Fear of Disease – Nosophobia

The fear of Disease is also known as Nosophobia.

People suffering from this problem will undoubtedly have been much worse during the 2020/21 Coronavirus pandemic when the fear was reasonably well founded.

It is important to remember though that the majority of people contracting Covid-19 only suffer minor symptoms and make a full recovery.

See Post Coronavirus Stress.

Fear is the emotional experience that we have when we perceive there to be some sort of threat in our immediate location or context, or even that a threat may present itself in the future (anticipatory anxiety) and this is certainly true for somebody who has a fear of Disease.

The important thing to be aware of is that we only need to perceive (believe) that something is a threat in order to trigger the fear reaction and just as importantly, what one person perceives to be a threat may not be regarded as threatening to somebody else.

In other words, the fear of Disease is a highly individual experience based on the subjective belief that Disease represents a threat to that individual.

Many people do not really understand or have a great deal of sympathy for people who suffer with the fear of Disease as it may not be something they personally experience, however, for the person suffering this fear the stress and anxiety that they experience is real and not imagined.

We are fully aware of the subjective nature of individual fears and will treat you and your Fear of Disease seriously when you consult us for help.

Fear of Disease Symptoms

The symptoms associated with the fear of Disease have much in common with other fears and phobias and may include:

• Anger problems
• Generalised Anxiety
• Social anxiety
• Control issues
• Feelings of depression
• Insomnia & sleeping problems
• Low Self-Esteem
• Low Self-Confidence
• Panic attacks
• Overthinking things
• Paranoia
• Stress

Often the symptoms of Nosophobia can seem to occur without the object of fear even being present indicating that the fear of Disease has become normalised into everyday life.

This normalisation process often results in the development and use of safety behaviours in an attempt to prevent exposure to triggering events which, paradoxically, may cause the problem to get worse.

In other words, safety behaviours tend to reinforce the fear of Disease rather than diminish it!

Nosophobia may be the result of earlier traumatic experiences that can be directly (or indirectly) linked to a specific object or situation, but this is not always the case because fears can also be inherited as learned behaviours from the social context in which a person is brought up.

The good news is that the majority of people who suffer with a fear of Disease will find a course of psychotherapy highly beneficial.

You can read more about the different types of psychological therapy for the fear of Disease below.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for the Fear of Disease

If you’re determined to overcome your fear of Disease then we highly recommend following our 10 session Tranceformental CBT programme with Paul.

T-CBT is a clinically proven psychotherapy course that will teach you everything you need to know to understand your problem, identify any limiting beliefs and unhelpful thinking styles that you might have developed in order to cope, and then provide guidance on how to make changes to your thinking and behaviours to irradicate the problems.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy has an excellent track-record with problems based on anxiety and fearful cognitions (thoughts) which are key factors in the fear of Disease.

Teach Yourself CBT and Overcome the Fear of Disease for only £149!

Our online CBT course has been designed to teach you the fundamental tools and techniques of clinically proven Cognitive Behavioural Therapy without having to see a therapist.

Structured over TEN, in-depth modules, this self-managed course will teach you everything you need to know to change the way you think about and experience your mental health problems without having to visit a therapist.

Click Self-Help CBT to find out more.

Alternative Psychotherapies for the Fear of Disease

Although we generally recommend CBT for Nosophobia, we also offer alternative psychotherapies for people preferring a different approach.

These include:

Psychodynamic therapy which focuses on understanding why the problem has arisen and relies on the therapy relationship to bring about change.

Counselling which is less formally structured than CBT but still provides a safe and non-judgmental environment in which to discuss issues. Talking problems through with a skilled counsellor is often therapeutic in its own right.

Hypnotherapy is an alternative form of psychotherapy that can be applied to a very wide range of problems and is available with Joan.

Free Initial Consultations for the Fear of Disease

We offer all prospective clients FREE initial consultations to discuss your Nosophobia problems prior to commencing any psychotherapy programmes.

The consultation and lasts around 50 minutes.

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

Initial consultations are also available online.

We recognise the importance of the therapy relationship in helping people to bring about effective change, so it is important to meet (either face-to-face or online) before deciding to follow a course of psychotherapy.

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