What happens when a woman falls in love with a man who has an overbearing and controlling mother? That’s what the TLC network wanted to find out when they introduced their reality show I Love a Mama’s Boy. If you’ve ever watched the show, it’s easy to understand how the women involved could develop pentheraphobia — the fear of a mother-in-law. Its origin comes from the combination of the Greek words penthera, which means mother-in-law and phobos, which means fear. A person suffering from pentheraphobia may have several symptoms, including extreme anxiety, sweating, panic, dread, discontinuity of speech, shaking, nausea and palpitations. If it becomes extremely severe, some available treatments include Neuro-linguistic programming, relaxation therapy, and hypnotherapy. Being such a peculiar phobia, it’s difficult to determine the causes. It’s assumed that sociology plays an important role. Throughout the different eras, mothers-in-law have been classified as envious, controlling or competing. True or not, this has greatly influenced the vision we have of them. If you’re suffering from pentheraphobia, put yourself in the hands of a psychologist or other professional who is specialized in the subject. They will help you cope and understand what's causing your problem so it can be resolved.
