Mysophobia refers to the intense and irrational fear of germs, dirt, or contamination. It is a type of specific phobia, which is a fear that is pervasive and interferes with daily functioning. An individual with mysophobia has an obsessive worry about contracting an illness from various sources, including bodily fluids and bacteria.

It is one of the most prevalent types of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a psychiatric diagnosis characterized by excessive thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Repetitive behaviors associated with mysophobia may include excessive hand washing or bathing. Individuals with mysophobia may also feel an intense urge to avoid situations where they feel they can become contaminated, or they may go to extreme efforts to remove sources of contamination.

Self-Confidence is about trusting your own abilities and judgements and behaving accordingly.  Someone can have high Self-Esteem but a Low-Confidence to perform a certain task, and vice versa. However, it is common for one to influence the other. 

Experiences of low Self-Esteem and/or low Self-Confidence are very common amongst young people, with 75% of all young people acknowledging the experience of not feeling confident.  If you struggle with your Self-Esteem you may not place a lot of value on yourself, magnifying the mistakes you make, and minimising your personal achievements.  This can impact on your ability to recognise and acknowledge what you are good at, or the things you like about yourself which can then influence behaviours that may not be helpful.  You may hold some negative beliefs about yourself such as “I am worthless” or “I am not good enough”.

Overtime these negative self -beliefs can have a big impact on our mental health and emotional wellbeing so it is important to try to break this cycle and challenge our beliefs.

Low self-esteem means not holding yourself in high regard.

If you have low self-esteem, you might feel shy or anxious around other people, think of yourself as incapable or criticize yourself harshly.

Some people with low self-esteem know that they judge themselves too harshly, whereas others hold onto their negative beliefs so strongly that they can feel like facts.

Low self-esteem affects many people, and may make you more vulnerable to struggling with other mental health problems. Fortunately, there are helpful psychological approaches for improving your self-esteem.

Loss of libido (sex drive) is a common problem affecting up to 1 in 5 men – and even more women – at some point in their life.

It's often linked to professional and personal stress, or important life-changing events such as pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.

However, an unexpected loss of libido – especially when it lasts for a long time or keeps returning – can also indicate an underlying personal, medical or lifestyle problem, which can be upsetting to both partners in a relationship.