Wikipedia has more on Mysophobia.
Mysophobia (from Greek mysos, "dirt", also known as Germophobia) is the fear of being contaminated with dirt/germs, or dirt/germs themselves. Other terms for this phobia are molysmophobia/molysomophobia (fear of germs), spermatophobia/spermophobia (fear of germs), and rupophobia (fear of dirt). Sufferers would wash hands constantly, almost everytime when he/she touches something that could be contaminated, as well as cleaning especially with the use of disinfectants. The most exclusive cause of mysophobia is getting real sick and then learning that germs are the culprit. Dirt may associate with germs, since germs thrive more readily in dirty environments than in clean environments. So sufferers would stay in clean environments to reduce catching dirt and germs. The phobia is most often treated using cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Mysophobia is not to be confused with misophobia, which is fear of hatred.
Examples of Mysophobia[]
Real life[]
- Comedian Howie Mandel, who is known to not shake hands with people, and even brings his own cutlery with him when not eating at home.
- Howard Sterm
- Donald Trump
Fictional Characters[]
- In the Stephen King novel It, character Eddie Kaspbrak has Mysophobia, as a result of the Munchausen Syndrome he developed because of his mother.
- In early episodes of Inanimate Insanity II, Soap has mysophobia, and is usually be seen cleaning things with the small blue cloth she carries around with her to scrub and wipe things, even if they are already somewhat clean.
See also[]
- Automysophobia – fear of being dirty.
- Nosophobia — fear of becoming ill.
- Emetophobia — fear of vomit & vomiting.