Atychiphobia is the intense and irrational fear of failure. As a phobia, Atychiphobia is a clinical mental health issue that causes extreme distress and disruption to your daily life. It is possible to struggle with the fear of failure even if you don’t have Atychiphobia.
Most people want to succeed in their careers and personal lives and find it disappointing when they fail, but are able to recover quickly when they do fail. But for some people, the thought that they might fail puts them into a fight-or-flight response. They respond to the prospect of failure like they would something dangerous or life-threatening. This can cause paralysis—in which you don’t do anything out of fear of failing when you try—perfectionism, anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, and much more.
Fortunately, you are not alone in your fear of failure. It is a common fear, and therapists can equip you with tools to overcome it. Let’s explore coping skills for Atychiphobia together and learn how to overcome fear of failure in this article.
Why Am I Scared of Failure?
You might know that your fear of failing is irrational. “Failure is a good thing,” you might coach yourself. “Failure is a chance to learn and grow.” But deep down, you can’t shake the feeling that failure will only lead to disaster.
Where do these deep-seated feelings of fear come from? There are many possible causes for Atychiphobia, including:
Perfectionism – Holding yourself to unrealistic standards and fearing any mistake or imperfection can lead to a fear of failure.
Harsh criticism in childhood – Growing up with overly critical or narcissistic parents, teachers, or other authority figures may lead one to believe that failure is a direct reflection of one's worth or a sign of imminent disaster.
Low self-esteem – Doubting your abilities and expecting poor outcomes can lead to fear of failure because you translate failure as confirmation of all the worst thoughts of yourself, instead of a natural part of the learning and growing process.
Past trauma – Trauma can lead to low self-esteem, critical self-image, depression, and anxiety, all of which can contribute to fear of failure. Also, people who have experienced trauma often want to avoid similar situations from ever happening again, and may think that by avoiding failure, they can avoid another traumatic event.
High expectations from others – Undue pressure to succeed from family, peers, or society can cause the fear of failure to develop.
Fear of judgment or rejection – People who are highly sensitive to criticism may fear failure not because of the failure, but because of the disappointment, anger, or negative image that comes with failing.
Other mental health issues – Generalized anxiety or performance anxiety can intensify fear around failing, as can OCD, ADHD, and depression.
These are not the only causes. A therapist can help you get to the root of why you’re fearful and coax you through recovery.
Signs and Symptoms of Fear of Failure (Atychiphobia)
Here are some common symptoms of fear of failure:
Be afraid to complete simple work, school, or household tasks.
Experience a racing heart, tight chest, or shortness of breath while thinking about failure.
Be unable to maintain healthy relationships.
Experience sadness, depression, and anxiety.
Have frequent panic attacks with accompanying chills, dizziness, sweating, dread, or trembling.
Become angry or irritable.
Be anxious about receiving judgement or criticism from others.
Have episodes of catastrophic thinking.
Procrastinate because they’re afraid of doing a bad job on a project or are perfectionists.
Have a hard time receiving constructive criticism or even help.
Engage in self-sabotage.
Is Fear of Failure a Symptom of OCD?
It can be. Fear of failure can be a symptom of certain types of OCD, such as Perfectionism OCD or Responsibility OCD. In these cases, the fear of failure will look like strong, unwanted thoughts, urges, or images about failure and corresponding behaviors to negate or prevent those thoughts from occurring.
For example, being afraid of failing as a parent and having obsessive, looping thoughts about how your child will grow up damaged or unhappy because of your behaviors, so you obsessively check on their sleeping and monitor their growth and health to an extreme and all-consuming point.
How Do You Overcome the Fear of Failure?
One of the most powerful ways to heal from a phobia is by using exposure therapy. Exposure Therapy is a type of therapy method in which you are slowly introduced to the object of your fear in a safe environment. You are then taught different coping mechanisms for Atychiphobia that will calm your body and allow manage the trigger. You can use similar techniques to overcome the fear of failure. For example, try these coping skills for a week and see how you feel:
Redefine failure – What does failure mean to you? Can you give it a narrower definition and reframe failure as a learning opportunity rather than a negative outcome? Try out this new definition in the real world.
Set realistic goals – Break big goals into small, achievable steps to build confidence gradually. With every step, celebrate. Try to avoid all-or-nothing thinking by treating each small goal as its own challenge. If you fail one, that doesn’t mean you fail all of them.
Challenge negative thoughts – Identify and reframe fear-based thinking with more balanced, rational thoughts. For example, “If I fail, I’ll never get another opportunity like this, and then I’ll lose my job!” This is a cognitive distortion called catastrophizing. Instead, replace it with a neutral and true thought, “If I fail, I’ll have to discuss what went wrong with my boss and try again.”
Develop a growth mindset – Believe that your abilities can improve with effort, learning, and persistence. By reframing failure as an opportunity to grow, nothing feels quite like a failure.
Celebrate progress – If fighting the fear of failure feels too risky, then start by celebrating success. Acknowledge small wins and the courage to try, even if things don’t go perfectly.
Learn from past setbacks – Reflect on past failures to identify lessons and strengths gained. Put into practice the mindset that failures are learning opportunities.
Surround yourself with support – Talk to encouraging friends, mentors, or therapists who help you stay grounded. Find people who make you better but who never make you feel small.
Practice mindfulness and stress reduction – Techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or journaling can help manage anxiety when you fail. These feelings are normal, so focus on processing them and letting them run their course without panicking.
Practice self-compassion – What can you do to show yourself love today? Be kind to yourself when things don’t go as planned; treat yourself like you would a friend.
Fear of failure often shows up as cognitive distortions, like catastrophizing or all-or-nothing thinking, so learning to spot these thought patterns as they happen is often the fastest way to loosen their grip.
Can therapy help me overcome fear of failure?
Talking to a therapist is an important step to overcome your fear of failure. Atychiphobic behavior is linked to a variety of mental health disorders, but you can find relief by working through your intense fear in therapy and learning effective coping skills.
For people with a severe fear of failure, medication can also help. Medication can address underlying issues and help you get anxiety and fear under control so you can begin to make real changes.
If you’re ready to start managing your atychiphobia symptoms and overcome your fear of failure, we’re here to help. Our therapists are able to address the fear you have, and are currently accepting new patients.
Let us help you live a brighter life; start therapy with us today.
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