phobia

The scope and effect of phobias are often minimized and downplayed, making the sufferer feel less validated and poorly about themselves.

My swimsuit phobia started in middle school — that breeding ground of body shame and fear. One minute I’m a kid excitedly putting on my pink two-piece and running into the ocean, the next, I’m avoiding any place where people are known to live in their swimsuits and I might be forced to wear one.

New research suggests that seemingly irrational fears may stem from traumatic memories passed down through the generations.