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Am I really a nudist, or is it just a phobia I'm
going through?
The Nude
Café's Liz
Egger helps a friend through a phobia and discovers plenty of her own!
( March / April 2006)
 I think I need treatment. Maybe a spell on a consulting room couch, or,
even better, a long holiday somewhere quiet. I’m quite worried what will
happen to me if I don’t. Oh oh! That’s another one. Agateophobia,
(Fear of insanity or becoming insane) unless I’m very much mistaken. I’d
better lie down…
It all started a little while ago, when I received a letter from a
desperate young lady who was absolutely unable to undress in front of
her husband—in fact she hated to see her nude body even reflected in
the mirror. This wasn’t just a case of advanced shyness or excess
modesty on her part; it was an almost pathological fear of being, or
being seen, naked. This
was, understandably, placing something of a strain on her marriage, and
she wrote to me hoping that I, as a lifelong happy nudist, could give
her some guidance.
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This sounded like a medical condition about which I was unqualified to
offer advice—(What could I say? “Just get ‘em off girl and enjoy
yourself”! Not exactly helpful in a case like this.)—and so I made a
few enquiries. I found out that she might be suffering from something
called Nudophobia (fear of nudity), or possibly Dishabiliophobia,
(fear of undressing in front of someone) or even Kolpophobia
(fear of genitals, particularly female). All of these are recognised phobias
which, though distressing, can be successfully treated, and I was able
to refer her to a specialist who could help her. She has contacted me
recently, and fortunately is finding the treatment helpful.
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So, a happy ending for Vera (for that was the lady’s name). But the
start of troubled times for me.
According
to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobia),
a phobia
(from the Greek φόβος "fear"),
is a strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities, or
persons. The main symptom of this disorder is the excessive,
unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. Now, in the course of
my research I’d come across a list of phobias so long that I feared I
might develop wrinkles before I’d finished, (Rhytiphobia), and
the briefest perusal of this list led to the realisation that, far from
being the healthily uncomplicated gal that I thought I was, I am,
in fact, a seething mass of phobias, with an excessive
and unreasonable desire to avoid all sorts of things. It’s no consolation to know that I don’t suffer from Nudophobia,(see
above) or Arachibutyrophobia (fear of peanut butter sticking to
the roof of the mouth), when I discover that I have Taphephobia,
(fear of being buried alive) Atomosophobia (fear of atomic
explosions) and Pnigerophobia
(fear of choking or being smothered), not to mention Paraskavedekatriaphobia
(fear of Friday the 13th) and, God help me,. Helminthophobia
(fear of being infested with worms).
I’ve always known that I suffered from Aviophobia, Aviatophobia
or Pteromerhanophobia (all
manifestations of the fear of flying) but I just didn’t realise
that that was what they’re called, and with a possible worldwide
pandemic of bird-flu threatening our health I think I might get Alektorophobia
(fear of chickens) to accompany my Nosophobia (fear of
becoming ill) and Nosocomephobia (fear of
hospitals). Come to think of it, if this epidemic is going to be
as virulent as the boffins say, it might be prudent to develop Pteronophobia
(fear of being tickled by feathers) as well.
Still, at least I don’t suffer from Oenophobia, (fear of wines)
or Erotophobia, (fear of sex) thank goodness, and being a
nudist I laugh in the face of Scopophobia or Ophthalmophobia
(fear of being stared at), although
it’s just occurred to me that nudism itself might be a form of
Vestiphobia (fear
of clothes).
Oh dear. It’s enough to give a girl Phobophobia
(fear of phobias)
Anyway, I can’t hang around here feeling sorry for myself. I’ve got
work to do, and it’s just as well that I don’t have
Logizomechanophobia (fear of computers) or—how about this one — Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
(fear of long words), or I’d have to give up writing and find a
proper job.
And it’s no good you laughing and being smug. I’ll bet you’ve got
lots of phobias too. Check out The Phobia List at http://snipurl.com/ngbl
and find out; there’s plenty to choose from and you’re bound to
discover some nice juicy ones with which you can baffle your shrink .
And me? I’ve got myself so confused that I’ve decided that only
sensible thing is to have Panophobia (fear of everything) and
forget about everything else.
I’ll get less of a phobia about it in the long run.
Regards
Liz
liz@thenudecafe.com
This article may not be published, copied, printed
transmitted or otherwise used without the written consent
of the author.)
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