Ablutophobia Definition:
The word ablation means “to remove” or “to destroy”. A literal translation would be “destruction of the body”, but it’s not quite right since it doesn’t really mean the physical destruction of a person.
It refers to something else. For example, if someone says they don’t like being touched by strangers, that could be considered ablation.
So what does it refer to?
Well, there are several possible interpretations. One interpretation is that it refers to the act of removing something from another person’s body. Another interpretation is that it refers to the removal of some sort of substance from a person’s body. Still another interpretation is that it refers to the belief that touching other people’s bodies will cause them harm.
What exactly does ablutophobia mean?
It means fear or hatred towards bathing facilities.
That sounds pretty simple, but how do we define these words?
When we say ablation, we’re referring to the actual physical act of destroying something. For example, when you throw away a piece of trash, you actually physically destroy it. You don’t just get rid of it; you literally break it into tiny pieces. Similarly with the word ablation, we’re talking about breaking up something so much that its essence is lost completely.
So why do people have such a strong dislike against bathing facilities?
The short answer is that we don’t fully understand why. It’s a very complex disorder, but we do know that it causes people to feel a strong fear towards showers, baths, and any other bathing facilities. For some people, they need bathing facilities to survive, since the human body can only sustain itself for a certain length of time before it starts to decay and die. For these people, avoiding bathing facilities isn’t an option.
So do such people really have ablutophobia?
The answer is debatable, but it’s the closest thing to a true ablutophobia definition we have, assuming that such people do actually suffer from the condition.
Ablutophobia Pronunciation:
Many people are interested in how to pronounce ablutophobia. The good news is that it’s not too difficult.
Let’s break it down into syllables, shall we?
A-bloo-toe-pho-bee. There you go! Ablutophobia stories are common, and they often contain useful information about the condition.
Ablutophobia Stories:
In this section, we’ll talk about what it’s like to live with ablutophobia. It’s always important to keep in mind that everyone is different, so a phobia is going to manifest itself in a unique way for each individual suffering from it.
With that being said, there are some commonalities among people with ablutophobia. For example, you may notice a sharp rise in heart rate when you enter a room with a bathtub or showerhead. Some people might start sweating profusely. Others get tunnel vision and can only focus on their impending shower (or lack thereof). Many also experience nausea when they think about taking a shower.
It’s important to remember that these aren’t “weaknesses” to be ashamed of. A phobia is a condition that needs to be addressed, not something to make fun of.
That’s why we want to share some ablutophobia stories from other people who suffer from it. These will give you a better idea of what it’s like to live life with a phobia of bathing facilities.
Ablutophobia Story #1:
I remember the first time someone close to me told me they had ablutophobia. I don’t know why, but the way she said it in such a somber tone really freaked me out.
I think that might’ve been my first real introduction to ablutophobia. The way I found out is actually pretty funny now that I think about it.
We were setting up the sprinklers on this field near our high school to play football on, and my friend wanted to make sure they were all working. He grabbed a shovel, walked over to one, and started digging around it.
Not paying attention, he stuck his hand down into the water flow of the sprinkler and yanked his hand out when he felt the piercing cold water on his hand.
He ran around screaming, “It burns! It burns!”
I remember thinking, doesn’t every kind of water feel cold at first?
We tried to calm him down, but he kept saying that the water burned him. He lifted up his soaking wet shirt and showed us his stomach, which was bright red. It wasn’t until we were on the bus home that he told us why it burned so bad. He said he had a fear of bathing facilities (ablutophobia). I didn’t really understand what ablutophobia was at the time, but after doing some research…I get it now.
Ablutophobia Story #2:
One day, I was wandering around the internet, looking for something to do. I had just gotten home from school and didn’t feel like doing my homework.
While I was browsing websites, I came upon this forum about phobias. It was actually pretty interesting, so I started to read through it. There were all different types of people from all over the world sharing their personal stories about their own phobias. It was pretty interesting.
I got to the section about ablutophobia and started reading the stories. There were a lot of them, and they all made me laugh a little bit because they were all so specific and crazy.
One story that really stood out to me was about a man who would only shower in winter when his hot water tank was already full, otherwise he would go days without showering. It was kind of disgusting to be honest, but it was still pretty funny.
Ablutophobia Story #3:
I used the internet to learn more about my condition. I had heard of ablutophobia before but I never knew that it had a name.
I thought it was just something weird that I was afraid of. You wouldn’t believe how many people out there have phobias like this. It’s amazing how the human mind works.
When I was exploring the internet and learning about ablutophobia I also came across information on sexuality. I had already known for a while that I was probably gay (I’m not sure why, I just had a hunch) but I hadn’t really done much research on it.
When I finally looked it up on the internet, there was just so much information out there! From forums to videos to news articles about famous people who were gay, it was all very overwhelming at first.
I think one of the things that really stood out to me was how accepting everyone was of gay people. I read so many stories about how homosexuality is hated upon in modern society.
It’s amazing that people can be so narrow minded.
Ablutophobia Story #4:
I still remember the first time I had a panic attack while bathing in the school shower room. It was only my third time showering there, because I had been too nervous to do so before.
I had finished bathing and was about to get out when I realized I had forgotten to bring in my clothes. The closest locker was on the other side of the shower room and I didn’t want walk back across naked, so I decided to just wait until everyone else got out.
There were only a few minutes left until the bell rang so I figured it would be fine.
Little did I know, everyone else had gotten out two minutes before. I heard the announcement over the intercom for everyone to get to class, and it was only then that I had realized what I had done.
By this point, I was so panicked that I couldn’t bring myself to walk out there naked. The bell rang again signalling that I was late to class, so I just stayed in the shower stall, trying to will myself to move.
I don’t know how long I was in there for, but eventually the janitor opened the door and I couldn’t get out of the shower stall fast enough. He told me to hurry up and get to class, but the damage had already been done.
I was given a week of after school detention and my parents were called. They were angry, saying that I had embarrassed them. I tried to explain why I was late, but they wouldn’t listen. I knew they wouldn’t understand.
Ablutophobia Story #5:
It was my first time trying out for the track team, and I was pretty nervous. I had never been a very athletic person, and the idea of running laps around a field until I puked was not exactly appealing to me.
Still, all of my friends had joined the team and were trying out, so I decided to sign up as well. I knew I probably wouldn’t make it, but it was worth a shot.
The morning of the tryouts, I woke up with a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had been having panic attacks for as long as I could remember, but this one was different.
I couldn’t get out of bed no matter how hard I tried. My legs felt heavy and my body ached all over.
I really wanted to join the track team, but I just couldn’t bring myself to try out that day. I cried and curled up in my blankets for the entire day.
I was too scared to go outside, in case someone from school found out that I didn’t try out. That night when my parents came home from work, they asked me why I hadn’t joined the others on the field. I told them that I was scared. It was the first time I can remember ever using that word to describe how I felt.
My parents didn’t ask me any questions, they just hugged me and agreed to call the school the next day to explain the situation. I don’t know if they did, but nobody from the school ever called or came by our house.
I was never questioned about not going to tryouts either, so I assume my parents must have covered for me.
For the next few months, I lived in constant fear that someone from the school would contact my parents and expose my secret. I stopped hanging out with my friends from track, and refused to leave the house whenever I knew someone from school might bump into me.
The whole experience changed me drastically, I still have nightmares about that day.
Ablutophobia Story #6:
I was a young intern working at a hospital when it happened. One moment, I was laughing at a joke with one of the nurses, the next I was waking up on a cold operating table with my arms handcuffed above my head.
It was dark, but the lights from the hallway lit up the room just enough so that I could see the shadowy figures that were surrounding my table.
As I tried to scream, a hand clamped down on my mouth. I could feel the cold liquid running down my throat as I swallowed and immediately felt lightheaded.
The room was spinning, and I couldn’t make out any of the faces looking down at me. Just before I passed out, I heard the group of people discussing whether or not to keep me alive for their experiments.
I awoke hours later in a cold sweat. My sheets were wrapped around me like a cocoon, and my heart was beating out of my chest.
I was in my bed at my parents house, and it had all been a dream. I knew it had been, but I still felt like something was wrong.
I looked around my room and couldn’t shake the feeling that someone or something else was there.
My closet?
I decided to leave the comfort of my covers and venture out into the darkness of my room to investigate.
I turned on the light and immediately saw what was out of place. The middle of my room had been trampled down as if some sort of animal had been rooting through my belongings.
I brushed it off as a neighborhood cat, but felt the need to double check my closet.
As I slowly opened the door, I saw that all of my clothes had been torn from their hangers and thrown all over the floor. Someone had definitely gone through my things.
I quickly scanned the floor for anything that might have been taken, but my wallet, laptop and electronics were still there.
Baffled by what I saw, I heard a noise coming from my bathroom. I slowly crept towards the closed door and listened as it continued to get louder.
There was someone in there!
I backed away from the door as my heart raced a million miles an hour. I reached underneath my bed and pulled out a baseball bat I kept hidden there for protection.
After taking a deep breath, I burst into the bathroom ready to bash whatever creepers head in.
Calm as can be, I slowly approached the shower and opened the glass door. As I did so, I saw that there was no one in there after all.
But, my toothbrush had been broken in half and was covered in toothpaste.
I spent the rest of the night on edge as I waited for something else to happen. Eventually exhaustion took over and I slept for a few hours.
When I awoke, the sun shined through my window warming up my back. It was just another peaceful morning.
Was it all a dream?
I got out of bed and tip toed to the bathroom as I didn’t want to hit my feet on the cold floor. Once I reached my destination, I closed the door and flipped on the light.
That’s when I saw it. Scratched into the white ceramic of my bathroom wall, were three words.
“You’re next”, was written in black Sharpie.
I immediately called the police and filed a report, but by the time they arrived there was no evidence. The writing on the wall had been wiped clean, and there was no sign that anyone had broken into my house at all.
Still, they told me that this would be taken seriously and to expect a patrol car to cruise by every now and then. I wasn’t sure if that made me feel any safer.
That night I found it difficult to fall asleep. I kept waking up and checking my phone to see what time it was.
Every sound I heard made me jump and push my bed against the wall. Eventually I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew it was morning.
I got ready for school and ate a bowl of cereal as quickly as I could. My dad was in a particularly chatty mood, but I didn’t tell him about what happened.
I didn’t want him to worry, and I knew he’d just tell me to move back in with my mom. Which I would never do.
After I was done eating, I grabbed my bag and made my way outside. Just like the day before, the streets were empty and there weren’t any cars on the road.
I decided to walk a new route to school, just to be safe.
As I walked down the empty sidewalk, a cold autumn wind blew, sending a bunch of leaves in the air. I watched as they danced along the ground until they finally settled.
I reached school just as the bell rung, signifying first period. As I walked through the door, everyone greeted me like always.
No one seemed to notice that I was acting strangely. I don’t think they’d care anyway.
As I made my way to my first class, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. A piece of paper was stuck to the floor, in the middle of the hallway.
I bent down and picked it up to read it. In the same handwriting as before, it read: “You have something that belongs to me.”
I crumpled up the note and shoved it in my pocket. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but I didn’t want anyone else to see it.
I figured it was probably best if I told the police about this one. I would have to wait though, as first period had already started and we weren’t allowed to enter or exit the classroom during school hours.
After school, I hurried to my locker to meet up with the officer before he left. Unfortunately, he was already gone.
I didn’t want to waste any time so I made a beeline straight to the police station.
I entered through the main door and proceeded to the front desk where an elderly officer sat.
“Hello sir, I’m here to report something,” I said, standing as tall as I could to look official.
“
What can I do for you son?”
He asked not looking up from his newspaper.
“I received another note.”
“
Another one?
Well that is unfortunate, but if it’s anything like the last one we’ll probably never find out who did it.
Just forget about it and move on, ok?”
I wasn’t expecting that response. “
Are, are you sure that’s all you can do?”
He slammed his hand hard against the counter, which made me jump. “Look boy, I went to school with your mother so I’ll give you some free advice. You’re only hurting yourself by paying attention to these notes. Whoever is writing these doesn’t really mean anything by it. They’re just trying to scare you, and it won’t work. Now go home.” With that he turned away from me and focused on his newspaper once again.
I was in shock of what he had just told me.
How could he say that this person didn’t mean anything by it, when they had been writing notes about how I’m going to die?
I was about to argue with him some more when he slammed his hand on the desk once again, making me jump back.
“I said leave.”
Without another word I turned and headed towards the door. On my way out I almost bumped into Officer Jarvis who was just coming in.
“
Hey there Jake, where’s the fire?
“
Sources & references used in this article:
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Health services implications of DNA testing by D Li – population, 2012
Defining textual entailment by A ALD – Clin Lab Sci, 2001 – the-medical-dictionary.com
Of Sex and Fear by D Li – population
Prevalence and factors associated with phobias among women by DZ Korman, E Mack, J Jett… – Journal of the Association …, 2018 – Wiley Online Library
Listomania: The List as Popular Culture Icon by E Meriwether – 2006 – Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
Semiolinguistics of Protective Communication by MX Houdini IV – Word Ways, 1974 – digitalcommons.butler.edu
