Fear of having HIV among the most common phobias in Kolkata

Priyanka Dasgupta | TNN | Sep 17, 2016, KOLKATA: A technician's fatal fall to escape an Alsatian has opened up the discussion on the different kinds of phobias that Kolkatans are suffering from. While fear of dogs, lizards and mathematics are very common, city-based psychiatrists admit to coming across more extreme and sometimes weird cases. From homophobia to scare of having HIV, from worry over not having mobile connectivity to fear of being touched - a large number of Kolkatans are experiencing all of these and even more. Some are even tweaking around with their lifestyle to deal with their fear.

A very common phobia that doctors have reported is the fear of having HIV. A small cut in a salon is enough to trigger it. Some of these patients don't just live with the fear. They even go to the extent of getting HIV tests done. Sometimes, the tests are done repeatedly. Dissatisfied with repeated negative HIV tests, general physicians then refer them to psychiatrists. "They live with this fear despite having done the tests. Some also have similar phobia about having swine flu," said psychiatrist Dr Jairanjan Ram.

Psychiatrist Dr Abir Mukherjee has also come across this phobia. Mukherjee makes a distinction between obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and phobia. According to him persons with OCD experience persistent recurrent intrusive thoughts that might result in them avoiding imaginary situations. They might see a drop of blood on the floor and imagine that somehow they will have HIV from it. "In case of phobia, the person exercises caution in behaviour and might display a tendency to avoid real situations. He might not visit a parlour for fear of 'contacting' HIV," Mukherjee explained, also mentioning cases of patients suffering from fear of mosquito bites and earthquakes.

The increasing depending on mobile phones has led to the rise of nomophobia or the fear of no mobile connectivity because of network or battery charge issues. An investment banker from this city recently cut short his four-day vacation for river rafting because there was no mobile connectivity. Anil Punjabi, chairman (east) of the Travel Agents' Federation of India, has noticed how this fear among tourists has had them change their travel plans. "Recently parents didn't give permission to their children to go out camping to a place where there was no mobile connectivity." Fear of not having WiFi has also gone up.

Adding to this list is the pathological fear of contamination and germs or mysophobia. Psychologist Shibhika Singh came across a patient who just didn't want to touch the doorknobs. "She would wait for someone to offer assistance to help her open the doors. She is undergoing cognitive behavioural therapy to overcome this," she said.