Phobia Friday: Caligynephobia

So I decided Fridays are a good day to highlight specific phobias that people may or may not be familiar with. These are (mostly) real problems that people have and shouldn't be laughed at. To start this off, today I will be showcasing Caligynephobia.

What is it?

Also known as Venustraphobia, this is an anxiety phobia that is defined as the abnormal fear of beautiful women. You might laugh, but this is a real problem for many people. Individuals who suffer from Venustraphobia are characterized by having poor social performance as well as an inability to function in general while in the presence of a beautiful woman.

How Does it Develop and Who Suffers From It?

There are several factors that could contribute to the development of this phobia, but the one factor that is common in most cases is that individuals also suffer from poor self image/esteem. These individuals feel they are inadequate, ugly or just unworthy to be talking to beautiful women. Of course this line of thinking leads to vulnerability and awkwardness around said women. Also, it is a common misconception that this phobia only affects men.

Treatment

The best treatment for this type of this type of phobia, just like many other phobias, is simply exposure therapy. Of course, you can't do what Maury does and just overwhelm the person with lots of objects the person is afraid of. While treatment strategies will differ from individual to individual, generally therapists will want to start by showing patients pictures of beautiful women. Once the individual can overcome his/her fear of the pictures, the therapist may upgrade treatment to include a real live beautiful woman. It is then the goal of the therapist to aid the patient in talking to said woman in a normal fashion.

And this is why Maury sucks as a "therapist."

Closing Statement

My name is Oosh, and I suffer from Caligynephobia. Thank you. EXEUNT!