[A thoughtful pause, gathering her words together.]
Your phobia is rooted in a extremely severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. Your mind has formed an association that links the idea or action of physical contact with women with the certainty that you will come to harm. This association born of the mind is so strong that the body reacts outside of your control and contrary to your desires. It's no different than the "fight or flight" response any creature would have when in a situation that's been deemed to be precarious or perilous. That primal response was formed, after all, in order to keep oneself alive.
[This reply is three-fold: explanation, a conveyance of understanding, and a way to communicate with the certainty of logic and science (rather than sentiment, blithe or otherwise) that Technic isn't weak or stupid or somehow lesser as a result of being unable to just throw off his fear.]
I posit that the instances you spoke of, where you experienced false sensory input and dissociation from reality, are flashbacks to the traumatic event which birthed your phobia. Not the memory itself, clear and lucid, so much as the emotions tagged to it.....a species of total recall brought on by particularly severe triggerings of your phobia.
[She steeples gloved fingers and goes on in a calm, professional voice.]
Phobias as strong as yours are far from uncommon. That it co-exists — however uneasily, and with imbalance — alongside your original and unchanged attraction to women isn't unusual either. Fortunately, phobias can be managed and even cured. An excellent track record exists for it.
I believe that I will be able to help you, if you allow it.
Re: Day 127 morning while everyone's off at the game
[A thoughtful pause, gathering her words together.]
Your phobia is rooted in a extremely severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. Your mind has formed an association that links the idea or action of physical contact with women with the certainty that you will come to harm. This association born of the mind is so strong that the body reacts outside of your control and contrary to your desires. It's no different than the "fight or flight" response any creature would have when in a situation that's been deemed to be precarious or perilous. That primal response was formed, after all, in order to keep oneself alive.
[This reply is three-fold: explanation, a conveyance of understanding, and a way to communicate with the certainty of logic and science (rather than sentiment, blithe or otherwise) that Technic isn't weak or stupid or somehow lesser as a result of being unable to just throw off his fear.]
I posit that the instances you spoke of, where you experienced false sensory input and dissociation from reality, are flashbacks to the traumatic event which birthed your phobia. Not the memory itself, clear and lucid, so much as the emotions tagged to it.....a species of total recall brought on by particularly severe triggerings of your phobia.
[She steeples gloved fingers and goes on in a calm, professional voice.]
Phobias as strong as yours are far from uncommon. That it co-exists — however uneasily, and with imbalance — alongside your original and unchanged attraction to women isn't unusual either. Fortunately, phobias can be managed and even cured. An excellent track record exists for it.
I believe that I will be able to help you, if you allow it.