What is Aphenphosmphobia in Death Stranding?

Death Stranding’s protagonist, Sam Porter Bridges, Aphenphosmphobia, but what exactly is it?

Death Stranding is out, and people all over the world are doing their best to deliver cargo and not get dragged into the murky depths by BTs. The main character, Sam Porter Bridges, is an interesting guy in the world of Death Stranding. Not only can his bodily fluids be turned into weapons, but he is also somehow tuned in to the presence of BTs, and the weird happens of the Chiral Network. On top of that, he suffers from Aphenphosmphobia. In this guide, we’ll talk about what exactly Aphenphosmphobia is.

What is Aphenphosmphobia in Death Stranding?

Aphenphosmphobia is a fear, or phobia, of being touched. People who suffer from it find it extremely difficult to tolerate physical contact with other people. It is a rare psychological condition, thought to be derived from differences in brain chemistry, and sometimes as a result of trauma. This is a real condition and has not been invented just for the game.

Symptoms include panic, heart palpitations, dizziness, disassociation, and even full-blown panic attacks. Sufferers can also have severely impacted social lives and physical health problems due to the inability to function normally at times.

In Death Stranding, Sam’s condition is well known and is represented in the early game by his refusal to shake hands with people. Even when he is wearing gloves, he still doesn’t like any contact with another human being. It is a little heavy-handed, as is often the case with Kojima games. Still, there is a dichotomy established as Sam, who has Aphenphosmphobia, is the person chosen to try and connect the former United States.

What is interesting is that during moments of separation, or imaginings in his head, Sam seems to be able to imagine touching people. That is as far as we will go here, though, for fear of spoilers.

If you have been wondering if Aphenphosmphobia is a real condition, though, the answer is yes. This is something that a small number of people in the population must live with every day, and not something that is exclusive to Sam Porter Bridges in Death Standing.