Fear of being contagious (tapinophobia)

Tapinophobia is a fear of being contagious, meaning a worry about passing an illness on to other people. It might lead someone to keep away from friends and family, wash repeatedly, or avoid hugging loved ones in case they spread something. If you are worried about a real illness, a GP can check your symptoms and advise you.

About this phobia

This is a rarely reported term that appears mostly on lists of phobias, with little clinical writing about it under this name. The worry itself is close to well-known patterns in health anxiety and in contamination fears linked to obsessive compulsive disorder. It differs from a fear of catching germs, which is usually called mysophobia or germophobia.

What it feels like

• Keeping your distance from others even when you feel well
• Repeated washing or cleaning to make sure nothing is passed on
• Guilt or panic after contact with someone vulnerable, such as a baby or older relative

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

Is fear of being contagious a sign of OCD?

It can be one part of obsessive compulsive disorder, but it can also appear with general health anxiety or after a period of illness. Only a qualified professional can say which applies, so if the fear is taking over your day, talking to a GP is a good place to start.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

See all session options and prices