Germaphobia is an extreme fear of germs that might be its own anxiety or a symptom of OCD.
Knowing the symptoms can help you get treatment.
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Germaphobia causes significant distress and disrupts normal activities, unlike a manageable concern about cleanliness.
(Whodidntgo through a sanitizing groceries phase in 2020?)
What are the symptoms of germaphobia?
licensed clinical psychologist and phobia specialist, Thriving Center of Psychology
You may also be worried abouthow dirty your cell phone case isorif hand sanitizers work.
But this isnt necessarily germaphobe territory, experts say.
He says that germaphobia involves a fear that is overwhelming and can significantly impact a persons life.
What causes someone to be a germaphobe?
What is the difference between OCD and germaphobia?
There are a few differences between germaphobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
OCD is distinct from germaphobia, but the two can absolutely overlap, Dr. Vida says.
In fact, research shows thatOCD and specific phobia commonly coexist2.
This cluster of OCD symptoms is sometimes referred to ascontamination OCD3.
licensed clinical psychologist and phobia specialist, Thriving Center of Psychology
However, not everyone with OCD has these symptoms.
Is germaphobia a mental disorder?
That is to say, its not a mental disorder in itself.
How is germaphobia diagnosed?
How is germaphobia treated?
Heres a little more about all three.
If you suffer from more generalized anxiety, medication can be a helpful tool to manage those symptoms.
Germaphobia can be debilitating and oftentimes requires the extra support and the training of an expert to address.
venture to challenge yourself by creating small experiments to test out these hypotheses.
(Most likely, nothing bad!)
These little wins can help you slowly re-think whats worth worrying about and regain power over your fears.
Recent research suggests thatslow diaphragmatic breathingcanhelp reduce stress and anxiety symptoms7in people with anxiety disorders (including phobias).
Relaxation techniques can also help, Dr. Alvarado says.
Goodwin G. M. (2015).
OCD is Not a Phobia: An Alternative Conceptualization of OCD.Clinical neuropsychiatry, 16(1), 3946.
Sheilla Varadhila Peristianto, Kamsih Astuti (2022).
Decreasing Symptoms of Specific Phobias With Cognitive Behavior Therapy.Malaysian Mental Health Journal, 1(1): 12-14.
Hasan, S., Alhaj, H., & Hassoulas, A. https://doi.org/10.2196/51318
Banushi, Blerida et al.
Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review.Brain sciencesvol.
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