Table of contents:

Phagophobia: what is it?
What are the causes of phagophobia?
What problems does phagophobia lead to?
Phagophobia: what should it be differentiated with?
Treatment of phagophobia

One of the more intriguing entities, classified as psychiatric, are specific phobias. This type of disorder involves patients' fear of a variety of specific factors - examples of specific phobias include arachnophobia, in which patients experience an extremely strong fear of spiders, or dendrophobia, or fear of trees.

Some phobias are more widely known - after all, claustrophobia and xenophobia are not unfamiliar to too many people - but other phobias are much less talked about. The latter group includes phagophobia.

Phagophobia: what is it?

The term phagophobia is derived from the Greek words phagein (which means 'to eat') and phobos (translated as 'fear'). So, literally translated, phagophobia would involve patients having a fear of food, but the essence of the problem is actually a little different. Patients with phagophobia may indeed avoid taking food or even liquids, but if this is the case, it is rather because they are afraid of choking or choking.

Phagophobia is an extremely rare condition, and statistics on its exact prevalence are not even known. However, scientists have already been able to draw some conclusions as to what might lead patients to develop this problem.

What are the causes of phagophobia?

Phagophobia is not usually a stand-alone and only problem that exists in the patient experiencing it. Phagophobia-like symptoms can occur, for example, in people who have an anxiety disorder with panic attacks. An unreasonable fear of choking on food or liquids may be associated with panic episodes.

It has also been observed that the onset of phagophobia may be preceded by patients experiencing some traumatic, psychologically severe events. Such events may be, for example, the experience of choking, but also becoming a victim of domestic violence or rape. The above are only selected phenomena that may be associated with the occurrence of phagophobia - in fact, the occurrence of this disorder may be preceded by various events, heavy for the psyche of a given patient.

What problems does phagophobia lead to?

Initially, the patient's episodes of fear of choking may occur sporadically, but over time their frequency may increase, until eventually the patient experiences a fear of eating anything all the time. People with phagophobia may experience a fear of eating, drinking or even taking any medication orally. If a person with phagophobia decides to eat something, he or she may chew the food in question for an exceptionally long time - this kind of thorough grinding of accepted bites of food would be to reduce the risk that choking will occur.

Phagophobia, or fear of eating and drinking, photo: shutterstock

It is quite obvious what happens to a person who significantly reduces their food intake. In the case of phagophobia , patients may experience a drastic weight loss and are also at increased risk of dehydration. Ultimately, patients may present with the kind of clinical picture seen in people with anorexia - they may eventually develop cachexia. It is for this reason that phagophobia - although some people may find it amusing - should be treated as a serious problem, as it can eventually even lead to a life-threatening condition.

Phagophobia: what should one differentiate it from?

Before a patient can be diagnosed with phagophobia, it is first necessary to rule out the existence of other conditions that may be related to the eating disorder. This includes both psychiatric and somatic illnesses.

The psychiatric disorders with which phagophobia must be differentiated are primarily eating disorders - anorexia and bulimia. Before diagnosing a patient with phagophobia, it should also be checked whether he or she is suffering from depression - after all, anorexia can also occur in the course of affective disorders.

Before a diagnosis of phagophobia is made, organic causes of the patient's complaints should also always be ruled out. Impaired swallowing - a condition known as dysphagia - can even be caused by cancer, which is why it is so important for a phagophobic patient to have a comprehensive diagnosis of their condition.

Treatment of phagophobia

Patients with phagophobia benefit from various psychotherapeutic interventions. Among these, exposure therapy is worth mentioning in particular. Initially, the patient is instructed to eat foods with a smooth consistency, i.e. foods that are easy to swallow. This is to show the patient that there is not really a risk of choking associated with swallowing. In subsequent stages of therapy, the patient is instructed to eat an increasing variety of foods.
This therapy model is based on the knowledge of conditioning phenomena, i.e. how the organism becomes accustomed to certain situations or phenomena.

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Rare but dangerous - phagophobia

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