What is Mysophobia: Meaning, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Phobia is a natural feeling of fear where the body feels uncomfortable and endangered. However, when this fear is triggered by germs, it is known as Mysophobia. People suffering from this disorder have their daily activities arranged to try to escape or avoid germs. Thus, they act accordingly.

To know more about what is Mysophobia, its symptoms, causes, treatment and other details, keep reading this article!

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What Is Mysophobia?

Mysophobia is an extreme and intense fear of dirt, germ and contamination. It falls under the specific phobia category and interferes with the patient's daily functioning. Under this fear, the individual becomes obsessive about contracting illness from various sources like bacteria and body fluids.

Some of the conditions we can name are:

Verminophobia
Bacteriophobia
Bacillophobia
Germophobia

What Are the Causes of Mysophobia?

Environment and genetics are two of the biggest causes of Mysophobia development:

Environment: Trauma of germ and uncleanliness in the surroundings can result in Mysophobia. Sometimes people develop this fear because someone they cared for got sick from an unhealthy environment.
Genetics: Genetics can also increase one's likelihood of increased anxiety disorder. It is common for the obsessive disorder to run in the family genes. However, it also does not necessarily induce the disease in generations.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Mysophobia?

The most common symptoms of Mysophobia are activities people carry out to avoid contact with germs. These include:

Signs or Behavioural Changes

Washing hands excessively
Overusing sanitising and cleaning products
Avoiding going to places filled with germs and dirt
Getting scared of contamination

Physical Symptoms

Moreover, even after this, if they get contaminated by the dirt or bacteria, then the following symptoms become visible:

Sweating
Shaking
Heart palpitation
Crying

You can notice these signs when the germ or dirt is visible. For example, when digging a garden, shaking hands with someone, using a doorknob, etc. However, when the germs are not visible, sufferers still become obsessive by taking multiple showers daily, using sanitiser continuously, etc.

How Is Mysophobia Diagnosed?

Generally, healthcare professionals can diagnose Mysophobia in a single appointment. It does not involve any testing. Instead, the professionals will ask you specific questions about the visible symptoms and changes in your behaviour.

The questions include:

Have you ever encountered a traumatic experience related to germs?
How often do germs bother you?
What do you feel when you see germs?
Is your family related to any obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxiety history?
Is it ok for you not to go to your favourite place because there you will find germs?
Have you changed your daily routine, or your level of happiness has been affected due to Mysophobia?

What Is the Treatment for Mysophobia?

Treatment for Mysophobia involves making you feel comfortable even around germs, dirt or dust. As a result, your quality of life can be improved. It consists of a combination of medication, self-help and therapy.

Psychotherapy

Depending on your condition, the therapist may set an orientation. He or she can help you learn how to manage the symptoms or encourage you to discover the root of your trauma. For this purpose, the therapist can use several therapies. However, the two most common ones are:

Exposure Therapy: This therapy aims at slowly and progressively acquainting people of their root fear. As a result, people get familiarised and calm with time until they no longer fear it.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: CBT helps patients identify their fear's cause. Also, it helps them learn how to regain strength against fear and avoid getting overwhelmed.

Doctors either use these therapies separately or in combination to cure the problem.

Self-Help

The therapist may also impart specific coping skills teaching you how to control your symptoms. This involves:

Deep breathing
Exercising regularly
Meditation
Eating healthy
Joining a support group
Reducing caffeine intake
Confronting things, you fear
Getting enough sleep
Staying active

Medications

Medications are rare as phobia generally gets treated through therapy and self-help. However, doctors may recommend medicines to control the level of anxiety. These include:

SNRIs or Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors
SSRIs or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
Antihistamines
Beta Blockers
Sedatives

We hope that the information has given you the answer to what is Mysophobia, its symptoms, causes and treatment. If you have it, your life can become stressful and disrupted up to certain degrees, but you can always choose to treat it by going through therapies and taking medications. First, however, start by visiting a recognised doctor that can help you with your anxiety and fear.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Is there a way to avoid Mysophobia?

If OCD and anxiety run in your family, checking your thoughts and behaviours in response to germs can help prevent you from developing a phobia. However, other precautions you can take include avoiding tobacco usage, keeping stress to a minimum, limiting alcohol, taking up a hobby, etc.

Can you have other phobias in addition to Mysophobia?

Yes, you can have more than one specific phobia. The common ones are Nosophobia (fear of disease), Microphobia (fear of small things), Ataxophobia (fear of untidiness), Zoophobia (fear of animals), and Thanatophobia (fear of death).