Mysophobia, or the fear of germs, refers to an unhealthy fear of germs. In this case, “germs” refers broadly to any microorganism that causes disease — for instance, bacteria, viruses, or parasites..

Also known as verminophobia, germophobia, germaphobia, bacillophobia and bacteriophobia

The term was coined by William A. Hammond in 1879 when describing a case of obsessive–compulsive disorder exhibited in repeatedly washing one’s hands. Mysophobia may be an extension of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as many people who suffer from this mental illness often experience a fear of germs as well.

However, the distinction between the two is that the individual with OCD will often perform irrational and bizarre compulsions to minimise their obsessive thoughts. With mysophobia, there is more of an emphasis on the sheer terror of germs and bacteria as opposed to additionally experiencing irrelevant compulsions (e.g. counting to a “safe” number) like with OCD.

How is Mysophobia diagnosed

Mysophobia falls under the category of specific phobias in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and is actually one of the more common phobias, along with the fear of the number 13, fear of dogs, fear of planes, among several others.

A clinician will conduct an interview, which may include questions about current symptoms, family, medical, and psychiatric history.

The criteria used is:-

the phobia is causing significant distress

impacts your ability to function

lasts for six months or more

also you may be asked if the mysophobia is caused by OCD

Symptoms of Mysophobia

The distress and anxiety caused by a germ phobia are out of proportion to the damage that germs are likely to cause. Someone who has mysophobia might go to extreme lengths to avoid contamination.

The emotional and psychological symptoms of Mysophobia include:

intense terror, anxiety, worries, or nervousness related to exposure to germs

thoughts of germ exposure resulting in an illnesses or other negative consequence

thoughts of being overcome with fear in situations when germs are present

trying to distract yourself from thoughts about germs or situations that involve germs

feeling powerless to control a fear of germs that you recognise as unreasonable or extreme

The behavioral symptoms of Mysophobia include:

avoiding or leaving situations perceived to result in germ exposure

spending an excessive amount of time thinking about, preparing for, or putting off situations that might involve germs

difficulty functioning at home, work, or school because of fear of germs (eg the need to excessively wash your hands limiting your productivity in places where you perceive there to be many germs)

The physical symptoms of mysophobia are similar to those of other anxiety disorders and can occur during both thoughts of germs and situations that involve germs.

They include:

rapid heartbeat
sweating or chills
shortness of breath and light-headedness
chest tightness or pain
tingling, shaking or tremors
restlessness, headache, nausea or vomiting
Children depending on their age, may experience additional symptoms, such as:
tantrums, crying, or screaming
clinging to or refusing to leave parents
difficulty sleeping
nervous movements
self-esteem issues

Causes of mysophobia

Like other phobias, mysophobia often begins between childhood and young adulthood.

Negative experiences in childhood. Many people can recall a specific event or traumatic experience that led to germ-related fears.

Family history. Phobias can have a genetic link.

Environmental factors. Beliefs and practices about cleanliness or hygiene that you’re exposed to as a young person may influence the development of mysophobia.

Triggers are objects, places, or situations that aggravate phobia symptoms.

Triggers can include:

bodily fluids such as mucus, saliva, or semen

unclean objects and surfaces, such as doorknobs, computer keyboards, or unwashed clothes

places where germs are known to collect, such as airplanes or hospitals

unhygienic practices or people

Treatment for Mysophobia

Therapy

Therapy, also known as psychotherapy or counselling, can help you face your fear of germs. Exposure therapy or desensitisation involves gradual exposure to mysophobia triggers. The goal is to reduce anxiety and fear caused by germs. Over time, you regain control of your thoughts about germs.

Medication

Medications are used to relieve symptoms in the short term.
These medications include:

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)

Certain lifestyle changes.

These include:

practising mindfulness or meditation to target anxiety

applying other relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or yoga

getting enough sleep

eating healthy

seeking a support group

confronting feared situations when possible

reducing caffeine or other stimulant consumption

Sydney Phobia Therapy has an online therapy for Mysophobia.

We currently use a 3rd generation version for fear of Mysophobia phobia therapy based on the original Fast Phobia Cure initially created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970’s.

Now when I say fast, I mean typically one session only, no homework and its content free.

Content free means you don’t talk about, and you certainly don’t tell me, because I don’t want it either. You’re seeing me online, so stay in the comfort of your own space and no travel time, to have it removed, not to see if we can talk it to death.

Emetophobia is a specific phobia that involves an extreme fear of vomiting, seeing vomit, watching other people vomit, or feeling sick.

Generally, most people don’t like vomiting. However this dislike is usually contained to the time it happened. People with emetophobia, on the other hand, spend a lot of time worrying about vomiting, even if they or those around them don’t feel ill. Just the thought that someone might vomit is often enough to cause intense distress.

Vomit Phobia in Children and Teens

Consequences associated with the fear of throwing up can be extreme. In children, vomit phobia can lead to school refusal and avoidance. Academic performance may suffer, and children may miss out on certain developmentally important social milestones. Even when long standing social problems do not develop, children with vomit phobia still experience a great deal of distress, unhappiness, fear, and anxiety.

Vomiting isn’t the most pleasant or graceful experience, however it’s an inevitable fact of life. We all do it at some point. However, this natural act can cause anxiety in a lot of people, especially in children. If your child doesn’t want to go to school out of fear of getting sick and throwing up, or gets hysterical when she sees another person vomit or gag, you are not alone.

Other behaviors that might point to emetophobia include:

eliminating foods that you associate with vomiting
eating slowly, eating very little, or eating only at home
smelling or checking food often to make sure it hasn’t gone bad
not touching surfaces that could have germs that lead to illness, such as doorknobs, toilet seats or flushes, handrails, or public computers
washing hands, dishes, food, and food preparation tools excessively
avoiding drinking alcohol or taking medication that could cause nausea
avoiding travel, school, parties, public transportation, or any crowded public space
having trouble breathing, tightness in the chest, or increased heartbeat at the thought of vomit

What causes it?

getting extremely sick in public
having a bad case of food poisoning
seeing someone else throw up
having someone vomit on you
having a panic attack during an incident of vomiting

The Cycle of Emetophobia

A person with Emetophobia goes through a repetitive cycle that’s quite similar to the cycle of Panic Disorder. First, something reminds them of vomiting. Maybe they hear a coworker is home with the flu; or sees a movie or TV show in which a character vomits.

Then, a thought about vomiting quickly passes through their mind, consciously or unconsciously. Next thing you know, they are checking for physical sensations that they associate with vomiting. You don’t have to look too hard to find a sign of something you fear, and sooner or later you feel as though you have some symptom that suggests the possibility of vomiting.

Finally, they enter the vomit phobia phase. To protect themselves they might leave work early, or skip a meal. Maybe avoiding a trip to the bathroom, fearing that the sight of a toilet might induce vomiting. And so the cycle of fearful anticipation, looking for signs of trouble, and chronic avoidance that characterises Panic Disorder plays itself out with Emetophobia as well.

Tips to Help You Overcome Emetophobia

1) Get to the root of your fear

If you want to know how to overcome emetophobia, one of the first things you need to do is figure out what caused you to develop emetophobia in the first place.

2) Challenge fearful thoughts

Once you know what caused your emetophobia and the things that frighten you most about vomiting, spend some time challenging your fears with logic.

3) Recognise anxiety isn’t the same as sickness

One of the challenges with emetophobia is that the fear it creates can cause stomach upset and digestive distress, and since these sensations feed into the fear of throwing up, it becomes a vicious cycle.

4) Learn mindful breathing

This can be very calming. Practise doing 7-11 breathing . It’s one of the most common breathing techniques for anxiety.

5) Make it funny

This technique is geared towards kids and teens who suffer from emetophobia, but can be helpful to adults as well. The idea behind this technique is to try and replace fear with humour. This will take time, but can be very helpful with little ones!

6) Exposure Therapy

If none of the tips and strategies you’ve tried are working, Exposure Therapy (ET) is perhaps an option to consider. The idea of being exposed to vomit can feel extremely overwhelming to someone with emetophobia, but rest assured that ET is focused more on challenging the avoidance behaviours that negatively reinforce your fear of throwing up.

While the anxiety caused by emetophobia might feel overwhelming, the condition is usually treatable with the help of a therapist.

Sydney Phobia Therapy has an online therapy for emetophobia.

We currently use a 3rd generation version for fear of vomiting phobia therapy based on the original Fast Phobia Cure initially created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970’s.