Title. I don’t know what to consider it, whether it stems from body dysmorphia or whatever but I have a general (although not extremely impairing) fear and discomfort of nudity. This may be common, though I haven’t met anyone who’s as uncomfortable with nudity and their own body as I am.
Not so much a question for me, as one that might lead to something useful for you.
Does your phobia extend beyond a single sense?
As in, do the sounds of being naked bother you? Does tactile contact while nude bother you?
I’ve actually run into this twice irl, with patients. I used to be a nurse’s assistant, which involves bathing other people when they can’t do so themselves. Dressing them too. One of my patients was very mild in their aversion, they just didn’t want to be able to see that they were naked, so they had tons of ways to work around it. The other was much more severe, and I was one of the few caregivers willing to work with them.
Which is also a roundabout way of letting you know you’re not the only one :)
Yay! Thanks! :)
I haven’t really thought about the other ones, but I remember for sure that being naked and looking at nudity bothers me.
Sometimes, folks dealing with this kind of phobia can find relief during times where not having clothes on is necessary by limiting the senses that trigger the phobia the most.
As an example, while bathing, dropping the lights to bare minimum. While changing clothes, wearing headphones if the sounds make it harder to deal.
Some end up staying clothed partway during such occasions, by changing which parts are clothed one section at a time. Swimwear can help with bathing for sure. For changing, it’s possible to use a large draping piece of fabric that goes over everything, kind of tricking the mind so that it feels clothing on, even while different pieces of clothing are coming and going.
Unasked for advice isn’t necessarily a good idea, but it’s part of the conversation, so I felt okay doing it. Obviously, it’s never an obligation that anyone accept it or act on it