What to Know
When it comes to romantic relationships, Khloé Kardashian hasn’t exactly had an easy go of things, between her divorce from Lamar Odom and multiple cheating scandals involving ex Tristan Thompson. So when she made a big confession on her podcast this week, revealing that she struggles with “sarmassophobia” — or a fear of dating — it actually made total sense. After everything she’s been through, wouldn’t anyone want to stay single for a while?
Khloé opened up about her romantic life (or lack thereof) on her podcast.
On Khloé in Wonder Land, the reality star opened up to her guest (and sister) Kim Kardashian about the current status of her love life, explaining that she’s in the middle of a bout of sarmassophobia.
“It’s a tough world out there for me,” she said. “Now I feel like I’ve gone so long now. It’s like so scary to get back in there. Like now I’m like, I feel so safe where I am. And I hated how I felt before. That I’m like, I don’t want to go back there. But I can’t live like this forever. Like I’m afraid that I’m so afraid. Does that make sense?”
Sarmassophobia is a real diagnosis.
According to Drlogy, sarmassophobia is “anxiety associated with romantic or sexual situations, often stemming from a fear of intimacy or rejection.” It’s often caused by past traumatic experiences in relationships, which definitely applies to Khloé and her history.
A psychologist named Dr. Levine talked to the Daily Mail about Khloé’s phobia, saying it’s “quite normal” for her to feel this way after everything she’s been through.
“She should give herself some time to get over her past traumatic experiences from heartbreak,” Dr. Levine said. “Often people who have had their heart broken over and over again avoid getting back into relationships. Instead they focus intensely on their work or children or both.”
This isn’t the first time Khloé has addressed the topic.
On an episode of The Kardashians that aired in December, Khloé admitted she’s been celibate for four years — something she had addressed a month earlier in an interview with Elle.
“This December will be four years. I get a little embarrassed. I’m like, ‘This is so pathetic,’ but once you get to a certain place, you think, ‘No, this is so special,'” she told the magazine. “
Khloé added, “Once I really was working on myself, I didn’t have the energy to date anyone else. Now, no one is even worth my time. My kids are my priority. Other than that, I want to lie in bed and watch TV if I have free time and I don’t want to share it with someone else. I’m a little concerned, because I am so happy, so the only thing that worries me is whether I am ever going to want to figure this out.”
