Bromidrosiphobia: symptoms, causes and treatment

The aromas, odors or body fragrances that each and every person emits are usually something that the rest of the population tends to feel aversion to. Contexts such as locker rooms, gyms or changing rooms can become really unpleasant places due to the effects of body effluvia.

However, when this aversion becomes a real and exacerbated fear or fear, it is very possible that we are facing a case of bromidrosiphobia, a type of specific phobia which we will talk about throughout this article.

• Related article: "Types of Phobias: Exploring Fear Disorders"

What is bromidrosiphobia?

Bromidrosiphobia is classified within specific anxiety disorders or specific phobias. Like the rest of pathological fears, bromidrosiphobia has a specific element that causes this fear: body odors.

Considering the etymological roots of the term, we can separate the concept into three words of Greek origin. The first of them "bromos" can be literally translated as stench or pestilence, "hydros" makes reference to the term sweat, while "phobos" is understood as an expression referring to fear or fear.

Like the rest of specific personality disorders, when people with bromidrosiphobia encounter or think they are going to encounter the feared stimulus, they will experience a series of emotions and physical manifestations typical of very high anxiety states.

Although most people experience some degree of aversion or disgust before other people's body odors, this is not a sufficient reason to consider it a phobia.

• You may be interested in: "What is fear for?"

The limits of the phobia

In order to establish a difference between a feeling of habitual aversion and a phobia or pathological fear we must take into account what consequences or direct effects this phobia has on the person's daily life.

In this way, if the person who feels this fear of body odors reaches the point of experiencing strong anxiety reactions to the perception of these and prevents you from carrying out your daily tasks normally, it is highly recommended that you consult with a health professional. psychology.

In addition, one must take into account a series of requirements or qualities of fear disorders, which define phobias and allow their diagnosis. These requirements are as follows.

1. It's a disproportionate fear

The first point that must be examined to differentiate between a rational fear and a habitual feeling of fear or aversion is that in bromidrosiphobia the fear must be absolutely disproportionate compared to the actual threat that the phobic stimulus, in this case body odor, represents.

2. it's irrational

People with bromidrosiphobia are completely unable to find a reasonable and justified explanation for their fear, until the point that, in many of these cases, the person is perfectly aware of how benign the phobic stimulus is, but still So it is inevitable that the anxiety response will appear before him.

3. is uncontrollable

In addition to being irrational, the fear suffered by a person with bromidrosiphobia is absolutely uncontrollable for them. This means that the person is unable to prevent anxiety and fear reactions from appearing, just as he is unable to control them when he experiences them.

These symptoms originate automatically and suddenly, and only disappear when the person has managed to flee or avoid the phobic stimulus.

What symptoms does it present?

Since bromidrosiphobia is classified within the category of specific phobias, the clinical picture it presents is similar to that of other anxiety disorders of this type. These symptoms of an anxious nature appear whenever the person smells the body odor of oneself or another, even if that person is not clearly in sight.

Therefore, in bromidrosiphobia both physical, cognitive and behavioral symptoms will appear:

1. physical symptoms

Some of the first symptoms experienced by the patient when perceiving a strong body odor They are due to the hyperactivity that this generates in the nervous system of the person. This increase in functioning gives rise to all kinds of transformative changes in the organism.

Throughout the anxiety episode, the person may experience a host of physical symptoms. These include:

• Increased heart rate.
• Increased respiratory rate.
• Choking sensation or shortness of breath.
• Increased muscle tension.
• Headaches.
• stomach pains.
• increased sweating.
• Feeling dizzy
• Nausea and/or vomiting.

2. cognitive symptoms

Bromidrosiphobia is associated with a series of beliefs and speculations in relation to fear or aversion to body odors and aromas.

These distorted thoughts drive the development of this phobia. and they are distinguished because the person integrates a series of illogical beliefs about the possible dangers or effects of body odors.

3. behavioral symptoms

Like the rest of the phobias, bromidrosiphobia is also made up of a series of behavioral symptoms. Said behavioral symptomatology manifested through avoidance behaviors and escape behaviors.

The first type of behaviors refer to all those behaviors or acts that the person performs in order to avoid encountering the phobic stimulus. Thanks to them, it is possible to avoid experiencing feelings of anguish and anxiety that the situation generates.

On the other hand, escape behaviors appear when the person has not been able to avoid facing the object of their phobia, in this case the perception of bodily aromas, so it will carry out all kinds of behaviors necessary to escape the situation in which it is seen wrapped.

What causes does it have?

Determining the origin of a phobia can become an extremely complex task and more so in those that, such as bromidrosiphobia, They do not have a component or characteristics that make them especially dangerous.

In any case, there are certain factors that can favor or enhance its development. For example, the existence of a genetic predisposition that aggravates the effects of anxiety, together with the experience or experimentation of a A highly traumatic situation or one with a great deal of emotional content will most likely trigger the appearance of this or any other phobia.

Is there a treatment?

In most cases, bromidrosiphobia does not become incapacitating since the number of situations in which a person finds himself when faced with the perception of odors strong body movements is usually relatively small (especially in certain countries, due to climatic issues), so psychological consultations for this type of pathology are usually reduced.

However, if the person does experience high levels of distress due to this excessive fear of bodily aromas, there are a number of psychological interventions or treatments that can get the person to recover and overcome her phobic fear.

These interventions are based on three principles or psychological actions. The first one consists of a cognitive restructuring that allows modifying all those distorted thoughts that the person has regarding body odors.

Next, systematic desensitization or in vivo exposure techniques can be performed, through which the person is gradually exposed to the feared stimulus. Either directly or through exercises with mental images.

Finally, these techniques are accompanied by training in relaxation skills, which allows to reduce the levels of arousal of the nervous system and help the person to face their fears in the best way possible.