Pathophobia is the the persistent and abnormal fear of disease. No one wants to be sick so there is a normal degree of fear of contracting a disease of any sort, but this fear can grow out of control until the point it rules your life.
A phobia is a strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities or persons. The main symptom is an excessive and unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. Other phobia symptoms include shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and an overall feeling of dread. Phobias are the most common form of anxiety disorders.
Living every day in constant fear that you will get sick can greatly inhibit your life. You can recover from it though. Treatments available to treat Pathophobia include behavior therapy, anti-anxiety medications, exposure therapy and relaxation techniques.
If you suffer from Pathophobia please share your story. How was it triggered and how do you cope with it?
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2 comments:
I have always had emetophobia (fear of vomiting.) Then, about 6 years ago I got a stomach bug which caused me to vomit for the first time in my life. It happened again last year. Both experiences were extremely traumatic, and ever since, I have been obsessed by the fear of getting sick. Colds dont bother me, but anything involving a fever or vomiting scares the hell out of me. Living in the northeast, and being an elementary school teacher, this fear has really plagued me. All winter, I have been on edge about getting sick. I am sbsolutely paranoid, and can honestly not focus my thoughts on much else.
I'm 17 years old and I've lived with this fear my entire life. I diagnosed myself a few years back because I couldn't stand to live the way I have been, in fear of my family and their sickness. My grandmother recently got sick and is in the hospital and instead of thinking about being there for her I'm scared it will spread and I feel like such a bad person because I can't be there for anyone when they're sick. Have you found any help because I'm tired of my fear and I don't want to live the rest of my life like this.
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