MICROPHOBIA: what is it, symptoms, causes and treatment

Little things can sometimes scare us. More than once we have seen a cockroach pass through an alley in the cities or a rat walking along a railway. These examples are about visible insects or animals, but let's think about organisms that we can't see: germs, viruses and bacteria are found in unexpected places and can cause us certain fear.

The pandemic is being a time in which we have had to take care of ourselves more than usual and it is understandable that various emotions have been aroused in people. However, there are individuals who have an enormous fear of tiny things that generates unfavorable consequences. Knowing valuable and precise information regarding this topic can provide us with tools to face this type of situation. In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about the Microphobia: what is it, symptoms, causes and treatment.

Index

1. What is microphobia
2. Symptoms of microphobia
3. Causes of microphobia
4. Treatment of microphobia

When mentioning microphobia, we are referring to a irrational and excessive fear of small thingswhether they are visible or not. In turn, this is linked to the idea of ​​being able to become infected with some germ and/or bacteria from a tiny organism.

According to the DSM-V^[1], this type of phobia, given its particularities, is within the group of specific phobias. In order for it to be considered a microphobia, at least five of the following diagnostic criteria must be met:

• Fear or intense anxiety in the presence of objects or tiny things.
• Avoidance of small targets that cause the phobia.
• Fear or anxiety is disproportionate to the actual danger representing microorganisms.
• The duration is six months or more.
• deterioration in relationships work, family and social.
• The symptoms are not attributed to another mental disorder.

In order to establish an accurate diagnosis of microphobia, it is important to take into account the manifestations that the person shows who suffers from this condition. In the following items, we will locate the main symptoms of microphobia:

• Incrise of cardiac frecuency.
• Catastrophic ideas referring to the danger of tiny things.
• Excessive sweating.
• anxiety dizziness.
• vomiting.
• Sickness.
• Obsessive cleaning rituals. In this situation, discover How to overcome the obsession with cleaning.

It should be noted that the presence of any of these symptoms does not necessarily imply that we are facing a microphobia picture. Diagnosis must be made by a professional of health, who will be in charge of evaluating the characteristics of the patient, taking into account aspects such as age, sex, family history or pre-existing diseases, among others.

First of all, we must not lose sight of the fact that microphobia can have varied origins. Knowing the main causes that act as triggers of this clinical picture can be useful when selecting the appropriate strategies to deal with this problem.

Therefore, below, we will explain the main causes of microphobia:

• Genetic factors: Genetic inheritance plays an important role when thinking about the emergence of microphobia. On the one hand, there are certain neural connections associated with the emotional processing of environmental situations. It is possible that microphobia originates from the development of certain predominant genes linked to the fear of small elements or animals.
• Environmental factors: Life experiences can also influence the development of microphobia symptoms. Given this, the imitation and learning of behaviors of members of the environment can be a conditioning factor of this disorder. In other words, if someone close to you has a great fear of tiny things, chances are that person will also engage in the same behavior.

Despite the difficulties that microphobia entails, there are currently treatments that have beneficial effects for the person who suffers from it. Next, we will explain how to treat microphobia:

psychological therapy

Therapy is a space that can help overcome certain situations that cause problems for the person diagnosed with microphobia. Because of this, psychological therapy provides valuable tools to deal with fearful situations or otherwise anxious.

On the one hand, therapy works on the emotions, thoughts and behaviors that control the person's life. On the other hand, psychological therapy tries to locate the source of symptoms of the person so that it is possible to find other alternatives to anxiety in the presence of tiny objects or animals.

psychiatric medication

The provision of medication can be a valid option in the most serious cases. Certain types of medications can act on the chemistry of the brain by modifying the neural connections that occur in the cerebral cortex.

Thus, it is possible that a relief of symptoms involved in microphobia However, it is essential that the medication be prescribed by a qualified mental health professional on the subject.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Microphobia: what is it, symptoms, causes and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: Pan American Medical Publisher.

• Bados, A. (2009). Specific phobias. Faculty of Psychology. Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatments.