Nosophobia is theirrational fearof having a specific disease.
The origins of the word Nosophobia come from nososandphoboswhich meandiseaseandfear inGreek.
In recent years, nosophobia has also been referred to as cyberchondria.
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At a Glance
We’ve all Googled something like “Why does my head hurt?”
or “Chest pain causes” from time to time.
This is the kind of thing that contribute to an irrational fear of disease.
The most important difference is specificity.
However, not everyone who is afraid of getting sick or contracting a contagious illness suffers from nosophobia.
Those who suffer from this phobia exhibit symptoms that can cause limitations in their lives.
Additionally, underlying conditions must be ruled out.
Illness Anxiety Disorder
Many mental health specialists have termed both nosophobia and hypochondriasis as illness anxiety disorder.
We do our best to avoid demeaning language like this, and recommend the same for you.
Remember that we can never know exactly what another person is going through.
In this case, a doctor will not expose you to the disease you fear.
They include things like meditation, positive affirmations, and visualization.
If you’re struggling with this fear, know that you’re not alone.
Talk to your doctor about your options.
Milosevic I. McCabe RE.Phobias: The Psychology of Irrational Fear: The Psychology of Irrational Fear.
Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood; 2015.
Schmidt C.Scientific American.Cyberchondriacs Just Know They Must Be Sick.
April 5, 2019.
2019;14(9):e0222663.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0222663
Cleveland Clinic.Illness Anxiety Disorder: Beyond Hypochondriasis.
Reviewed July 25, 2015.
Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders.Behavior Disorders: Definitions, Characteristics & Related Information.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Treatment.
