Ablutophobia is a rare phobia that causes fear of cleaning, washing or bathing, which can have serious social consequences. It can be treated with desensitization, hypnosis, talk therapy, and psychiatric drugs. It can develop in response to trauma and is more prevalent in women and children.
Ablutophobia is a phobia that focuses on cleaning, washing or bathing. It is more prevalent in women and children, although anyone can develop this phobia. As one might imagine, the fear of washing or bathing can have some serious social consequences, making circumstances extremely difficult for someone with this phobia. Fortunately, true ablutophobia is quite rare and there are a number of treatment approaches that can be used to address it. Help for ablutophobia is rarely far away for people who are serious about battling their phobia.
Like other phobias, ablutophobia originates in the subconscious mind as a response to trauma. Someone who nearly drowned in the tub, for example, might develop ablutophobia. This phobia can also arise in response to hearing or seeing someone else’s trauma, such as a child reading a book with a scary bathroom scene. Over time, the phobia tends to become more severe, as the patient develops more and more stress and tension around bathing, washing, or cleaning.
People with ablutophobia can experience a variety of symptoms when they are in situations where bathing or cleaning occurs. They may feel nauseous, sweaty, fearful, shaky, or dizzy. Some experience panic attacks, which can include shortness of breath, high blood pressure, and a racing heart. Feelings of shame are also not uncommon, since many cultures place a high value on cleanliness, and refusal to bathe can make someone the target of ridicule or teasing, which can increase the severity of the phobia.
Many children experience mild ablutophobia, which usually disappears when they learn that nothing too terrible is happening in the tub. However, if parents force their children into the tub or are violent with them while bathing, children may begin to link bathing with unhappiness and develop a more severe form of ablutophobia. Making children comfortable in the bath by controlling the temperature, acting relaxed and not forcing the problem can help prevent the emergence of ablutophobia in a child.
People with full-blown ablutophobia can get help from a psychological professional. Treatments for ablutophobia can involve things like desensitization, where the patient cleans or bathes under the supervision of a therapist who helps the patient cope with intense associative emotions and the use of hypnosis and talk therapy . Some patients benefit from psychiatric drugs that help dull their response until they can overcome their fear of bathing.
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