Nosophobia: Morbid Fear Of Disease

Fear of getting sick or nosophobia is a primitive fear, just like the fear of death and madness. Honestly: who wouldn’t be afraid of getting serious illnesses? Aren’t we all afraid of going crazy one day? Isn’t everyone afraid of death?

This article talks about everything about nosophobia: the absurd, morbid fear of disease. What is special about this fear is that the individual does not think they are sick at that moment. This is exactly what separates it from hypochondria.

People with hypochondria are not afraid of getting the disease in the future. Those with nosophobia, on the other hand, are afraid of it to die. Hypochondria sufferers fear that they are suffering from an acute illness right now, and not a diagnosis of the disease in the future.

What is a phobia?

The term “phobia” refers to a strong and absurd fear of a person, object, or situation with little or no danger. This word comes from the Greek word Phobos , which means panic. In Greek mythology, Phobos, the son of Aphrodite (goddess of love) and Ares (god of war), personified fear. Alexander the Great always prayed for Phobos before the fight to dispel his fears.

In the DSM-V classification system, nosophobia is listed as phobias.

DSM-V classification criteria for certain phobias

• Observed fear or anxiety about a particular object or situation (e.g., flying, high places, animals, getting the vaccine, seeing blood). Note: Children may express fear or anxiety through crying, rage, or clinging.
• An object or situation that is the subject of a phobia almost always immediately arouses fear or anxiety.
• An object or situation that is the subject of a phobia is actively avoided or tolerated with strong fear or anxiety.
• Fear or anxiety is disproportionate to the real danger posed by a particular object or situation.
• Fear, anxiety, or avoidance cause clinically significant anxiety or disability in a social, professional, or other important area of ​​activity.

• Fear, anxiety, or avoidance are persistent, usually lasting 6 months or longer. Fear, anxiety, or avoidance cause clinically significant anxiety or disability in a social, professional, or other important area of ​​activity.
• The disorder is not better explained by symptoms of another mood disorder, including fear, anxiety, and avoidance of situations combined with panic-like symptoms or other disabling symptoms; objects or situations relate to obsessions, memory of traumatic events, separation from home, affection, or social situations.

It is common for people to have several different phobias. In fact, about 75% of people with a particular phobia are afraid of more than one situation or object.

Nosophobia or morbid fear of disease

As we said earlier, nosophobia is a fear of a particular disease or condition in general. People with nosophobia develop an exaggerated fear of disease and are often affected by a particular disease or incident.

Here are some symptoms of nosophobia:

• Exaggerated nervousness before any minor physical symptom.
• Extreme measures to avoid contact with bacteria.
• Regular and repeated visits to different doctors, although they also avoid doctors.
• There is a strong fear that the doctor will confirm they are suffering from a dreaded illness.

Health concerns can be a predominant problem that occurs on a cognitive level (constant chewing of the disease). There are also regular mental symptoms such as experiencing anxiety or a dysphoric mood due to intense fear as well as behaviors such as unwarranted medical consultations.

Anxiety about getting sick

Nosophobia is often classified as a somatic syndrome. However, in some cases, it is best to classify it as an anxiety disorder.

High levels of anxiety usually come with the idea of ​​fear of disease. Most diseases tend to alert people with nosophobia. This happens when they hear someone is ill or when they read health-related news.

When a person with nosophobia notices physical symptoms, his outrageous level of anxiety causes him to delay going to the doctor for tests. People with nosophobia have such a strong fear of disease that they avoid any situation that might confirm the existence of the disease. They just prefer to close their eyes and live in uncertainty.

As you can see, nosophobia and hypochondria are not the same thing. If you or someone you know is experiencing a strong fear associated with an illness or multiple illnesses, we recommend psychological therapy.