At cibophobia, a foodphobia, It is the irrational and uncontrollable fear related to food and its ingestion. Although it is different from other eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, orthorexiaetc.) cibophobia can also negatively affect the psychophysical well-being and social life of the person who suffers from it.
ANTONELLA ENJOY
Clinical psychologist with psychodynamic orientation in Buencoco
Often, the person suffering from food phobia makes a selection of foods and is unable to eat the one that represents the “phobic object”. Even just thinking about that food can stimulate in the person a anxious symptomatology like the one we find in other types of phobias: from tremors to real panic attacks. This clearly compromises the quality of daily life and life in general.
Negative experience lived as a trauma
Often, behind cibophobia hides a negative experience that can be experienced as traumatic. Sometimes it is easy to identify the exact moment when the phobia was triggered. It can be, for example, after eating spoiled foodof having had an allergic reaction… In general, it originates after feeling a very strong discomfort from food.
It is normal to avoid a certain food if we know that it causes us discomfort. But it is different when we talk about cibophobia, since in this case the fear extends indistinctly to one or the other food or, worse, to all foods.
types of cibophobia
There are many different types of cibophobia, some of them even very strange. For example, there are those who are afraid of tomatoes or their seedsothers bananas or garlic… and there is also carnophobia, which refers to the fear of animal meat.
Phagophobia, the fear of eating
The phobia may be related not only with the phobic object, but also with its color or texture. One of the best known phobias is probably the Phagophobia (Greek: fear of eating). In these cases, the person is unable to swallow or eat solid food; In the mildest cases, those who suffer from this pathology end up eating only soft foods and liquids, but in the most serious situations it can cause dangerous nutritional deficiencies and, therefore, damage their health.
Neophobia, the rejection of new foods
Another fear, equally well-known and quite common, is neophobia, that is, the rejection of new or unknown foods. It is an inherent characteristic of the human being, a natural attitude necessary to the guardianship and protection of him, which found mainly in childhood, between 2 and 5 years. In this phase it is a transitory defensive behavior and functional, which disappears spontaneously during the following years of childhood, thanks also to the example of the family and proper food education.
In childhood it is a protective behavior because human beings, like other omnivores, tend to eat everything, from meat to vegetables, and in this “universal appetite” they run the risk of also ingest toxic substances. Food neophobia, acting at an unconscious and instinctive level, drives away this danger, making us naturally suspicious of what is not familiar to us.
Severe caloric, protein and vitamin deficits
In the event that neophobic tendencies are maintained even in adulthood, there is a risk of depriving the body of precious substances and, therefore, of incurring serious caloric, protein and vitamin deficits, depending on which phobic object it is. .
ARFID, a kind of hypochondria
When certain foods are excluded from the diet or only those of a certain type, consistency or color are eaten (for example only white foods like pasta, rice, and bread)can we talk about ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). It is a kind of hypochondriasis and affected people are convinced that a certain food, once eaten, can cause them pain or discomfort, even without a real reason.
Social problems, stress and anxiety
When the quality of life and their interpersonal relationships are compromised, it is very important that the kyphobic person be accompanied by a psychology professional on a therapeutic journey aimed at reducing their level of stress and anxiety, especially in those cases in which there has been a trauma. Contacting and trusting a professional who knows how to guide the patient towards better well-being is essential.