All About Ablutophobia, the Fear of Bathing, & How To Overcome it with CBT, Therapy & Counselling in Wolverhampton & West Midlands

What is Ablutophobia?

Ablutophobia is the fear of washing, bathing or cleaning and tends to be more common in children and women than in men.

However, the fear generally dissipates in children as they learn that bathing is not something to be feared.

All phobias, regardless of what the feared object or circumstances are, cause Anxiety and Stress for the sufferer.

Whilst the feared object or situation may seem, to other people, to be ridiculous or silly, the person who suffers from the phobia knows only too well that the Anxiety that they experience is real enough.

We completely understand this and will treat you and your Ablutophobia seriously.

The majority of people who do suffer with Ablutophobia understand that their fear is “irrational” but continue to experience it regardless of this knowledge.

This is why simply being told to “snap out of it” rarely produces a solution!

Ablutophobia Symptoms & Behaviours

All phobias, including Ablutophobia, create feelings of anxiety because phobic objects or situations are always perceived as a threat.

Consequently, the symptoms of Ablutophobia are both specific and generic and may include:

• Avoidance of water.
• An elevated heart rate.
• A sense of dread about what might happen.
• Worrying that you might pass out.
• Feeling dizzy or disoriented.
• Heart palpitations.
• Dry or Sticky mouth
• Hot sweats.
• Stress.
• Difficulty breathing easily.
• Feelings of panic.

You may have all, some or even different symptoms to these listed here and this is due to the subjective nature of Ablutophobia.

However, it is important to be aware that these symptoms WILL subside over time and rarely last for more that 20 to 30 minutes.

CBT for Ablutophobia

If you’re committed to overcoming Ablutophobia then we highly recommend following our Tranceformental CBT 10 session programme.

The Tranceformental programme is a highly successful & pragmatic course of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) run over 10 sessions, that will teach you everything you need to know to understand the psychological aspects of your problem.

It can also help you to identify any unhelpful thinking styles or limiting beliefs that might be reinforcing the issue.

The programme is also available as an online self-help CBT programme. if you prefer not to consult a therapist directly.

CBT is an empirically supported approach used by mental health practitioners around the World.

Free Initial Consultations for Ablutophobia

We offer all prospective clients a FREE initial consultation to discuss your fear of bathing prior to commencing any treatment plans.

The consultation is free and lasts around 50 minutes.

During this consultation we will discuss the various therapy options that are available to you and make a considered recommendation based on your individual personal circumstances.

Initial consultations are also available as part of our online therapy service.

At Tranceform Psychology we recognise the importance of the therapeutic relationship in helping people to bring about effective change, so its important to be able to ‘meet’ to discuss any therapy treatments BEFORE proceeding.

Our policy is to help people make a fully balanced & considered decision about undertaking work with us, including both the financial and personal implications.