We have all experienced a little anxiety at going to the doctor or the hospital for tests and a little fear going into surgery, this isn’t uncommon. But, there are those people who are more than just a little afraid, they are phobic of hospitals and are usually so scared of the hospital environment that they are not able to even visit their friends and loved ones who are in the hospital, let alone admit themselves as patients.
Hospital phobia is also called nosocomephobia and is defined as an abnormal fear of hospitals which can lead sufferers to refuse to get medical attention even when it is most needed. It’s very possible that a person who is hospital phobic could die before reaching the needed medical attention due to this terrible fear they must carry.
If someone who is phobic should have to go to the hospital for a chronic condition such as cancer, or heaven forbid, a life-threatening emergency, this could become a very big problem for them.
Symptoms of nosocomephobia normally include:
Rapid breathing
Inability to think clearly
Nausea
Sweating
A feeling of dread upon seeing or walking past a hospital
Treatment of this phobia is much like the treatment for any other phobia:
Hypnotherapy has been noted as being quite effective in treating phobias, although, some people don’t like this option due to feeling out of control while allowing someone else to “mess with their though processes.
Energy Psychology is a relatively new method which has the same foundation as acupuncture except this requires no needles. I helps to change your behaviors by helping the patient be in control of their actions and feelings.
Psychotherapy has been used for phobias throughout the years and has help many people be able to cope with their fears.
Exposure treatment has been used successfully to treat phobias by exposing people to their fear, in small doses, until they are able to deal with that fear.
