Mysophobia

Mysophobia, also known as verminophobia, germophobia, germaphobia, bacillophobia and bacteriophobia, is a pathological fear of contamination and germs. The term was coined by William A. Hammond in 1879 when describing a case of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) exhibited in repeatedly washing one's hands.[1] Mysophobia has long been related to compulsive hand washing.[2] Names pertaining directly to the abnormal fear of dirt and filth include molysmophobia or molysomophobia, rhypophobia, and rupophobia, whereas the terms bacillophobia and bacteriophobia specifically refer to the fear of bacteria and microbes in general.[3]

For the hatred of sound, see Misophonia.

The term mysophobia comes from the Greek μύσος (musos), "uncleanness"[4] and φόβος (phobos), "fear".[5]

Mysophobia Causes and Symptoms

There are many underlying factors and reasons that a person may develop Mysophobia, such as anxiety, depression, or a traumatic situation [6]. Growing up in a culture where hygiene is heavily focused and integrated into society (use of hand sanitizers, toilet seat covers, and antibacterial wipes for commonly used items such as grocery carts), can also be a main driving force for the development of Mysophobia [7]. People who suffer from Mysophobia usually display signs of [8]:

  • excessively washing ones hands
  • avoiding places that may contain a high volume of germs
  • being afraid of physical contact, especially with strangers
  • spending obscene amounts of time cleaning and sanitizing their environment
  • never sharing personal items
  • fear of becoming ill

Mysophobia greatly affects the everyday life of individuals and can range in severity of symptoms- from difficulty breathing, excessively sweating, increased heart rate, and states of panic when exposed to germ-enhanced conditions [9].

Famous Mysophobes

There are a lot of famous people who suffer from mysophobia[10]. This includes Howard Stern, Nikola Tesla, Howard Hughes, Howie Mandel, Saddam Hussein and Donald Trump[11].

See also


References
  1. Hammond, William Alexander (1879). Neurological Contributions. Putnam. p. 40 – via Google Books.
  2. "Cleanliness Rules Germaphobes' Lives". WebMD. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  3. "Bacillophobia – Fear of microbes". Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  4. μύσος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  5. φόβος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  6. "Mysophobia (Germophobia): Are You a Germaphobe?". Psycom.net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1986. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  7. "Mysophobia (Germophobia): Are You a Germaphobe?". Psycom.net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1986. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  8. "Mysophobia (Germophobia): Are You a Germaphobe?". Psycom.net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1986. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  9. "Mysophobia (Germophobia): Are You a Germaphobe?". Psycom.net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1986. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  10. Thomas, Sarah. "Famous Germaphobes". www.nhpr.org. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  11. Thomas, Sarah. "Famous Germaphobes". www.nhpr.org. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
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