Have you heard about the fear of germs or Mysophobia? Well, let’s start with the basics, what is a phobia? It’s about a anxiety disorder or irrational fear that can be presented towards an infinity of objects or situations.
From common phobias, such as arachnophobia (fear of spiders) or coulrophobia (fear of clowns), to very strange phobias such as thurophobia (fear of cheese), we find pathologies of the most diverse types.
But there are some that stand out for their particular way of expressing themselves, limiting the life and daily life of the people who suffer from them. It is precisely the case that we will see today with the fear of germs.
In Supercurioso we have set out to delve into what Misophobia is and how it affects the people who live with it. Join us!
The anxiety It is one of the great evils of the modern world. Fighting it has become a challenge in which we add tools such as relaxation techniques, visualizations or psychological therapy.
But When the anxiety disorder is not controlled and treated in time, it can lead to phobias that affect the quality of life. When we talk about a phobia, we refer to an excessive and uncontrollable fear, which limits the actions of those who suffer from it. And the fear of germs is one of the most uncomfortable. Let’s see what this is about.
1. What is Mysophobia?
When we talk about what is Mysophobia or the fear of germs, we refer to a pathology that is part of the anxiety disorder and is closely linked to the concept of obsessive-compulsive disorders. People who suffer from germ phobia have a tenacious and excessive fear of dirt and surfaces that may be contaminated. In its most severe versions, this phobia can lead to attitudes of isolation. The person comes to feel a real terror of being in contact with objects, surfaces or people with germs and, therefore, prefers to remain isolated or locked up.
The term Mysophobia comes from the words mysoswhich means contamination, and phoboswhich means fear. It was the American doctor and neurologist William Hammond who came close to this definition, describing the disorder for the first time in 1879. The reality is that, as with all other phobias, it is a psychological pathology that is born in the most deep interior of each individual, and that can have greater or lesser involvement in their daily life, according to the ways in which it manifests.
The fear of germs, although it may be associated with traumatic experiences or the simple fear of contracting an infection or disease, the reality is that it has an important cultural and family component. When you delve into each case of people who suffer from Mysophobia, in many there is a common point: These are mostly people who received a very demanding education around cleanliness, which could even become obsessive. It is also usual for those who have extensive knowledge about germs, their effects and the diseases they can generate, to develop this type of phobia. We find in this field health professionals such as doctors, nurses or bioanalysts.
2. Symptoms of Mysophobia
To understand in depth what Mysophobia is and the ways in which it affects people who suffer from it, it is necessary to delve into the symptoms with which the fear of germs and bacteria is expressed. Among the most common are the following:
- People with a fear of germs become so obsessed with personal hygiene that they can wash their hands up to forty times an hour! They even often change their clothes, up to five times a day.
- Another way in which Misophobia is expressed is in the tension that is generated in people who suffer from it, when they are exposed to a source of contamination. The simple act of taking the garbage out to the street or even holding on to the steel bars on public transport can become torture.
- The person who suffers from the fear of germs also you may experience physical symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, shortness of breathchoking, chest tightness, increased heart rate, or chills.
- These people tend to be obsessed with order and cleanliness. The places where they live are usually perfectly orderly and neat, and do not allow any modification to your order. In the most serious cases, they end up socially isolated, for the sheer idea of getting away from any possible source of bacteria or germs.
- And finally, Those who suffer from Mysophobia are motivated by an intense fear of dying. Each dirty space, each bacteria or dirt represents for them a threat of disease that will lead to death.
3. How to overcome the fear of germs?
Mysophobia, like other common psychological problems, can affect the person who suffers from it as it evolves. It is not bad to wash your hands with some frequency, nor to try to maintain the cleanliness and order of your home. But when this becomes an obsession and a recurring and distressing thought, it’s time to think about finding a solution. Let’s see the most common and effective.
psychological therapy
As with most phobias, understanding what Mysophobia is and its scope is the first step to overcoming it. And in this sense, the best way to do it is through psychological therapy. The most effective is the cognitive-behavioral approach. Through it, the professional focuses on getting to the root of the problem, understanding the causes that trigger the phobia and the limiting thoughts that the patient has about them. The intention is to deconstruct those thoughts, so that the fear can be gradually dismantled and reduced.
exposure therapy
Another of the great allies for the treatment of phobias such as the fear of germs is exposure therapy. It is simply about leading the patient to face their fears gradually and progressively. Basically the person is exposed to their sources of fear. This type of therapy can also be accompanied by relaxation breathing exercises, meditation and even hypnosis. In more severe cases, in which it is difficult to control the phobia by these methods, the mental health professional will evaluate the route of prescribing medications or anxiolytics.
And you, Did you know what Misophobia is? Do you know someone who suffers from this intense and annoying fear of germs? Leave us all your opinions in a comment. We will be looking forward to reading you! And if you want to find out more about this bacteria phobia, don’t miss this article on germs in kitchens. Or, if you want to discover others, we invite you to discover these celebrity phobias.
Other phobias you should know
Now that we have concluded our article on mysophobia, we want to leave you with this selection of phobias. Do you have any of them?
- What is turofobia, fear of cheese
- What is Eisoptrophobia, fear of mirrors
- What is arachnophobia, fear of spiders
- What is glossophobia, fear of public speaking
- What is acrophobia, fear of heights
- What is haphephobia, fear of being touched
- What is decidophobia, fear of making decisions
- What is tanotophobia, fear of death
- What is aerophobia, fear of flying by plane
- What is ophidiophobia, fear of snakes
- What is hemophobia, fear of blood
- What is clautrophobia, fear of closed spaces
- What is coulrophobia, fear of clowns