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. A lot of famous and successful people suffer from this disease. Any contact with objects causes them to have an 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 XIX 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 hermophobia. Similar disorders of fear of catching viruses or pathogens include bacteriophobia and bacillophobia.

Covering fear from only one type of dust or dirt and the thought of the presence of pathogenic microbes in them leads to a loss of mind control and willpower. The afflicted person is afraid to get dirty. He exaggerates the danger: any insignificant pollution promises the introduction of pathogenic bacteria into the body. From water infection can save only water and soap. Endless thorough washing of hands gradually turns into a kind of ritual.

Mania of purity completely takes hold of man. As a result, he thinks not about bacteria at all, but about the fact that his hands should be washed. This action is described in scientific literature as an obsessive-state syndrome, manifested in an irresistible desire to constantly wash hands. Unjustified constant treatment of hands with antiseptic agents does not benefit the body. Together with harmful bacteria, beneficial microbes are exterminated. As a result, the body's self-defense is reduced. Due to regular thorough washing of the hands, the natural immunity weakens and the vulnerable organism is exposed to infectious diseases. Human health can be caused irreparable harm.

Inadequate reaction to dirt, dust makes the life of the suffering 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 the help of a psychotherapist.

Mysophobia contributes to following factors:

• children's psychological trauma caused by the abuse of parents for soiled clothes, as well as punishment for non-compliance with cleanliness;
• features of improper upbringing associated with the prohibition of stroking animals, playing in the sandbox, picking up other people's things, communicating with sick children;
• intimidating a child with terrible consequences if personal hygiene is not observed leads to excessive cleanliness and pedantry;
• Negative experience can be acquired as a result of an infectious disease suffered by the phobic patient himself or his close relative;
• enhanced mass-dissemination by the media of pathogens and mites present in dust and dirt;
• imposed advertising of antibacterial agents with suggesting people to use antiseptics to protect the body from the environment teeming with dangerous viruses and bacteria;
• heredity: mental disorders of parents or close relatives increase the likelihood of a phobia;
• excessive susceptibility when recognizing the shocking facts about the number of deaths from various infectious diseases on the globe, including AIDS;
• suggestibility, gullibility and suspiciousness of the person;
• striving for absolute perfection of a perfectionist or a person with high self-esteem.

Some psychological, physiological and behavioral symptoms may indicate a 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, various kinds of pollution. The condition can be from mild anxiety to panic attack.

Psychological manifestations of misophobia can be:

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

Physiological symptoms:

• heart palpitations and breathing;
• trembling hands and feet;
• increased sweating;
• violation of the gastrointestinal tract;
• severe nausea down to vomiting;
• muscle spasms;
• dry mouth;
• frequent swallowing;
• suffocation, shortness of breath, pain in the chest area.

Can distinguish a number of behavioral symptoms.

• Due to the fear of picking up the infection, hand-washing with disinfectants occurs too often and for too long. Some people prefer to wear gloves in the hope that they will protect them from the ubiquitous microbes.
• Increased disgust and fear of infection lead to individualization: family members are prohibited from using the dishes, books, stationery and other personal belongings of the patient.
• The pursuit of absolute purity makes the flat of mizophobes into a sterile box. Preservation of order sometimes goes beyond all borders: everyone who comes to the house must wear shoe covers, they are forbidden to touch furniture.
• The antiseptic treatment of the workplace and surrounding objects instills in them the assurance of additional security from harmful bacteria. Such people always carry with them antibacterial wipes, which periodically rub their hands and objects around them.
• In order to avoid contact with dirt, people with a phobia try to refuse to travel in public transport, to visit food outlets, the market, general toilet, and collective events.
• Mysophobes tend to isolate themselves from society. They avoid public places. A crowd of people bypassed. Meeting with friends they are straining, as friends can be carriers of infection. People with a phobia try to stay away from their relatives. When approaching, people are removed from them. Communication with any children is reduced to zero, as they tend to hurt often. They are afraid of tactile contact with animals.
• The individuals remaining in society and subjected to this phobia usually become outcasts. The people around them do not know about the horror that is experiencing a misophobe. In his behavior they see ill will, anger, hostility and arrogance.

The quality of life of the afflicted is markedly reduced. Avoiding contact and interaction with people negatively affects their professional activities. Phobia can be an obstacle to creating a family.Fear of touching the subject with a bare hand, irritation, rejection of the touch of other people to personal belongings, fear of handshakes complicate communication with people of the opposite sex and serve as an obstacle to personal happiness.

Misophobia is a serious mental disorder. Self-healing is very difficult. The disease requires serious psychotherapeutic correction. It is necessary to seek help from a qualified technician. Fight with the fears of pollution, which contain a lot of microbes, can only be a comprehensive therapy.

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

Drug treatment should be combined with psychotherapy. Group classes, psychotherapeutic conversations, consultations are required. There are effective methods for treating this phobia. A qualified specialist will help to get rid of the disease.

There is a Schwartz technique “Four steps”, which is applied in stages.

• The correct placement of accents. The realization that it is panic fear that makes you wash your hands endlessly, rather than life-threatening bacteria. Endless hand washing harms the body more than the surrounding microbes.
• Search for the cause of the disease.
• Learning to focus on positive thoughts and distraction from the fear of dirt.
• Reassessing the view on the fear of microbes, consideration of their actions from the side and awareness of the absurdity of the situation.

Cognitive-behavioral therapeutic model allows the client to reconsider the attitude to his fear, teaches to control his own emotions. Breathing exercises include deep breaths and exhalations. When inhaling, it is necessary to represent the sensation of a flower scent When exhaling, you need to imagine blowing a lit candle. In order to develop management attention is learning conscious choice about what to think. It is proposed to name:

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

The cognitive-behavioral method enables the patient with a phobia to get rid of the panic embracing him. Exposure therapy helps the patient to gradually approach the object that causes his horror. A psychotherapist brings a closed glass jar of earth to a mizophobe, but does not hold it in his hands. When a strong alarm occurs, the breathing technique and the distraction method are used. When the alarm goes down, a little bit of earth is poured from the jar to the leaf. As soon as we are ready for a new approach, further actions are being carried out using the land. Sometimes it takes several months to fully recover.

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

Autogenic meditation, conducted independently at home, helps to increase self-esteem and confidence. But if the causes of the disease are not eliminated, the symptoms may appear again after a while.Along with auto-training, it is advisable to visit the psychological consultation of a qualified specialist.

With the inability of the client to cope with the disease, an effective method of opposition is effective. The patient is trained to respond differently to the stimulus. First, the patient is subjected to complete relaxation. Then calm is promoted. In a relaxed state, a person reacts differently to stimuli. At the subconscious level, a restructuring takes place: the old image of the perception of pollution is replaced by a new model. A calm reaction to dirt, dust, bacteria is gradually replacing the panic that has become habitual. Sometimes patients are offered hypnotic sessions. The client is brought into a trance state for a short time. The most effective technique in the treatment of this phobia is a complete shutdown of consciousness and activation of the subconscious. The technique is only suitable for people who are easily susceptible to hypnosis.

At the moment of disconnection of consciousness, an installation is given that replaces negative thoughts with a positive attitude. There is a perception by the person of the recognition of the baselessness of all fears. Hypnologist directs the psyche in the right direction. Upon completion of the full course of the negative symptoms of phobias disappear:

• there is an adequate response to the onset of the stimulus;
• an assessment of the real degree of threat occurs;
• the world of microorganisms is perceived as normal;
• contact with other people is gradually restored;
• the fear of catching the infection without obvious reason disappears.

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