Many people find making decisions to be a stressful task because they are worried about what might happen if they choose the wrong direction. People's anxiety can influence them even while making small judgments and selections, like what to eat for lunch or what to wear. Many of us have difficulty making decisions; some days it's more difficult than others. The inability to make a decision is officially referred to as Decidophobia when it becomes a real issue. Why do we have trouble making decisions? Not to oversimplify, but the majority of our worries are rooted in fear. We fear the burden of responsibility. We are afraid to venture outside of our comfort zone and into the unknown.

Walter Kauffman, a philosopher who studied at the universities of Princeton and Harvard, is the author who phrased the word "decidophobia." In his 1973 book "Without Guilt and Justice: From Decidophobia to Autonomy," he first used the word. According to Kauffman, the book focused on the theoretical consequences of decidophobia, which might result in political and religious rigidity.

Decidophobia, however, is categorized as a particular phobia under the heading of anxiety disorders from a mental health perspective. Intense, illogical fear or worry of a particular thing or circumstance that doesn't actually pose any threat or danger is known as a specific phobia.

Signs and symptoms of decidophobia

• Panic
• Anxiety
• Procrastination
• Strained relationships
• Exaggerate the consequences in small situations
• Depend on others for decisions
• Muscle tension
• Increased sweating
• Not able to cope with the anxiety that comes with decision making

Causes of decidophobia

Some potential causes of decidophobia are:

• Learned behavior: Phobias are often learned behaviors. There might be some situations in your life when it is necessary to make decisions in front of others. As a consequence, you might have developed the habit of postponing your decisions. However, you might have acquired or learned about your anxiety when you were a child by observing anxious or stressed-out family members.

• Past experiences: Another possibility is that you have made aggregate terrible decisions you've made in the past.  Phobias frequently result from generalizing a single negative event into a fear of all relatable or similar circumstances.

• Genetic factors: The onset of phobias may also be influenced by genetic factors. It's possible for anxiety problems to run in some families and be genetically on from generations.

Diagnosing decidophobia

A healthcare provider can help in the diagnosis of decidophobia, which could be an Online Therapist or Online Psychiatrist. Interviews might be conducted in which the questions related to the following might be asked by the therapist:

• Symptoms
• Family history
• Personal medical history
• Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

The DSM-5 lists the following diagnostic guidelines for various phobias:

• Excessive, irrational apprehension at the thought of the triggering thing or circumstance
• Immediate onset of anxiety symptoms, such as physical or emotional symptoms, in response to the feared circumstance or object (i.e., a panic attack)
• Avoiding the feared thing or circumstance
• Significant changes to routine and daily life brought on by the fear
• Persistent anxiety lasting longer than six months

Treatment of decidophobia

Treatment of decidophobia can be made through therapy. There are some forms of medicines that might help. They are:

Cognitive behavior therapy

You can evaluate the harmful or damaging habits and irrational beliefs or thoughts which you're having as a response to the phobia with the help of cognitive behavior therapy. Overcome the phobia, can help you in developing a new lifestyle and thought processes.

Exposure therapy

The most common phobia is exposure therapy. It is a form of CBT that is specifically designed to treat phobia. In exposure therapy, you are given with a series of phobia-related difficulties, starting with relatively simple ones and becoming very difficult. You gradually proceed from tasks at levels 1 to 2 up the scale to those at levels 9 or 10, giving each obstacle a number from 1 to 10 based on how much you fear it. The therapist might teach you some relaxation and calming techniques while you are facing fearful situations. They can also use reinforcements or rewards so that you are motivated to face your fearful situations.

Tips to overcome decidophobia

• Stop having the pressure of having to make a choice lead to a stressful circumstance. To relax and breathe, pause for a moment.
• When we become too involved in a situation, we begin to worry. Consider adopting an utterly unbiased viewpoint. List the benefits and drawbacks of the different methods and solutions. This will help you in evaluating your choices and improve your confidence in your ability to choose wisely.
• Start believing in yourself when you want to have any situation
• When we don’t have people for support and guidance, listening to our inner circle will help.
• Believing that you could also make good decisions.

We often have to make a variety of choices every day, whether at job, school, or home. Most individuals occasionally have trouble making decisions, but if you have decidophobia, even the most minor decisions might cause you to feel extremely anxious. It's important to get treatment if your condition is making it difficult for you to go about your daily activities. Decidophobia can be addressed with therapy, just like other phobias.

One may seek online consultation at TalktoAngel Asia’s no. 1 Online Counselling platform and take therapy with the Best Psychologist in India when decision-making has impacted a relationship with a partner you may consult with the best Couple Counsellor for their relationship conflicts.

Contributed by: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Clinical Psychologist, Counsellor, & Life Coach & Dr. Sakshi Kochhar, Psychologist