Fear of dirt (misophobia) and the nature of its course. The article will describe the causes of the pathology that has arisen and possible ways to eliminate it. Misophobia is the fear of everything dirty that surrounds us in reality. Some people are quite calm about the possibility of contact with microbes, not considering this fact as a serious problem. However, a person with a sounded pathology begins to panic at the thought of tactile contact with many objects, which is a deviation from the norm and a reason for considering such cases.
What is misophobia
Misophobia is a pathology that forces a person who is quite adequate in everyday life to be afraid of contact with the environment. A similar concept was clearly articulated in 1879 when William A. Hammond decided to tackle the problem.
First of all, as a research scientist, he was interested in the fact that some people constantly wash their hands. After this statement, many psychologists began to study the concept of misophobia.
Then Harry S. Sullivan, known in his circles for interesting developments in the study of human souls, slightly corrected the voiced phenomenon, giving it a clearer justification.
According to this analyst, hand washing itself is not a necessary attribute of misophobia. The unfounded fear of microbes entering the body becomes the main reason that a person turns into a victim of such a phobia.
The causes of misophobia
You can conquer your fear only if you know the origins of its formation. The causes of misophobia are usually quite simple, because they are the result of a person's self-hypnosis. Experts identify the following factors that trigger the development of a fear of dirt:
- Negative experience … Some people become afraid of touching objects and bodily contact with people after they have contracted a serious infectious disease at one time. After suffering stress, they are terrified of dust, dirt and mythical bacteria, which they seem to literally everywhere and always.
- Excessive impressionability … In this case, we should talk about those poor fellows who take the most banal events too close to their hearts. If, in front of their eyes, someone close to them suffered from unsanitary conditions, then the development of misophobia will not be long in coming.
- Acquaintance with scientific literature … "Live and learn" sometimes becomes the reason for winding yourself up in terms of personal health. It is always a commendable endeavor to acquire information, but at the same time it is not necessary to create in oneself all kinds of fears in the form of misophobia.
- General hypochondria … A person who is initially afraid of getting sick with all the diagnoses that a medical reference book contains will definitely avoid even shaking hands with a friend. At the word "mud baths", he will be wary and flatly refuse them even after the doctor's advice to undergo a similar procedure.
- Fear of AIDS … At the end of the last millennium, misophobia has become quite common for this very reason. The panic from "unclean" objects has become so obvious because people who are incompetent in this matter believe that a fatal disease can be transmitted to another person in a household way through common household items.
The voiced reasons for the occurrence of misophobia only at first glance seem to be an eccentricity of overly impressionable persons. In practice, the case turns out to be a rather serious pathology that must be eliminated.
Manifestations of misophobia in humans
It is difficult not to notice a curmudgeon who will never allocate an extra penny even for himself. The same can be said about misophobes, whose behavior is defined in most cases as follows:
- Excessive suspicion … People with this problem can spend a long time in the shower after contact with guests. The point in this case is not their adherence to many hours of water procedures, because even with a handshake, such persons are ready to then thoroughly wash their hands after the slightest touch to them.
- Prohibition of entry into the dwelling … It is difficult to enter the house of a misophobe beyond the threshold, but this privilege must also be earned. In the apartment of a person with a fear of dirt, you can literally eat from the floor, because by sterility it will give a hundred points ahead of any intensive care unit. Therefore, an ordinary mortal is strictly prohibited from entering such a place of purity and order.
- Fear of going outside … A misophobe, if he does not want to die of starvation, will try, with such fear, to minimize his attempts to leave his home. Going to the store or going to work for him is equivalent to a feat, from which he then becomes very bad.
- Special uniforms … If the misophobe nevertheless dared to go out into the street, then he equips himself before a dangerous sortie from head to toe. To do this, even in the heat, he will wear out-of-season clothes, because the same dust will become a reason for him to panic and take additional precautions.
- Refusal to shake hands … Such individuals can say hello in this way, but then fall into outright panic. They will wash their hands after contact, even with a close friend, for a long time, while applying all the means of personal hygiene.
- Use of disposable tableware … This factor is not a pathology if there is some kind of trip to nature, where it makes no sense to take glass containers for food with you. However, misophobes even at home manage to buy only such dishes, because they are afraid that otherwise they will get another portion of bacteria while eating.
- Fear of touching objects … An emotionally healthy person will also not be eager to touch dirty things. However, the misophobe sees the source of the infection in literally every little thing that surrounds him. Even if he has to contact with familiar household objects, then water, bacterial soap and various disinfecting sprays are used to destroy an imaginary infection.
- Fear of contact with animals … For misophobes, even well-groomed pets are carriers of all kinds of infection. They will be indignant and disgusted with the request to pet a cat or dog. For them, stray animals are generally a fiend of hell in its realistic embodiment, from which they will actively disown.
The star galaxy of the most famous misophobes
Even public figures can have their own peculiar fears, because they are essentially ordinary people. Among the most popular favorites of the public with signs of misophobia, the following minions of fate can be distinguished:
- Howard Hughes … Many admirers of quality cinema associate his name with the film "Aviator", where Leonardo DiCaprio showed his acting skills in the lead role. An eccentric person with millions in a bank account was subject to many phobias, but it was the fear of dirt that became Howard Hughes' main problem. All his guards wore rubber gloves, and all furniture and utensils that could get dust were removed from the house. The famous misophobe almost every minute processed the surface of his hands with hygienic wet wipes, and at the same time he did not completely heal his syphilis.
- Michael Jackson … The medical mask that the pop music legend wore when the legend of pop music was published has become a habitual phenomenon for his many fans. This problem for the famous singer was not only in the deformation of his nose and the once abusive treatment of him by his father. Michael Jackson's voiced phobia reached such proportions in due time that he already put on protective masks on his children.
- Donald Trump … Few of us have not heard this name, because it refers to a whole generation of fantastically rich people. However, wealthy businessmen, as it turned out, also cry. For all his success, Donald Trump was terrified of shaking hands. It should also be noted that most of all he feared contact with his hands precisely with the teachers. He explained this phobia in a very peculiar way, claiming that people of this profession have a large number of bacteria.
- Howie Mandel … The famous Canadian actor and host of a talent-seeking show himself admits his problem. He even wanted to shave his head so that dirt could not accumulate on his hair. Howie Mandel is not afraid of shaking hands with acquaintances only if he is wearing latex gloves. Many viewers remember a funny incident with the actor, when one of the guests invited to the show sneezed. The presenter's reaction was lightning-fast and unexpected, because he left the airwaves at an accelerated pace in order to carefully treat his hands.
- Cameron Diaz … The famous actress is very afraid to open any door, so she tries to do it with her elbow. She categorically denies her problem, but her fear of getting her hands dirty is more than indicative.
- Megan Fox … The heroine of the well-known "Transformers", no less than the other famous personalities, is subject to a large number of all kinds of phobias. In addition to being afraid of paper and touching it, the actress panics when someone even flushes the water in the toilet. For her, this fact becomes an SOS signal that dirt begins to spread through the air.
- Denise Richards … A famous fashion model from America is simply obsessed with cleanliness and is afraid of other people's touch. After shaking hands, the famous beauty uses a special skin cleanser without fail. Even during the flight, Denise uses her blanket exclusively, rejecting offers from the stewards for a similar service.
- Shannen Doherty … The star of the TV series "All Women are Witches" and "Beverly Hills, 90210" does not part with a special soap against bacteria, which sometimes surprises her colleagues. She is very squeamish about any touch of her body, which is a clear manifestation of misophobia.
- Nikola Tesla … The famous inventor who designed the famous ultrasonic gun was a rather peculiar person. In addition to his phobia in relation to numbers that cannot be divisible by three, he constantly washed his hands and wiped the dishes with napkins before eating.
- Ian Pouleson-Davis … A writer and rather famous actor from Britain is also susceptible to such pathology as misophobia. He had a similar state after the filming of the film "Dirty Love", which completely changed his attitude towards things around him. In a fit of revelation, he even admitted that he was disgusted to sit on a chair if someone had already been on it before him.
- Teri Hatcher … Many fans of the series know this actress from the Desperate Housewives project. However, not all of her fans are aware that the talented woman has misophobia. She flatly refuses visits to the gym, explaining her behavior with disgust for unsanitary conditions in such sports facilities.
- Joan Crawford … The silent movie star had a rather eccentric behavior, because with a clearly expressed fear of dirt, she did not refuse alcohol and cigarettes. All these addictions were combined in her with a manic desire to wipe all objects after a visit from relatives and friends to her house.
The voiced people have achieved a lot in their lives thanks to their talent and perseverance. Misophobia in these legendary personalities still prevented them from establishing contact with the environment, because very few people would like the fact that even touching their hand they demonstratively disdain.
Ways to combat misophobia in humans
With such a mental pathology, there may be a threat to be left alone, because this kind of behavior very often causes reciprocal aggression in people. Misophobia is not a whim or a whim, therefore it is definitely necessary to treat it.
Traditional medicine in the fight against misophobia
There are no miracle pills for such a phenomenon, but it is quite possible to block its manifestations as much as possible. This can be done as follows, if this therapy is approved by the attending physician:
- Antidepressants … As practice shows, Prozac proved to be excellent in this case. With the reuptake of serotonin, a blockade of all anxious sensations in a person occurs. The drug is available in the form of capsules, and its dosage is regulated exclusively by a specialist who undertook to eliminate panic attacks in his patient in front of imaginary dirt and bacteria. Treatment of misophobia with medication is also possible with the use of Paxil. A similar medicine is produced in the form of white tablets. It is used for depressive disorders of various kinds. It is usually taken during breakfast, after meals. It is unacceptable to chew the tablets, just drink them with plenty of water. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe Zoloft, which helps to overcome social phobia in any of its manifestations. Such a medication is taken once a day at any convenient time for a person who suffers from misophobia.
- Antipsychotics … Medicines of this pharmacological group can significantly inhibit the functioning of the nervous system. Therefore, it is necessary to be very careful about their intake and use these drugs exclusively under the strict supervision of a specialist. They are usually prescribed for severe mental illness, but in small doses they can also be used for misophobia. According to many people, among antipsychotics, it is best to opt for Aminazine, which has proven itself best in resolving the voiced problem.
- Tranquilizers … These drugs suppress emotions that can significantly disturb a person. In some cases, these medicines are sold without a prescription, but experimenting in this way is not recommended. Usually, in the treatment of misophobia, second-generation tranquilizers are used in the form of Phenazepam, Triazolam and Lorazepam.
- Nootropics … To improve the activity of the brain, drugs of this kind are often prescribed. In the case of using the voiced therapy, it is realistic to achieve in the future a chance for a full life without fear of dirt and microbes. In this case, self-treatment is definitely canceled, but after consultation, experts can advise the patient with nootropics in the form of Neuromidin, Glycine and Noben.
Folk remedies for eliminating misophobia
The gifts of nature are sometimes capable of working miracles when it comes to the depressive state of a person of any nature of his education. In some cases, chamomile and mint herbal tea should be taken during an attack of fear of dirt. Such a procedure will definitely not solve the described problem, but it blocks the initial attack of misophobia.
You can try the following traditional medicine when misophobia interferes with a completely adequate person to lead a normal life:
- Motherwort tincture … You can buy a sounded remedy at a pharmacy, but you can actually prepare it at home. If you want to do everything with your own strength, you need to purchase a sounded herb and dilute it at the rate of 1: 5 (plant-alcohol) to create a magic elixir. A tincture of this kind is stored in a dark place for a month, after which it is consumed in the amount of half a tablespoon for 30 drops of alcohol extract from motherwort.
- Hawthorn berry tincture … In this case, a small amount of the sounded agent should be steamed in a glass of boiling water. After the performed procedure, it is necessary to withstand the received drug for three hours and then take it in 100 g (half a glass) before bedtime.
- Herbal collection … For the greatest stress relief effect on misophobia, you must purchase all the ingredients for the sedative. In this case, you should take in equal parts 20 g of valerian root, hop herb and St. John's wort. After mixing the sounded herbs, you need to pour them with a glass of boiling water and insist for half an hour. After the announced processing term, the resulting composition of 50 g should be applied before breakfast and dinner.
It is not necessary to create a problem of a larger scale out of the voiced phobia. If a person is susceptible to any manifestations of allergies, then this method to calm down with fear of dirt is definitely not suitable for him. Such manipulations will end for him at best with a rash, and at worst - with Quincke's edema.
Help of psychologists with misophobia
Specialists are always very wary of their patients' fear of dirt. At the initial stages of the development of such mental discomfort, pathology is quite easily eliminated. However, even if the problem is neglected, it is realistic to take the following measures to eliminate it:
- Auto-training … It is not a big problem to convince yourself of any facts if you want to solve it. It is necessary to clearly imagine an object that is extremely unpleasant for the imagination in the form of a dirty rag or garbage can. Then, while closing your eyes, you need to blow it up in your thoughts so that it scatters into a mass of microscopic fragments and disappears irrevocably.
- Hypnosis … If you turn to a competent specialist in this case, you can really block such a thing as misophobia. When the area of consciousness in a person with a voiced pathology is suspended in a similar artificial way, then behavior can be corrected in the future even in an inveterate misophobe.
- Paradoxical intention … This method works very effectively if a person is at an early stage of development of misophobia. This method of blocking one's own fear is aimed at eliminating the main causes of the resulting mental imbalance. However, one should immediately voice the fact that such an action is only possible for people with a high internal organization.
How to deal with misophobia - watch the video:
In case of a dilemma of how to get rid of misophobia, you should clearly understand for yourself the seriousness of the problem that has arisen. Seclusion and fear of going out on the street cannot be a sign of adequate human behavior. In the end, he will turn from an eccentric into an outcast, because people are not used to such a model of behavior in their immediate environment.
