Does Your Habit Of Cleanliness Have Depths Of Fear? Know What Mysophobia Is All About

Are you someone who is obsessed with hygiene? Well, this obsession might not be of cleanliness but a result of a ‘fear of dirt’.

Imagine yourself fearing the germs or dust in the environment so much that it interferes with your functioning.

Well, this is a complex psychological phenomenon known as ‘Mysophobia’, in technical terms. Derived from the Greek words ‘mysos’ signifying contamination and ‘phobos’ denoting an intense fear, Mysophobia is an “irrational” dread of dirt and microorganisms. It transcends a mere desire for cleanliness; becoming an overwhelming force significantly impacting an individual’s quality of life.

Explaining this, Ambika Chawla who is a Clinical Psychologist at Lissun, says: “Mysophobia is an irrational fear of germs, with a constant preoccupation with contamination (or thoughts of it).

Because the thoughts are so strong and intrusive, behavioural changes are bound to happen, like repetitive hand washing or taking showers, wearing gloves, religious cleanliness pattern, covering up of daily use items, avoiding social gatherings, etc.”