Misophobia: Causes and Treatment

One of the most common phobias in the world is the fear of dirt, which can contain a large number of pathogenic microorganisms. Many famous and successful people suffer from this ailment. Any touch of objects makes them feel exaggerated danger and an obsessive desire to wash their hands immediately.

The term "misophobia" (Latin mysophobia - fear of pollution) has been known since the end of the 19th century. It means a mental disorder characterized by a pathological fear of bacteria and dirty hands. Panic fear of dirt is also called ripophobia. A similar destructive phobia in which people are terrified of being infected with germs is called germophobia. Similar disorders of fear of catching viruses or pathogens include bacteriophobia and bacillophobia.

The overwhelming fear of just one kind of dust or dirt and the thought of the presence of pathogenic microbes in them lead to a loss of control over consciousness and an effort of will. A person with an ailment is afraid of getting dirty. He exaggerates the danger: any minor pollution promises him the introduction of pathogenic bacteria into the body. Only water and soap can save you from infection. The endless, thorough hand washing gradually turns into a kind of ritual.

The mania for purity takes over a person completely. As a result, he is not thinking about bacteria at all, but about the fact that his hands should be washed. This action is described in the scientific literature as obsessive-compulsive disorder, which manifests itself in an irresistible urge to constantly wash your hands.Unjustified constant hand antiseptic treatment does not benefit the body. Together with harmful bacteria, beneficial microbes are exterminated. As a result, the body's self-defense decreases. As a result of regular thorough washing of hands, natural immunity is weakened, and the vulnerable organism is exposed to infectious diseases. Irreparable harm can be caused to human health.

An inadequate reaction to dirt, dust turns the life of the sufferer and the people around him into a real hell. At the first symptoms of an obsessive state of regular hand washing in order to reduce the likelihood of infection, you should immediately seek help from a psychotherapist.

Misophobia is promoted by the following factors:

• children's psychological trauma caused by swearing by parents for stained clothes, as well as punishment for non-observance of cleanliness;
• features of improper upbringing associated with the prohibition to stroke animals, play in the sandbox, pick up other people's things, communicate with sick children;
• intimidation of a child with terrible consequences if personal hygiene is not observed lead to excessive cleanliness and pedantry;
• negative experience can be acquired as a result of an infectious disease by the person suffering from the phobia or by his close relative;
• increased exaggeration by the media about pathogenic microbes and mites present in dust and dirt;
• the imposed advertising of antibacterial agents with the suggestion to people of the use of antiseptics to protect the body from the environment teeming with dangerous viruses and bacteria;
• heredity: mental disorders of parents or immediate family members increase the likelihood of a phobia;
• excessive impressionability when recognizing the shocking facts of the number of deaths from various infectious diseases on the globe, including AIDS;
• suggestibility, gullibility and suspiciousness of the person;
• striving for absolute perfection as a perfectionist or a person with increased self-esteem.

Certain psychological, physiological and behavioral symptoms may indicate pathological fear caused by the possible danger of pathogens entering the body through dirty hands. People suffering from this phobia experience constant discomfort and nervous tension due to the surrounding dust and various kinds of pollution. A condition ranging from mild anxiety to panic attack can be observed.

Psychological manifestations of misophobia can be:

• depressive thoughts about possible death;
• insomnia;
• inability to concentrate, absent-mindedness;
• stress;
• attacks of severe anxiety.

Physiological symptoms:

• rapid heartbeat and breathing;
• trembling in the arms and legs;
• increased sweating;
• disruption of the gastrointestinal tract;
• severe nausea up to vomiting;
• muscle spasms;
• dry mouth;
• frequent swallowing;
• choking, shortness of breath, pain in the chest area.

A number of behavioral symptoms can also be identified.

• For fear of catching an infection, hand washing with disinfectants occurs too often and for too long. Some people choose to wear gloves in the hope that they will protect them from the ubiquitous germs.
• Increased disgust and fear of infection lead to individualization: family members are prohibited from using dishes, books, stationery and other personal belongings of the patient.
• Striving for absolute cleanliness turns the misophobic apartment into a sterile box. Preservation of order sometimes goes beyond all boundaries: everyone who comes into the house must wear shoe covers, they are forbidden to touch furniture.
• Antiseptic treatment of the workplace, surrounding objects instills in them the confidence of additional protection against harmful bacteria. Such people always carry antibacterial wipes with them, with which they periodically wipe their hands and the objects around them.
• Phobia sufferers, in order to avoid contact with dirt, try to refuse to travel by public transport, visit food outlets, markets, a shared toilet, and collective events.
• Misophobes tend to isolate themselves from society. They avoid public places. The crowd of people is bypassed. Meeting with friends is stressful for them, as friends can be carriers of the infection. Phobia sufferers try to stay away from relatives. When approaching people move away from them. Communication with any children has been reduced to zero, since they tend to get sick often. They are afraid of tactile contact with animals.
• Individuals who remain in society and who have experienced this phobia usually become outcasts. The people around them are not aware of the horror that the misophobe is experiencing. In his behavior, they see ill will, spite, hostility and arrogance.

The quality of life of those suffering from the disease is markedly reduced. Avoiding contact and interaction with people negatively affects their professional activities. Phobia can be a barrier to starting a family. Fear of touching an object with your bare hand, irritation, rejection of other people's touching personal belongings, fear of shaking hands complicate communication with members of the opposite sex and serve as a hindrance to personal happiness.

Misophobia is a serious mental disorder. It is very difficult to recover on your own. The disease requires serious psychotherapeutic correction. You must seek help from a qualified technician. Fighting fears of pollution containing a lot of microbes is possible only with complex therapy.

For effective treatment, the psychotherapist prescribes medications that help reduce anxiety, normalize sleep, and improve mood. Antidepressants and sedatives relieve symptoms for a while, but the phobia does not completely get rid of.

Medication should be combined with psychotherapy. Group sessions, psychotherapeutic conversations, consultations are required. There are effective treatments for this phobia. A qualified specialist will definitely help get rid of the disease.

There is Schwartz's "Four Steps" method, which works in stages.

• Correct placement of accents. The realization that it is the panic fear of getting sick that makes you endlessly wash your hands, and not life-threatening bacteria. Endless hand washing harms the body more than the surrounding microbes.
• Search for the cause of the onset of the disease.
• Learning to focus on positive thoughts and distract from the fear of dirt.
• Re-evaluating the view of the fear of microbes, considering their actions from the outside and realizing the absurdity of the situation.

The cognitive-behavioral therapeutic model allows the client to reconsider his attitude to his fear, teaches him to control his own emotions. Breathing exercises include deep breaths in and out. When inhaling, it is necessary to imagine the sensation of the scent of the flower. When you exhale, you need to imagine blowing out a lighted candle.In order to develop attention control, there is a training in conscious choice of what to think about. It is proposed to name:

• several smells being felt at the moment;
• sounds heard around;
• green, blue or yellow objects in the room;
• models of smartphones, computers, washing machines, etc.

The cognitive-behavioral technique allows the patient with a phobia to get rid of the panic that covers him. Exposure therapy helps the patient to gradually move closer to the object of terror. The psychotherapist brings a closed glass jar with earth to the misophobe, but does not give it to his hands. When severe anxiety occurs, breathing techniques and distraction techniques are used. When the anxiety subsides, a little earth is poured from the jar onto the leaf. Further actions with the use of the land are carried out as the readiness for a new approach is carried out. It sometimes takes several months for a full recovery.

The disease recedes when using the method of paradoxical intention. The technique was developed by the Austrian psychotherapist Viktor Frankl. A person is invited to overpower himself and face his fear: to make contact with a sick person, deliberately touch a contaminated object and then not wash his hands.

Self-administered self-meditations at home can help build self-esteem and build confidence. But if the causes of the disease are not eliminated, then the symptoms may appear again after some time. Along with auto-training, it is advisable to visit a psychological consultation of a qualified specialist.

If the client is unable to cope with the disease on his own, the method of opposition is effective. The patient is taught to react differently to the stimulus. First, the patient is completely relaxed. Then calmness is promoted. In a relaxed state, a person reacts differently to stimuli. At a subconscious level, a restructuring takes place: the old image of the perception of pollution is replaced by a new model. Calm reaction to dirt, dust, bacteria is gradually replaced by the usual panic horror. Sometimes the patient is offered hypnotic sessions. The client is put into a trance state for a short time. The most effective technique for treating this phobia is to completely turn off consciousness and activate the subconscious. The technique is only suitable for people who are easily hypnotized.

At the moment of turning off consciousness, an attitude is given that replaces negative thoughts with a positive attitude. There is a perception by the individual of the recognition of the groundlessness of all fears. The hypnologist directs the psyche in the right direction. At the end of the full course, the negative symptoms of phobia disappear:

• there is an adequate reaction to the occurrence of an irritant;
• the assessment of the real degree of threat is carried out;
• the world of microorganisms is perceived as normal;
• contact with people around you is gradually restored;
• the fear of catching an infection for no apparent reason disappears.

The treatment lasts a long time. Thus, with the help of hypnosis, you can solve the problem, and not just remove for a while some manifestations of the disease. Each patient needs an individual approach.