Cibophobia: Taking a closer look at the crippling fear of food

What is cibophobia? It is a type of specific phobia that affects your relationship with food. In simple words, you experience an intense fear of food. It is important to note that a phobia is not the same as a fear or dislike. There are many foods that we may avoid due to dietary preferences or certain allergies. However, food phobia is a recurrent pattern of anxiety or panic about being near certain foods.

It is not just associated with not eating specific foods. Rather, it can involve being afraid even of the name or sight of the food item. Fear can cause significant distress and even the avoidance of certain food items. Recognizing the causes and treatment of food phobia is, therefore, of prime importance.

What happens when we become fearful of things we see on a regular basis? (Image via Vecteezy/ Stefan Amer)

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What causes cibophobia?

Phobias can stem from various factors. (Image via Freepik/ Cookie studio)

This phobia is not the same as an eating disorder, and yet, it can have a pervasive impact on your well-being and functioning. Depending on the severity, individuals may fear items in general or may have developed them only for specific foods. People may experience intense cognitive and physical symptoms of anxiety.

Often, people can also experience panic attacks if they are exposed to their feared object. Some common physical changes may force individuals to starve themselves and experience malnutrition. You may also experience an obsessive need to protect yourself from these perceived "dangerous foods."

Phobia causes help us trace the root from which the symptoms developed. One of the most common causes is traumatic experiences associated with food. For instance, perhaps your primary caregiver forced you to eat a food, even though you hated it in your childhood or perhaps you ate a food that led to severe physical health issues.

You may also learn to dislike or hate certain foods due to excessive media exposure. Social media trends have taken over the foods that we should and should not consume. As a consumer, you can naturally feel frightened to try certain food items and, in some cases, develop cibophobia.

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Cibophobia treatment that you can try out

Treatment for food phobia is possible. (Image via Freepik/ DC studio)

A comprehensive assessment and diagnosis can help you get started on the necessary treatment. You may believe if it's a singular food item, it may be easier to ignore it at all costs. Unfortunately, fear breeds fear. This means, avoiding treatment for phobias in the long run can create an endless spiral of fear.

Cibophobia can be treated with Exposure and Response Prevention therapy. It not only slowly exposes you to the feared object but also builds your internal confidence in managing the fear.

Management also includes training yourself in relaxation techniques that can help you feel grounded. The primary goal of therapy is to befriend anxiety and recognize it as a survival mechanism. Another modality that you can try is eye movement and desensitization reprocessing. This therapy uses bilateral stimulation while talking about the traumatic memories associated with the phobia.

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Cibophobia can have an incapacitating effect on your health. They make your brain feel that it is always in danger and stop you from actively engaging in experiences. Cibophobia is a treatable condition, so don't let it affect your relationship with food and yourself.

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Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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