All About Osmophobia, the Fear of Smells, and How to Overcome it with Psychological Therapy & Counselling

What is Osmophobia?

Osmophobia is the Fear of Smells and, like all other fears and phobias, can cause significant anxiety and stress if you suffer from it.

Our sense of smell is closely tied-in with our memory and so you may find that certain smells (rather than smells in general) can trigger specific memories, either good or bad.

There may be a number of reasons why you developed Osmophobia, for example:

• You may have experienced trauma which was linked to a specific smell which keeps getting activated.
• You might have developed a sensitivity to certain smells that cause you to feel nauseous.

Although phobias are often described as ‘disorders’, there is no valid scientific evidence that Osmophobia is the result of any kind of biological fault or chemical imbalance as proposed in the biomedical models of mental illness.

On the contrary, Osmophobia is much more likely to be the result of your own, subjective evaluation (what you think your experiences mean) of what happened to you and is therefore better described as a psychosocial symptom.

Osmophobia Symptoms & Behaviours

All phobias, including Osmophobia, create feelings of anxiety because phobic objects or situations are always perceived as a threat.

Consequently, the symptoms of Osmophobia are both specific and generic and may include:

• Avoid certain environments or people due to a specific smell.
• Experience flash-backs when exposed to certain smells.
• An elevated heart rate.
• A sense of dread about what might happen.
• Worrying that you might pass out.
• Feeling dizzy or disoriented.
• Having heart palpitations.
• Having a dry or sticky mouth.
• Hot sweats.
• Feeling Stressed.
• Difficulty breathing easily.
• Feelings of panic.

Moreover, you may have all, some or even different symptoms to these listed here and this is due to the subjective nature of Osmophobia.

Furthermore, you should also be aware that many of these somatic symptoms (symptoms felt in the body) listed above WILL subside over time and rarely last for more than 20 to 30 minutes.

What Causes Osmophobia?

it is likely that your Osmophobia is the result of either traumatic experiences or adverse situations that you experienced at some point in your life.

If, for example, you experienced some sort of abuse in the past in which the perpetrator had a very distinctive perfume or after-shave on, then smelling that perfume might trigger traumatic memories or recollections.

What’s more, because the Fear of Smells has never been linked to any biological factors, the most likely explanation for your Osmophobia is the way that you understood and made sense of your earlier experiences.

Counselling and Therapy for Osmophobia

We can offer you a number of different types of therapy and counselling for your Osmophobia the Fear of Smells.

Choosing the most suitable therapy depends on a number of different considerations including factors such as:

• How long you have had your phobia.
• Your personal preferences.
• How your phobia is affecting you today.

You can read more about the different types of therapy for Osmophobia on the following links:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Osmophobia
• Counselling for Osmophobia
• Pluralistic Therapy for the Fear of Smells

Although all forms of psychotherapy use slightly different approaches, the one thing they all have in common is the relationship that is formed between the client and therapist.

Furthermore, research also suggests that the therapy relationship may be the most important factor in achieving a good therapy outcome.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about overcoming Osmophobia or recovering from related mental health problems then why not arrange a free initial consultation with us.

During this consultation we will discuss your particular phobia and the different types of mental health counselling we offer without you having to commit to any counselling going forward.

The consultation lasts around 50 minutes and is a great opportunity to meet with either Paul or Joan and decide if you would like to proceed with any support.