Fear is an adaptive emotion that helps us react and protect ourselves from danger. When that terror does not have rational reasons and affects your daily functions, it is when it becomes a phobia. And there are many types of phobias, some of which we know and understand, while others are rare phobias that surprise us.
If you feel identified with the statement ‘I’m afraid to undress’, it is possible that you suffer from disability phobia. We tell you what it is and what the best way to overcome it is.
What is disability phobia?
With the exception of naturists, most people feel uncomfortable and unprotected when they take off their clothes in front of other people. Luckily, there are not many situations in which you have to undress, but the occasions in which you have to do it is important: in the gym, in a hospital or in bed with you.
Disability phobia is the fear of undressing and people who suffer from this phobia are unable to take off their clothes in situations that require it. They avoid going to the gym, they experience anguish when they have to undressing and they have relationship problems or a zero sexual life because they can’t stand seeing themselves naked.
Why am I afraid to undress?
What causes a phobia? You have to delve into the deepest mechanisms of the mind to discover the cause of a phobia. In the case of this fear of taking off their clothes, it may be a previous unpleasant experience that caused them a shock. Perhaps an unpleasant experience in a locker room during childhood or even some sexual abuse that has not been adequately dealt with.
In addition, in the case of disabiliophobia, the person’s self-esteem comes into play. Toper son about her body, mortified because her body does not meet the beauty standards imposed by society or prey to some supposed physical complexes, can go from an initial reluctance to take off their clothes to a phobic disorder.
The consequences of the fear of undressing
Disability phobia causes a series of physical consequences that translate into hyperventilation, sweating, nausea, headache and tachycardia. Added to this is an altered mental state of panic, anguish, shame, mental confusion, and negative thoughts. And that’s when the avoidance of the situation occurs.
It is evident that avoiding the situation is not only not the solution to the problem, but rather aggravates it because it considerably reduces the quality of life of the person who suffers from this phobia. Relationship problems, social isolation and a deterioration in self-esteem are just the beginning of the consequences that disability phobia can cause.
Treatment for this phobia
But like all phobias, the fear of getting naked can also be overcome. And for that it is necessary to put yourself in the hands of psychology professionals who will choose the best treatment according to the characteristics of the patient. Cognitive behavioral therapy and systematic desensitization usually work.
The type of therapy chosen to treat the phobia is usually accompanied by relaxation or meditation techniques, with Mindfulness and acceptance therapy as protagonists. But in the specific case of disabilityphobia, esteem also plays a crucial role.