Am I
Really A Nudist, or is It Just a Phobia I'm Going Through?
By Liz
Egger
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 even to see her nude body 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 nudist, could give her some
guidance.
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 Gymnophobia, sometimes 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.
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) phobia
(from the Greek word for 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 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 to baffle your shrink and impress your
friends with.
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 the
rest.
I’ll get less of a phobia about
it in the long run.
-
Liz Egger is a writer and a
nudist who has spent twenty years of her life trying to persuade
the rest of the world that nudism is an effective, wholesome and
natural antidote to the pressures of modern living. Her new
book, "The Complete Guide to Nudism and Naturism" will
be published shortly. For more information about the book or
anything to do with naturism, visit her web-site The Nude Café
(http://www.thenudecafe.com),a
popular online rendezvous for nudists and a source of fresh
nudist ideas, information, inspiration and conversation.
Copyright © Liz Egger
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