Fears & Phobias

Fear of Dirt or Infection (Molysomophobia)

Fear of dirt or infection (molysomophobia) causes sufferers to do endless hours of repeated cleaning.  Fear of dirt or infection is more common than people might think.  Looking back 20, 30 or 40 years ago, everyone accepted that every minute trace of dirt, germs or bacteria could never be realistically removed at any one time.  Due to small amounts of dirt, infection, germs or bacteria being around on surfaces or hands, this allowed adults and children to build up immune responses.  But, over the last 20 years or more, advertising, tv, radio, supermarket shelves, are all continuously and powerfully bombarding us with messages.  To summerise all this new advertising information is as follows; 'any amount of dirt, germs or bacteria are unsafe, threatening and ultimately dangerous'.  Again, many dermatologists and surgeons and family Doctors agree that we are losing the ability to develope our own auto immune responses, as a direct result of children sometimes playing in sand or dirt, sometimes having dirty hands or faces, sometimes allowing floors or surfaces to go longer than an hour or so before washing and sanitising again and again.

Further, there has been an increase over the last 20 years of asthma and allergies, some of these are relating to constant streams of anti-bacterial substances (with or without bleach).  If we pair this with the fact that children are developing often with less immunity to germs and infection, due to the attempts by some people to try to totally eradicate dirt, germs and infections from every day life.  If we accept that it is normal to reasonably try to keep surfaces, floors and areas clean, we understand that this serious fear or phobia of dirt, germs and infections is far more addictive and obsessive and time-consuming than is thought to be 'reasonable'.  This fear or phobia has its roots in anxiety plus often relates back to a early negative experience or observing a parent.  Good Phobia Therapy includes CBT and Hypnotherapy.