Cibophobia: There are many types of phobias; These disorders are characterized by an irrational fear and persistent in front of situations, objects, activities or people.
The main symptom of this disorder is the desire to avoid the feared stimulus, and the development of phobias usually occurs due to environmental factors, however, some experts affirm that our body is programmed to feel fearbecause it is an adaptive emotion, which has been useful to the human species for centuries, so it would be relatively easy to suffer from this condition.
Irrational fears can become very disabling, as in the case of cibophobia or fear of eatingwhich can cause serious health problems for the person.
Cybophobia is an anxiety disorder that causes great fear and discomfort to the person who suffers from it, because he experiences a great irrational fear of eating or of food itself.
this disorder must be differentiated from other pathological conditions such as anorexia or bulimia, which have their origin in the ideas that the person has about the aesthetic consequences of eating food, although sometimes it can be linked to these. However, the irrational fear of having a negative body image when eating, such as thinking that food may contain toxins or germs, can contribute to the development of cibophobia.
Some characteristics of this disorder are:
- people with cybophobia show an irrational obsession with foodwhich can lead them to become obsessed with the nutrients they contain and where they come from.
- They may avoid eating food despite it being necessary for good health.
- They avoid dishes cooked by other individuals, as they need to know exactly what they are eating or how the dish has been cooked.
- They avoid eating food prepared in previous days by the fear of intoxication.
Symptoms
Between the symptom clearer that people who suffer from this mental disorder accuse, we must say that they all show the following behaviors:
- They show an irrational obsession with food: Which leads them to compulsively read the labels to know expiration dates, ingredients, etc.
- They refuse to eat some foods for fear that these are harmful to their health: It is a fixed idea that prevents them from eating perishable foods or foods that are not overly cooked for fear that they contain toxic substances or that they may cause illness. So much so that they will eliminate animal products such as fish, due to contamination, or sauces such as mayonnaise from their diet.
They shy away from eating dishes prepared by other people: The refusal to eat certain foods makes them only trust those dishes prepared by themselves. Hence, they do not eat in public places or do not drink anything that someone else has cooked, even if it is a close relative.
- They avoid consuming previously prepared foods: The fear they have of getting poisoned or consuming something bad leads them to waste food that they had previously preserved, even though it has only been in the fridge for a day.
When the people they show are phobia they cannot control this situation, they manifest a series of physical symptoms that are common to other phobias, such as tachycardia, excessive sweating, tingling in the hands, dizziness, tremors, chills, severe pain in the perch, etc.
How to treat cibophobia?
The therapies that these professionals develop with these patients are aimed at creating tools that allow them to deal with the stress situation that food generates and to be able to overcome it. Some experts work with therapies that are based on clinical hypnosis, since in this way they can penetrate behavioral conditioning more effectively, achieving faster desensitization to the problem.
In addition to the individual therapies themselves, psychologists can propose neurolinguistic programming, which will make it possible to modify emotional behavior related to fear of food. In any case, the important thing is to put yourself in the hands of a professional specialized in this type of phobia as soon as possible.
How to overcome the phobia of eating?
In addition to going to therapy, people who suffer from cybophobia They can perform a series of exercises to try to combat the symptoms associated with the anxiety that is felt in the face of this phobia of eating.
- Practice meditation: Meditation can help ease symptoms associated with food phobia. In fact, practiced on a regular basis, it promotes stress relief and relaxation.
- Breathing exercises: Breathing exercises have also been shown to be very effective in reducing symptoms of excitement, anger, anxiety and depression. This happens because breathing in a controlled and conscious way helps us to regulate the central nervous system as well as relieve pain. symptoms of cibophobia or any pathological fear.
- Healthy habits: People who have healthy habits tend to suffer the symptoms associated with this phobia of eating to a lesser degree. Therefore, you can exercise more, sleep more hours, as well as eat a more nutritious diet to calm everything related to cybophobia.
- Coping with a phobia as it can be cybophobia It can be quite a challenge for those who suffer from it. For this reason, it is important to share this affectation with your loved ones and go to a professional if it is limiting your day to day life.
Consequences of cibophobia
On some occasions, the cybophobia It is due to the consequence of previous discomfort or gastric pain. After repeatedly experiencing nausea, abdominal pain or vomiting, eating is associated with this condition, which leads to fear and refusal to eat food. As a result, certain behaviors are adopted that are harmful and can cause serious health problems to the person who suffers it, among the most prevalent we find the following:
- Avoid the consumption of certain essential foods to acquire the necessary nutrients to maintain a balanced diet.
- Avoid dishes that have been cooked by other people, due to not knowing the origin of the ingredients and their preparation.
- Excessive obsession with how food is cooked or expiration dates on grocery items.
- The fear of a possible choking causes them to resort to grinding most foods.
- They restrict what they eat and drink to the point of presenting nutritional deficiencies and health problems.
Therefore, the cybophobia It can become very disabling for the person who suffers from it, and despite the fact that in many cases they show awareness of the disease, they have the feeling of not being able to control the situation. In these cases, it is recommended to turn to health professionals who help develop strategies that allow them to cope with the stress situation that food generates and thus be able to overcome it.