Nosocomephobia

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Nosocomephobia is the intense fear or anxiety of hospitals. This fear can be detrimental not only to ones mental health but also to ones physical health. People living with nosocomephobia may ignore severe medical issues going on in their body out of fear of being admitted to a hospital. Nosocomephobia prevents people living with the fear of hospitals from getting help and regain health, which could eventually lead to severely poor health if not treated.

Also referred to as “hospital anxiety,” the fear stems not necessarily from the hospital itself but the results that could occur from going. Examples include, getting surgery, being diagnosed, or receiving unfortunate news pertaining to a loved one.

Nosocomephobia is more common than most other fears. The fear is so common because it can be triggered at any age in ones life. So while you may not have the fear in childhood, an event  could occur in your adulthood that could trigger the fear.

Signs:

• Skipping appointments
• Avoid visiting friends in the hospital
• Getting extremely nervous at the thought
• Panic at the possibility of going to a hospital

Signs for nosocomephobia range from simple things such as feeling symptoms of anxiety while in a hospital, to having a panic attack at the mention of a hospital. Nosocomephobia effects people differently depending on their own experiences with hospitals.

Impact:

Nosocomephobia can have a great impact on peoples lives. The fear can prevent people with nosocomephobia from receiving the medical attention they need under dire conditions. The fear can also prevent people from visiting an ill loved one, which can then lead to emotional damage.

Symptoms:

• Rapid breathing
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Excessive sweating
• Muscle tension
• Nausea and vomiting
• Nightmares
• Panic attacks
• Racing heart rate
• Shaking

Nosocomephobia can be identified with many different symptoms. These symptoms are closely related with many symptoms of anxiety. The intensity of these symptoms is reflective of the intensity of ones fear.

Causes:

People with nosocomephobia often fear that going to the hospital is what leads to illness. These fears stem from many different causes. Some fears stem from personal experience but they can also stem from hearing about another persons poor experience in the hospital. The fear can also stem from factors out of ones control such as genetics, gender, or sensory issues.

A history of anxiety in ones family can often get passed down through generations. Someone with nosocomephobia may not have been personally affected by a hospital but someone in there could and passed it down to them. Many of these fears are caused by irrational thinking.

• Genetics
• Personal poor experience
  • others bad experience
• Gender
  • More common in females
• Moderate to intense levels of depressive symptoms
• History of chronic medical conditions
• Media portrayal
  • Media often associates hospitals with danger and disaster
• Sensory issues
  • Strong sense of smell
  • Oversensitive to the smell of antiseptics, bedpans, vomit or human waste

People with nosocomephobia often fear that going to the hospital is what leads to illness. These fears stem from many different causes. Some fears stem from personal experience but they can also stem from hearing about another persons poor experience in the hospital. The fear can also stem from factors out of ones control such as genetics, gender, or sensory issues.

Triggers:

• Blood
• Needles
• Injuries
• Medical personnel

Many things can trigger the fear, all of which are related to hospitals. However, the ones listed out are the most common triggers. Triggers can be associated with what caused the fear, for example someone who had a bad experience with needles could be triggered by a blood drive.

Types of Nosocomephobia:

Nosocomephobia is not a one size fits all type of fear. The fear usually stems from other fears that come from within the hospital. There are different types such as:

• Agliophobia, fear of pain.
• Carcinophobia, fear of cancer.
• Claustrophobia, fear of enclosed spaces
• Hemophobia, fear of blood.
• Iatrophobia, fear of doctors.
• Mysophobia, fear of germs.
• Nosophobia, fear of disease.
• Tomophobia, fear of surgery.
• Pharmacophobia, fear of medicines.
• Thanatophobia, fear of death.

Treatments:

Although there is no one cure to nosocomephobia, there are many treatments to help relieve the fears. Many of the treatments are a type of therapy, as the fear is stimulated from mental perceptions of hospitals.

• Hypnotherapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Exposure Therapy
• Acupuncture
• Medications
  • Anti-anxiety
  • Antidepressants

Not every form of therapy is going to be effective while trying to treat this fear. However, it has been tested that displaying accurate sensory and procedural information before an operation leads to reduced anxiety and pain caused by medical procedures.

Effects:

• Increased pain sensitivity
• Pre- and postoperative anxiety disturbs sleep patterns
• Among children, preoperative anxiety and postoperative results in negative behaviors

The effects of nosocomephobia can be mental and physical. People who have nosocomephobia are often given more anesthesia than patients without the fear. This can result in  endocrinological and immunological changes that slows down healing.

References

Dou, Fengman, et al. "New Nosocomephobia? Changes in Hospitalizations during the COVID-19 Pandemic." Frontiers of Economics in China, vol. 16, no. 4, Dec. 2021, pp. 607+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A690300679/AONE?u=wilm99594&sid=summon&xid=60d117f3. Accessed 10 Mar. 2024.

Semple, David; Roger Smyth; Jonathan Burns; Rajan Darjee; Andrew McIntosh (2005). Oxford handbook of psychiatry. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-852783-1.

Khan, Rehan. "SHORT COMMUNICATION - A derivation of factors influencing homeopaths to promote quackery in Sindh." Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, vol. 73, no. 2, 28 Feb. 2023, p. 377. Gale OneFile: Nursing and Allied Health, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A735344504/PPNU?u=wilm99594&sid=summon&xid=8400aebe. Accessed 10 Mar. 2024.

Pellosmaa, H.B., Desouky, T.F. (2013). Hospital Anxiety. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi-org.liblink.uncw.edu/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_961

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