Ablutophobia

= Ablutophobia=

Ablutophobia (from Greek: ebliUt, ablute, meaning “to wash”) is the persistent, abnormal and unwarranted fear of bathing, washing, or cleaning. This phobia is a situational specific phobia. Ablutophobia tends to be more common in children and woman than in males and especially with those people who are very emotional. [ H. J. Eysenck Ph D, D SC(1973).”Handbook of abnormal psychology”(second edition)Robert K. Knappp (843-853)]

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Causes

Ablutophobia, like all phobias, is a protective mechanism created by the unconscious as a result of trauma. This trauma could be caused by a real event or scare, or it could be caused by seeing someone else or someone on television experience some sort of scare. The unconscious links this horrifying event to the act of bathing. In an attempt to avoid this event, or one similar, the brain creates physical symptoms to avoid washing. Since the two acts have been linked, the brain reasons that if the body can bypass washing it can also escape the hazard. [http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/problem_detail.asp?SDID=134:1334] , Change Thats Right Now. ]

Symptoms

Symptoms will arise when a person attempts or even thinks about bathing and cleaning.
* Severe panic attack
* Dizziness
* Breathlessness
* Excessive sweating
* Heart palpitations
* Nausea
* Dry mouth
* Feeling sick
* Shaking
* Becoming mad/Losing control
* Inability to think or speak clearly
* Fear of dying
* Fear of indifference to reality [http://www.phobia-fear-release.com/ablutophobia.html] , phobia-fear-release symptoms. ]

Treatment

There are many treatments for ablutophobia and some will work better than others depending on the patient. Certain treatments even have the potential to worsen the condition rather than provide a cure. Some of the treatments can take months or even years. [http://www.phobia-fear-release.com/ablutophobia.html] , phobia-fear-release treatments. ]

Drug TherapyThere are drugs that can be prescribed to help a patient deal with the symptoms of a panic attack. These drugs do not cure the phobia but suppress the symptoms to a tolerable level. These can be very effective but can also create severe side effects and withdrawal.

Behavioral TherapyThe most common therapy for a phobia is Desensitization. This is a technique where the patient is exposed to their fear gradually. The patient would start with something distantly related to their fear that raised only a slight amount of anxiety. Once the patient realizes that this situation was safe, the next situation would push the patient even closer to bathing. This is an effective but strenuous and long treatment.

Flooding is another type of behavioral therapy. This is where the patient is overwhelmed by their fear in a controlled environment. [Helen Saul(2001).”PHOBIAS fighting the fear” Arcade Publishing (13;126-148) ]

Notes

References

*http://www.phobia-fear-release.com/ablutophobia.html
*http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/problem_detail.asp?SDID=134:1334
*Helen Saul(2001).”PHOBIAS fighting the fear” Arcade Publishing (13;126-148)
*H. J. Eysenck Ph D, D SC(1973).”Handbook of abnormal psychology”(second edition)Robert K. Knappp (843-853)