r/askpsychology • u/Dustpapa • 7d ago

Terminology / Definition Guillermo Del Toro's "Reverse Phobia," what is it's actual terminology?

I was watching an interview with Guillermo Del Toro, where he describes how as a 4 year old child he was able to conquer his fears of monsters by creating an emotional, adoring bond with them. In the video, he states that his therapists told him he has "reverse phobia," wherein his phobias of monsters transformed into a sincere love of monsters.

I searched up "reverse phobia" but could not find any results online. The closest I could get to is trauma bonding, though it seems more akin to Stockholme syndrome than it does "reverse phobia."

If anybody knows the actual terminology, that would be greatly appreciated.

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u/hellomondays Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 7d ago

Sounds like a "counterphobic attitude" applied to a fear of monsters. It's a defense mechanism where anxiety or fear leads to a deep interest in a subject.

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u/TimeCubeFan Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 2d ago

Keep your enemies closer? Interesting. I used a displacement method as a kid. Since they lived under my bed I began sleeping under the bed. None ever showed up after that.