Taijin Kyofusho (phobia of being a nuisance): symptoms and treatment

This mental disorder manifests itself through the fear of being a nuisance to others.

Communicating with our fellow men is something very important for the human being, being in fact one of the bases that has allowed the development and evolution of our species. It is something complex that is subject to the interpretation of both words and actions, which can sometimes be judged.

Sometimes fears or even phobias can appear in this sense, some of them influenced by the mentality of certain cultures and groups. Such is the case of the syndrome known as Taijin Kyofushoof which we are going to speak next.

Taijin Kyofusho: what is this mental alteration?

Taijin Kyofusho is a psychological disorder or condition characterized by the presence of a disproportionate and irrational fear that one's own communicative acts, body or physiological reactions may be noticed, judged and considered uncomfortable or annoying by other people. are noticed, judged and considered uncomfortable or annoying by other people..

This is a type of phobia very similar to social phobia, which until recently has been considered a cultural syndrome which until recently has been considered a cultural syndrome specific to Japan and, to a lesser extent, Korea.. However, it has now been observed that similar disorders exist in other parts of the world, and that some of its variants may correspond to other problems.

Symptoms

The possibility that other people feel discomfort or discomfort with different aspects of our being or our interaction with them generates a very high level of panic and anxiety. a very high level of panic and anxietyIt can also generate physiological reactions such as tachycardia, hyperventilation, sweating, Nausea and vomiting. It also tends to generate an avoidance of contact with others, or the use of mechanisms such as masks to avoid exposure of aspects such as breath or smile.

Types

Taijin Kyofusho is a general concept that encompasses the fear that our exposure to society may be a nuisance, but usually includes four much more specific subcategories.

1. Sekimen-kyofu

This term refers to the phobia of reddening in public and making it uncomfortable for others. to others.

2. Shubo-kyofu

In this case, the phobia is linked to the perception of one's own body as deformed or to dissatisfaction with one's own body: it is the phobia that the sight of one's own body or figure is annoying or uncomfortable.

3. Jikoshisen-kyofu

This phobia refers to the phobia of maintaining eye contact, something that generates panic at the thought of the discomfort it may represent..

4. Jikoshu-kyofu

The body odor is in this case the stimulus that generates panic anxiety, or rather the idea that it can generate discomfort in others.

Difference with conventional social phobia

The truth is that the Taijin Kyofusho could be considered a variant of social phobia, since they are deeply linked.The truth is that Taijin Kyofusho could be considered a variant of social phobia, since they are deeply linked and are based on the panic to expose oneself socially.

However, there are some nuances that make us talk about a differentiated variant: in social phobia the panic is to be judged negatively while in this variant of fear is more linked to being a nuisance to others.

In addition, typical components that could be identified with other phobias such as erythrophobia can also be found.

Causes of this disorder

The causes of taijin kyofusho syndrome are not yet fully known, especially considering how specific it has been until recently.

However, as a variant of social phobia it is possible to hypothesize about it. It is considered that it may be product of previous traumatic experiences during development and early socialization, perhaps with the subject being increpPerhaps the subject has been rebuked or marginalized by some of the above aspects (especially by parents, partners or circles of friends or in general by highly significant persons), by considering themselves inadequate or incompetent, having low self-esteem or having observed how someone was judged by some of the phobic stimuli mentioned.

It is also associated with a lack or limitation of opportunities for normative social interaction. It is also associated with shy and inhibited, or extremely self-controlled personalities.

The reason that Taijin Kyofusho is so relatively prevalent in Japan and Korea, and in fact has led to its consideration as a culture-dependent syndrome, is due to the type of thinking and mentality characteristic of those cultures. In fact, a higher prevalence has been a higher prevalence has been observed in collectivist cultures such as those already mentioned, since there is a much greater tendency than in individualistic cultures to generate personal identity on the basis of social consideration.

It may also derive from the high level of social demands maintained by societies such as Japan, with very high demands and expectations for all its citizens.

Treatment

The taijin kyofusho is a phobic problem that, like the rest of phobias, can be treated.

First of all, it would be necessary to analyze which stimuli generate fear, the significance that the subject gives to it, when the phobia originated and why the person believes that it appeared. It would also be necessary to evaluate the contexts in which it usually appears, if there are some contexts in which it does not appear and the difficulties it generates for the person in daily life. Also what importance is given to socialization, what it would mean to be a nuisance to others or why he/she thinks he/she might be a nuisance to others. or why he/she thinks he/she might be.

Once this has been done, one of the most common therapies is exposure therapyIn this therapy, the subject is gradually and gradually exposed to a series of situations in order to cope with the anxiety. First of all, a hierarchy of exposures would be made together with the patient and little by little the exposures would be made, each item being made until in at least two successive exposures the anxiety is significantly reduced before moving on to the next one.

At the same time, the set of beliefs about oneself, society or the way of interacting with it could be worked on through techniques such as cognitive restructuring. The objective would be to generate more adaptive interpretations of reality than the original ones, linked to the idea of the negative effects of one's own presence on others. It would also be necessary to to try to lower self-demanding and the importance given to the expectations that one considers oneself to have on oneself.

In severe cases the use of pharmacological treatment could be necessary, in order to reduce the level of anxiety while learning to manage it.

Referencias bibliográficas:

• Suzuki, K., Takei, N., Kawai, M., Minabe, Y. and Mori, N. (2003). Is Taijin Kyofusho a Culture-Bound Syndrome?. The American Journals oficina Psychiatry.
• Takahaski, T. (1989). Social phobia syndrome in Japan. Compr Psychiatry, 30: 45-52.
• Vriends, N., Pfaltz, M.C., Novianti, P. & Hadiyono, J. (2013). Taijin Kyofusho and Social Anxiety and Their Clinical Relevance in Indonesia and Switzerland. Front Psychol. 2013; 4: 3.