobia- Fear of road travel.

Nothing wrong with you, i do the same thing but i actually just look away, and i'm usually the one driving, i hate making eye contact at stop lights or signs or anything idk why. It's not a phobia if your actually getting scared of it to the point where you start crying or becoming stressed out over it. It's only natural to think some one might be judging you i always think someones judging me but i really don't care because half the time people pre-judge and find out their original assumption about you was wrong.

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Nope it's not un-healthy to act like this, your being human. It would become unhealthy when you start hyperventilating or like acting crazy.

Answer 6

I wouldn't worry your 13 and being driven by your mom worrying about people seeing you in the car is quite normal, try walking insted of being driven.

Answer 7

u r good,, u just feel embarrassed because they stare at you

it is normal thing for people to do so,, just curiosity maybe

so don't be shamed and stare back if you want to

get confident  

Answer 8

You shouldn't be bothered

if you worry about everyone else then you tuly can't live life

Answer 9

this happens to me in the car to !

but i stare back :P its really quite funny haha :P

i think it could be Ophthalmophobia well thats being stared at ?

im scared of tablets :P

Answer 10

Depends.  The word phobia gets used a lot for small discomforts that are not severe enough to be an actual problem/disorder (social anxiety disorder)

How severe is this feeling?  Is your mother aware of it? How do you feel about riding in a car driven by another person?  Do you avoid riding in cars if you can, no matter who's driving?

If not, then most likely, this is just part of being a teen.  I don't think anybody didn't experience a period of time in that age group where they weren't either embarrassed to be seen with a parent or somewhat afraid that other people were looking them over to spot anything that might be different.  It's a part of the awkwardness of wanting to be an individual yet wanting to be a clone.  

If it's not severe enough to impact your life negatively, then just acknowledging the feeling, and reminding yourself that people are more interested in watching the light change than staring at you is probably all the treatment you'll need.  However, if it is making life difficult (fight with your mom over riding in the car, fear of learning to drive, or the appearance of somatic symptoms) then you should seek medical/psychological help.

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