From since we are children, getting filthy is something that is almost a pass time. Our parents try to keep us and our clothes spotless to no avail, and after washing our hands a number of times, we gather ourselves and go right away back to our dust piles. As we grow older, the fascination of playing with dirt is often left behind and we live our lives with a renewed sense of sanitation. For some people, however, a germ phobia prevents normal life from occurring. This germ phobia is also named mysophobia and can be directly connected with a fear of filth.

Mysophobia is a lot more than just being afraid of microbes. Mysophobia is the fear of filth that might contain microbes or cause a contamination. The person has a germ phobia can often be noticed washing their hands over and over again, in order to get rid of any microbes they have come into contact with.

When the germ phobia was first recognized, it was incorrectly linked with the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder need to wash the hands repetitively. OCD and germ phobia do exhibit some of the same characteristics but are different in many senses, as well. People with OCD feel a compulsion to wash their hands for the simple action of washing their hands. They might frequently be observed washing the hands for a a small period of time or a few times per day. The person who suffers from germ phobia, on the other hand, will be cleaning their hands to remove the microbes, both visible and not visible.

A germ phobia can be more harboring to every day life than many other forms of phobia due to the fact that microbes are invisible. The perceived germ in germ phobia can be picked up from anywhere and everywhere and thus the feared germ is all around the mysophobe. With the introduction of germicidal gels, the germ phobia sufferer can often be observed consuming one of the many sterilization gels on a regular basis. People who suffer from germ phobia will often carry bottles in their purses, pockets, cars and all over their homes.

A person with a germ phobia may avoid public bathrooms, public restaurants and even the homes of acquaintances for fear that they will come in contact with germs in the space. They will clean their homes from top to bottom every day and will disinfect every part of the home religiously due to their germ phobia.

The illogical nature of germ phobia will cause the person with the germ phobia to change the normal cycle of life around the need to remove the germs from their environment at all times. The treatment for germ phobia includes medications and therapy sessions. With the right treatment, mysophobia can be removed and the person can go about living life free from the fear of microbes.