Cibophobia or fear of eating: causes, symptoms and treatment

Cibophobia or fear of eating is one of the problems with the greatest impact on people who suffer from it. In general, this clinical picture means that food can be an obstacle that prevents fruitful and lasting social relationships. This suffering is reflected in a mental health disorder that generates extremely unpleasant consequences in life. of the person and negatively affect the academic, work, family and/or social performance of a person. In this sense, having didactic material available makes it possible to develop strategies to cope with situations in a more pleasant way.

In this Psychology-Online article we will provide you with information about the Cynophobia or fear of eating: causes, symptoms and treatment.

Index

1. What is cibophobia
2. Causes of cibophobia or fear of eating
3. Symptoms of cibophobia or fear of eating
4. Treatment of cibophobia

Cibophobia is a mental health disorder characterized by the presence of a

Within the parameters established by the DSM-V^[1], cibophobia can be placed in the group of specific phobias based on the characteristics it presents. However, to carry out an adequate evaluation it is necessary that a series of diagnostic criteria be met:

• Fear or anxiety in front of a specific situation or object.
• Avoidance of fear or anxiety.
• Disproportionate fear or anxiety against the real danger that a specific situation represents.
• Duration of six months or more.
• Deterioration of social, work and family relationships.
• The alterations cannot be explained by the intake of toxic substances, medications or other mental health disorders.

This problem has certain origins that interfere with the appearance of its main symptoms. Here we show you the causes of cibophobia or fear of eating:

• Psychological factors: the presence of other mental disorders can be a condition that gives rise to the most characteristic symptoms of cibophobia. In more specific terms, anxiety and depression negatively affect the life of a person with a fear of eating. On the other hand, the experience of traumatic situations linked to food intake also has a determining role on the ways of thinking, feeling and carrying out actions. In this way, a person can develop this type of alterations.
• organic factors: suffering from pyloric obstruction, neoplasia or intestinal ischemia produce a series of complications in the human organism that can cause this fear of consuming food.
• cultural factors: social pressures and the ideals of perfection and beauty contribute to the development of unfavorable eating behaviors.

This clinical condition stands out for having a presentation that allows detecting some indicators to arrive at an adequate diagnosis. In line with this, we will define the symptoms of cibophobia or fear of eating:

• Fear of certain foods
• Catastrophic thoughts linked to food intake.
• Immediate anxiety in the presence of food.
• Excessive preoccupation with food.
• Fear of being poisoned.
• Avoidance of punctual social situations.
• excessive sweating
• Nausea and dizziness. Here we explain How to get rid of anxiety dizziness.
• Incrise of cardiac frecuency.

Beyond this description, it is important to clarify that the isolated presence of any of these symptoms does not necessarily represent a picture of cibophobia. For this reason, it is essential that the diagnosis be made by a mental health professional who evaluates the clinical conditions of each person.

Despite the complexities that this pathology entails, there are some alternatives that allow a significant improvement in the quality of life. In the next items, we will develop the treatments for cibophobia:

psychological therapy

This space invites reflection on personal aspects and implementation of new goals in everyday life. In turn, therapy can help to solve the conflicts of cibophobia or fear of eating through the use of various tools that can bring relief.

On the one hand, short-term therapy emphasizes the emotions, thoughts, and behaviors related to this disorder that negatively affect the development of daily activities. Among the best-known approaches, we can mention the cognitive behavioral therapy.

On the other hand, long-term therapies have the objective of locating the origins of this problem, specific to each patient. In this way, it is possible to adopt other types of actions in the face of difficulties that arise. The best-known approach to long-term therapy is psychoanalysis.

psychiatric medication

In the event that cibophobia represents a danger to the life of one's own staff and of third parties, the supply of anxiolytics can be an effective solution. However, in these cases it is always pertinent to supervision of a professionalhe of mental health. In this article you will find more information about the Types of anxiolytics.

This article is merely informative, at 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 Cibophobia or fear of eating: causes, symptoms 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 Edition). Arlington: Panamerican Medical Editorial.

• Gempeler Rueda, J., Rodríguez Guarín, M., Muñoz, F., Pérez Muñoz, V. (2008). Aversion to food in childhood: phobia, obsession or unspecified eating disorders?. Colombian Journal of Psychiatry, 37 (3), 355-364.