Misophobia: fear of germs or I am afraid of what I can't see

Mysophobia – fear of germs or contamination by them. This fear goes beyond all limits and becomes very intrusive.

Mysophobia is not among the five most common phobias, however, it brings great trouble to its owner and relatives of the patient.

The misofob thinks the whole world is dirty and tries to clean it up. Going out into the street is a whole torture for him, because he believes that microbes will attack him there and he will certainly get sick.

What is the essence of the problem and is it possible to cure a misofob?

1. Where does the disease of mysophobia originate
2. How to calculate a misophobe among people
3. Simple Treatments for Obsessive Phobia

Where does obsessive misophobia come from

The causes of the development of the disease lie in several factors:

1.

media influence. A person sees an advertisement on TV and begins to believe that he is really surrounded by only microbes and bacteria;

2.

experienced in childhood, a case of poisoning from an unwashed fruit-vegetable makes a person afraid of microorganisms. The patient is afraid to even touch an unwashed object, let alone take an unpeeled fruit on the shelf in the store;

3.

obsessive-compulsive disorder. The owners of this diagnosis perceive in a critical form the manifestation of dirt and dust;

4.

heredity. If someone in the family has experienced such a phobia, it is very likely that it will be inherited by others;

5.

experienced psychological trauma or depression. The body is exposed to various stresses and becomes unstable to phobias and fears.

Some studies suggest that the spread of hygiene products (toilet covers, soap) increases the spread of mysophobia. Misophobes think that since these developments occur, the number of microbes is increasing.

How to detect a misophobe among people

Recognizing

mysophobia is not difficult. The patient, in order to get rid of bacteria, constantly washes his hands, wipes objects in the house, and cleans several times a day. This threatens that the skin of the hands is constantly exposed to soap and other detergents, which greatly dries the skin. Cracks appear through which the infection enters.

A patient with

mysophobia doesn't like to go outside. Even if he had to do it, he puts on closed clothes, a mask and gloves. Upon arrival home, he will definitely take a shower and change clothes. Mizofob avoids contact with people and animals, as he considers them to be carriers of infections.

Suffering from

mesophobia refuses to visit public bathrooms, does not eat in public places, eats only what he cooked himself. He often eats from disposable utensils. He rarely visits himself and does not like to receive guests at home, knowing that they will need to be contacted.

Misophobia terribly ruins a person's life. He refuses travel, adventure, good work, contact with friends. Frequently subject to panic attacks, shortness of breath, palpitations, sweating.

Easy ways to treat obsessive phobia

To treat a problem, the patient must acknowledge its existence, otherwise everything will be in vain. It is difficult to overcome mysophobia on your own, so it is better to consult a specialist.

An experienced psychotherapist will examine you and suggest treatment options. Usually they offer 2 options for getting out of the problem: medication and psychological treatment. Both methods are often used.

There are no pills or drugs specifically for mysophobia. The doctor focuses on the patient's symptoms.

Often the patient experiences anxiety, depression, panic.

Then the doctor prescribes: antidepressants, tranquilizers, neuroleptics. The course of admission depends on the complexity of the problem.

Psychological treatment consists in the fact that the patient is often

put into hypnosis and with the help of it the psychotherapist deals with the causes of mysophobia.

The hypnotherapist tries to correct the past experience and change the attitude towards it in the present.

Hypnosis gives a person a real awareness of the problem, helps to understand that microbes – it is part of this world, and people – not carriers of infections, but his friends.

Also often used is a type of therapy in which the patient must

look his phobia in the eye.

Gradually, a person who suffers from mysophobia is asked to do the impossible: to touch the doorknob without gloves, to say hello to a person by the hand, to pet a yard cat. This is done in very small steps until the patient realizes that there is nothing detrimental to his health in this. To fix the result, the patient is often advised to get a cat, to enroll in some section to get out of the comfort zone.

Mysophobia – one of the thousand other phobias known to mankind. Like any other disease, it requires treatment. It is unacceptable to let the problem go by itself, as the situation will only get worse.

There are many reasons for

mysophobia, but they are all psychological in nature. Therefore, the most effective treatment will also be psychological-hypnotic therapy.

The main thing for this is the very desire of the patient to change something, otherwise all efforts will go down the drain. Let the patient feel your care, understanding and support, then it will be easier to overcome all difficulties.

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