Haphephobia: a rare specific phobia of being touched
Introduction Haphephobia is a morbid fear of being touched or touching. The symptoms of Haphephobia are very similar to other specific phobias. Objectives Presentation of a case of haphephobia due to childhood sexual abuse Methods Mrs. X., A 22-year-old Bangladeshi female, presents to the psychi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2022-06-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822009890/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1827754240999686144 |
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| author | S. Nahar M. Inam M. Miah |
| author_facet | S. Nahar M. Inam M. Miah |
| author_sort | S. Nahar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Haphephobia is a morbid fear of being touched or touching. The symptoms of Haphephobia are very similar to other specific phobias.
Objectives
Presentation of a case of haphephobia due to childhood sexual abuse
Methods
Mrs. X., A 22-year-old Bangladeshi female, presents to the psychiatric consult service with an intense fear of being touched by her husband. She told that whenever her husband comes closer to her, her heart starts to pound fast, she feels discomfort in the chest, a burning sensation on her whole body, and loses control over the environment. Furthermore, she can’t sleep properly for the fear of being touched. Her in-laws’ parents concluded that some ‘evil spirits’ might cause the symptoms. So her husband brought her to a Psychiatrist. On an in-depth assessment session, ensuring all the confidentiality issues, she told the Psychiatrist that she has a history of brutal sexual abuse followed by the threat to kill her by her stepfather at the age of fourteen.
Results
After a thorough medical workup and history gathering, her consultant psychiatrist could elucidate the source of the presenting picture and told her that she developed haphephobia, and suggested taking psychotherapy along with prescribed medicines.
Conclusions
Fear of being touched is a particularly difficult fear to cope with. Patients with haphephobia after sexual assault should be handled very cautiously by the experts keeping confidentiality issues in mind. Cognitive-behavior therapy, Exposure therapy, Virtual reality exposure therapy, practicing mindfulness, using daily coping strategies, and medications like beta-blockers, anxiolytics, antidepressants can help a person to overcome haphephobia.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:47:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-97f47b0f218e4498a80616cdfd28de98 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:47:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-97f47b0f218e4498a80616cdfd28de982023-11-17T05:07:24ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852022-06-0165S391S39110.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.989Haphephobia: a rare specific phobia of being touchedS. Nahar0M. Inam1M. Miah2National Institute of Mental Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh., Adult Psychiatry, Dhaka South, BangladeshSylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Psychiatry, Sylhet, Bangladesh National Institute of Mental Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh., Psychiatry, Dhaka, BangladeshShaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College, Psychiatry, Dhaka, Bangladesh Introduction Haphephobia is a morbid fear of being touched or touching. The symptoms of Haphephobia are very similar to other specific phobias. Objectives Presentation of a case of haphephobia due to childhood sexual abuse Methods Mrs. X., A 22-year-old Bangladeshi female, presents to the psychiatric consult service with an intense fear of being touched by her husband. She told that whenever her husband comes closer to her, her heart starts to pound fast, she feels discomfort in the chest, a burning sensation on her whole body, and loses control over the environment. Furthermore, she can’t sleep properly for the fear of being touched. Her in-laws’ parents concluded that some ‘evil spirits’ might cause the symptoms. So her husband brought her to a Psychiatrist. On an in-depth assessment session, ensuring all the confidentiality issues, she told the Psychiatrist that she has a history of brutal sexual abuse followed by the threat to kill her by her stepfather at the age of fourteen. Results After a thorough medical workup and history gathering, her consultant psychiatrist could elucidate the source of the presenting picture and told her that she developed haphephobia, and suggested taking psychotherapy along with prescribed medicines. Conclusions Fear of being touched is a particularly difficult fear to cope with. Patients with haphephobia after sexual assault should be handled very cautiously by the experts keeping confidentiality issues in mind. Cognitive-behavior therapy, Exposure therapy, Virtual reality exposure therapy, practicing mindfulness, using daily coping strategies, and medications like beta-blockers, anxiolytics, antidepressants can help a person to overcome haphephobia. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822009890/type/journal_articleSpecific phobiaHaphephobiaAnxiety disorders |
| spellingShingle | S. Nahar M. Inam M. Miah Haphephobia: a rare specific phobia of being touched European Psychiatry Specific phobia Haphephobia Anxiety disorders |
| title | Haphephobia: a rare specific phobia of being touched |
| title_full | Haphephobia: a rare specific phobia of being touched |
| title_fullStr | Haphephobia: a rare specific phobia of being touched |
| title_full_unstemmed | Haphephobia: a rare specific phobia of being touched |
| title_short | Haphephobia: a rare specific phobia of being touched |
| title_sort | haphephobia a rare specific phobia of being touched |
| topic | Specific phobia Haphephobia Anxiety disorders |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822009890/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT snahar haphephobiaararespecificphobiaofbeingtouched AT minam haphephobiaararespecificphobiaofbeingtouched AT mmiah haphephobiaararespecificphobiaofbeingtouched |