Musophobia or Muriphobia- Fear of mice
It could be said that since the beginning of recorded time, man has had an uneasy relationship with rodents. We recognise that they are not a great threat to humans (the exception of course is that rats can carry disease and cause death and carnage across great populations, lest we forget the horrors of the black death which was carried by rats) Mice are obviously related to the rat, but rather than these creatures causing illness and death, they are something that people simply fear. For those old enough to remember, this fear was a central theme of the Tom and Jerry cartoons. With women standing on chairs and shrieking at the mere site of a mouse. Musophobia is a pathological fear of mice.
Musophobia, very often is a fear which begins in childhood, sometimes being traumatised by the cartoon mentioned above. Also, the fear is can be caused by witnessing a parent reacting to the site of a mouse. Finally, this fear can be caused at a later stage in life, simply by coming into contact with a mouse via site.
When treating this condition, it is necessary to be able to break the negative associations that a person may have regarding the mouse and potential danger. This often is the association with a rat. This can be accomplished by using hypnotic imagery.
