Gymnosis the Greek root word for “naked” or “bare” and you are likely familiar with its use in the wordgymnasiumwhich was named during the time period when athletes competed in the nude. It is plain to see from historical Greek artwork that the nude body was an object of admiration.

Many people with gymnophobia are unable to participate in sexual activities and may develop a more generalizedgenophobia, orfear of sexthat stems from their gymnophobia. In extreme cases, this fear can even lead toablutophobia, orfear of bathing or showering.

Causes

In 2023, a group of clinicians provided the “Nudity Confidence Survey” to over 3000 Americans, and asked how comfortable they are being naked in varying situations. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the least comfortable and 10 being the most comfortable, people ranked situations as follows:

Having surgical scars or other disfigurements can cause increased shame in one’s body that can easily develop into a fear of being naked in front of people.

Culture: Some cultures are more open to communal showers and changing rooms, and you may have discovered some health spas are “clothing optional.” However, for others it can be uncomfortable, even shocking, to be in a setting where everyone is hanging out in their birthday suit.

Peer Pressure:Children and young teens may also develop this fear if they are bullied or shamed for some reason related to their bodies, for example, if they are developing more or less rapidly than their peers. Additionally, social media creates high levels of pressure on today’s youth to conform to an ideal body type.

Avoidant Personality Disorder: Symptoms and Treatment

Trauma: A fear of being vulnerable or intimate can develop after being hurt in relationships. Those who have been through sexual trauma are certainly at increased risk for thisphobia, partially because they feel especially vulnerable when naked or they experience nudity as a triggering event. If you have experienced a sexual assault, you are at higher risk forpost-traumatic stress disorderas well.

Understanding Your Triggers

Coping Strategies

Many people with gymnophobia find that simple adjustments help them to keep their fears at bay.

For example, they may refuse to shop in stores that have communal dressing rooms, they can skip the shower after a workout, and they may have sex with the lights off. For mild to moderate gymnophobia, this can be all that’s required to keep the condition from disrupting their life.

For some, the fear can be overwhelming, and gymnophobic persons can find themselves avoiding an increasingly long list of activities in order to prevent being naked or showing their bodies. It’s when gymnophobia is having a profoundly disruptive effect on a person’s life — for example, they avoid dating or cease to bathe — that it is necessary to take action.

Treatment for Gymnophobia

Gymnophobia, like all phobias, responds well to a variety of treatment methods. Depending on your therapist’s school of thought, you may be encouraged toprobe your pastto determine the root cause of your fear. Or you may simply learn techniques forovercoming your current fearful thoughts. If it is something that interferes with your ability to be intimate with your partner, you may consider asex therapistwho specializes in this area.

Whichever path you take, overcoming gymnophobia takes time and effort, but the rewards are well worth the trouble. That doesn’t mean you will suddenly be spending time at nude beaches, but you might find yourself enjoying a more confident and satisfying life without the burden of worrying about your body at every turn.

A Word From Verywell

It may seem embarrassing to seek treatment for such a private and personal matter, but you deserve to be free from any anxiety that holds you back from a more satisfying life.

The Best Online Therapy for Anxiety, Tried and Tested

1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bespoke Surgical.The nudity confidence survey.Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(5th ed., text revision); 2022.

1 Source

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bespoke Surgical.The nudity confidence survey.Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(5th ed., text revision); 2022.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Bespoke Surgical.The nudity confidence survey.

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(5th ed., text revision); 2022.

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