Mysophobia: Fear of Germs
In our everyday life we inevitably come into contact with dirt, germs and viruses. Adequate standards of hygiene (e.g. washing hands) are usually sufficient to prevent most contagions.
However, anyone who is still afraid of viruses and bacteria despite complying with these or even higher standards suffers from mysophobia. We clarify the causes of the excessive fear of viruses and contagion, give valuable tips for alleviating the symptoms and explain how treatment can be carried out.
- Author: John Miller | Updated: September 16, 2022 by John
- Medical reviewed by Benjamin Preston
As with any other phobia, the causes of mysophobia are usually hidden in the living conditions of the person affected. Although there are genetic preconditions that favor the development, anxiety disorders are usually triggered by unhelpful upbringing practices, socially mediated behavior patterns, specific personality traits or strokes of fate. The media and personal environment can also have a major impact on the fear of viruses and contagion.
Mysophobes usually also suffer from an increased cleaning and washing compulsion. For fear of contagion, they avoid their social contacts and sometimes even go into social isolation voluntarily. Many of those affected also wear a mouth and nose protector without a legal requirement to further reduce the risk of infection with viruses.
Yes, with various tips or, in extreme cases, even treatment methods, the fear of viruses can be overcome and normalized again . As with all other phobias, cognitive behavioral therapy is the most promising approach. The focus is on identifying bad habits and dealing with oneself as well as changing ingrained behavioral patterns. There are trained psychologists for anxiety disorders who can be found both on the Internet and by searching for a doctor.
The Fear of Germs
Mysophobia is the pathological fear of dirt and infection by viruses and bacteria.
The term was introduced at the end of the 19th century by the US military doctor and neurologist Alexander Hammond. Mysophobia is a so-called “specific phobia” and is assigned to anxiety disorders or obsessive-compulsive fears. With regard to the basic characteristics, there is currently still disagreement among experts as to whether mysophobia is an independent disease or rather an accompanying phobia.
A specific phobia is a fear of certain situations or objects. For example, spiders, syringes, blood, birds, confined spaces, etc. Another common term is "isolated phobia". "Non-specific phobia" is not a common term. Rather, it is a generalized anxiety disorder. Patients suffer (almost) constantly from anxiety.
Causes of mysophobia
Nobody is born with mysophobia. Like all mental disorders, the fear of viruses has its roots somewhere in the person’s social environment and living conditions.
However, there is scientific consensus that phobia tendencies are partly inherited. Whether they then break out is determined by the social environment, upbringing and possibly incisive experiences.
Children are like a sponge in every psychological sense. They literally absorb the behavior and attitudes of the people in their immediate environment. So if a child grows up in a household in which excessive value is placed on hygiene and cleanliness, it adopts this basic attitude.
If threats and fear also play an important role in upbringing, the development of a phobia later in life is much more likely.
A person’s immediate social environment usually has just as much influence as the media. Whoever hears again and again that it is absolutely necessary to protect against germs and viruses is enormously influenced by this. Advertisements for disinfectants and cleaning agents communicate on a daily basis what alleged masses of germs are lurking in our environment. Those with well-trained media literacy and a healthy self-esteem know that these portrayals are invariably exaggerated.
People who are not very experienced in dealing with media or who are easy to influence anyway tend to be unsettled and develop an exaggerated fear of viruses.
If threats and fear also play an important role in upbringing, the development of a phobia later in life is much more likely.
Not all people are equally susceptible to mysophobia. Different character traits have different effects on the probability.
People who have a particularly high need for control and at the same time are not willing to take risks are more likely to suffer from mysophobia. They satisfy their need for control by protecting themselves particularly effectively against viruses and/or cleaning certain (surface) surfaces more frequently than necessary. The step to obsessive-compulsive disorder is then only a small one.
Anyone who loses a loved one goes through an exceptional emotional situation. The loss of control experienced so intensively can leave deep marks in the psyche and on the soul, which favor the development of a phobia.
If the loved one also died of a virus infection , the bereaved will probably try to reduce contact with viruses, bacteria and germs to an absolute minimum in the future. This is how the lost control should be regained.
Symptoms of Mysophobia
Phobias often become noticeable in everyday life through compulsive actions. In the case of mysophobia, these are usually related to excessive hygiene and social isolation.
Before we go into more detail about each of the signs, a quick clarification: Aversion to dirt and disgust for germs are not signs of mysophobia, but rather normal human behavior to some extent. Occasionally reaching for the disinfectant or washing your hands after coming home are not signs of an OCD at all. It only becomes problematic when the fear becomes so great that it affects everyday life. People with an excessive fear of viruses panic when they don't wear a mask or feel uncomfortable when people around them don't. Such a great fear is unhealthy and can have numerous disadvantages for personality development.
People with an excessive fear of viruses usually also suffer from an uncontrollable compulsion to clean and wash . All things that have come into contact with other people or supposedly dirty things are immediately cleaned and thoroughly disinfected.
Public places pose a major challenge. The reason is the lack of control over the general hygiene situation in this very public space.
The social life of those affected suffers greatly as a result. Of course, there are also gradations in the clinical picture of mysophobia. Those suffering from a mild form can still take part in public life, but wash and disinfect themselves excessively often.
Mysophobics clean their hands and arms thoroughly after almost every supposed contact with viruses, germs and bacteria. The disinfectant consumption is correspondingly high.
Mysophobia for others shows itself most clearly through rare but then very unpleasant panic attacks. If there is potential contact with viruses, those affected react strongly. Palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath, gasping and dizziness may occur.
These symptoms can occur if those affected have not been able to wash their hands in public facilities or have forgotten to protect their mouth and nose. This is particularly noticeable in situations with many people in a small space.
Mysophobia in everyday life
Mysophobia negatively affects the everyday life of those affected in two areas: their own health suffers as well as their social life.
Sufferers of mysophobia are victims of their own compulsions. Because excessive washing and disinfecting has been shown to weaken their immune system. In order to work effectively, this requires contact with viruses and germs.
If it is denied this contact in the long term, it cannot adapt to various dangers and can no longer ward off even normally harmless viruses and germs.
- The result: the affected person becomes ill more often.
The skin also suffers from the need to wash. The above-average use of cleaning agents and disinfectants damages the skin and to a certain extent destroys its natural protective barrier against germs and viruses. In addition, the high demand for cleaning agents and disinfectants after a certain time also represents a financial burden that should not be underestimated.
Depending on the severity of the anxiety disorder, those affected by mysophobia try to isolate themselves more or less permanently from their social environment. One ‘s own apartment serves as a place of retreat , but the person affected is reluctant to receive visitors, since they can carry germs with them.
In addition, mysophobics are also withdrawing more and more because they are afraid of not being understood by those around them. If people have a different opinion, heated discussions often arise in which those affected want to justify their exaggerated protection against viruses.
Since humans are fundamentally social beings, they need social contacts in order to remain mentally healthy. To varying degrees of course. If this interaction is missing, this can contribute to the development of depression .
Overcome Fear of Viruses
When people suffer from mysophobia, it not only affects their mental and physical health. Their social life also suffers and the financial burden should not be underestimated either.
A healthy level of hygiene is never wrong, but if the behavior becomes compulsive , then caution is advised. With less pronounced forms of mysophobia, it is quite possible to achieve success with self-therapy. Face your fears, consciously enter challenging situations with the support of friends, overcome yourself.
- Awareness that viruses and germs can also strengthen the immune system
- Holidays and a look at other countries for a more open world view
- Open communication with friends and new contacts
- Meditation and relaxation exercises against panic attacks
- Sufficient sleep against restlessness
Cognitive behavioral therapy is particularly well suited to treating or overcoming anxiety disorders (such as fear of viruses). It consists of cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy.
The goal of cognitive therapy is to deal with your fears on a rational basis, identify bad habits, break them, and thus overcome them.
(Self-)perception should be made more realistic again. Behavior therapy is based on the knowledge that human behavior is always learned, i.e. trained. And if something is trained, it can also be retrained or trained away. Establishing calming routines often helps. Cognitive behavioral therapy must always be carried out by a professional.
Find Online Help
In the Future we can recommend various online platforms for online counseling from psychologists . You can use these providers to talk anonymously to a psychologist over the Internet about the topic and possible treatment options.
Freelance Medical Writer.
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University of Pennsylvania. Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety. Specific phobias.
Meier SM, Deckert J. Genetics of anxiety disorders. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2019 Mar 2;21(3):16. doi: 10.1007/s11920-019-1002-7
University of Pennsylvania. Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety. Obsessive-compulsive disorder.