Abstract

Nosocomephobia (no-so-comb-phobia) is defined as the excessive fear of hospitals.

Marc Siegel, a doctor and associate professor at the New York University Medical Center says, "It's perfectly understandable why many people feel the way they do about a hospital stay," and continues, "You have control of your life ... up until you're admitted to a hospital." U.S. President Richard Nixon was known to have a fear of hospitals after refusing to get a treatment for a blood clot in 1974 saying, "if I go into the hospital, I'll never come out alive."

Nosocomephobia comes from the Greek νοσοκομεῖον ("nosokomeion"), "hospital" and φόβος ("phobos"), "fear".