{"id":16771,"date":"2013-02-12T10:48:10","date_gmt":"2013-02-12T18:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?page_id=16771"},"modified":"2015-08-12T15:51:43","modified_gmt":"2015-08-12T22:51:43","slug":"mysophobia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/mysophobia\/","title":{"rendered":"Mysophobia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WomanMysophobia<\/strong><\/span> is a phobia<\/a>—an extreme fear<\/a>—of germs or contamination. The central feature of this phobia is not just concern about germs but an obsessive fear of any kind of contamination, including by illness, dirt, body fluids, or bacteria.<\/p>\n

About Mysophobia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Germs and contamination do pose some danger, and so a reasonable fear of germs cannot be construed as mysophobia. A fear of germs only becomes a phobia when it is both unreasonable and interferes with normal activities. A person who washes their hands more than normal may be unreasonably cautious, but if hand washing does not interfere with normal life or the fear of germs does not cause them discomfort or stress<\/a>, then the frequent hand washing is not properly construed as mysophobia.<\/p>\n

In recent years, the use of antibacterial products has become increasingly common. Some mental health professionals believe that this increased awareness of germs has increased the frequency with which people develop mysophobia. Ironically, the overuse of such products can actually create antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are much more dangerous.<\/p>\n

Symptoms of Mysophobia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To be diagnosed with mysophobia, a person\u2019s avoidance of germs cannot just be eccentric. It has to interfere with one or more life activities or threaten the person\u2019s health. Common traits associated with mysophobia include:<\/p>\n