Taijin Kyofusho, The Fear Disorder

Taijin kyofusho disorder is a special social phobia. It is a social phobia that makes people afraid to offend others in some way, either by saying something wrong, making the wrong gesture, or even by looking at them the way they do. No matter how strange this phobia may seem, it is actually a known social anxiety disorder in certain parts of the world.

This specific disorder is associated with the Japanese people. As you probably know, the Japanese have high standards of correct behavior, absolute respect for others and well-behaved courtesy. It is also worth noting that social phobias like this can appear in any culture.

Taijin kyofusho disorder is rooted in one’s doubts about oneself. This creates an obsession with being considered perfect. Thus, one will look good, have the best attitude, or have the most outgoing personality. This makes people doubt themselves.

Similarly, things like being ashamed of one’s stuttering, saying something stupid, or smelling bad are examples of things that make up the taijin kyofusho disorder.

Characteristics and treatment of taijin kyofusho disorder

Taijin kyofusho can be translated as “fear disorder”. This type of phobia was first described in Japan. In Japanese culture, groups are more important than individuals. Thus, it is easy to understand the fear of offending others.

This type of phobia can also be seen elsewhere in the world. In Japan, however, there is a well-known psychiatric syndrome. In the West, you only hear about it. Although it does not belong to any category, it is part of other specific and associated obsessive-compulsive disorders.

The differences between taijin kyofusho disorder and social anxiety

Although the taijin kyofusho disorder is another form of social past, it is worth noting a few things that make it special.

• People with social phobias worry a lot  and feel anxious when they are close to other people. Patients with taijin kyofusho, on the other hand, fear that they will fool themselves or harass others just by existing.
• The main problem is not that people with this disorder react in a particular setting. They are simply not sure how others can react when they interact with them.

• Another interesting factor is compulsive behavior. For example, there was a case of an American woman who was diagnosed with this disorder. In a study conducted by the National University of Health Sciences in Chicago , this patient had a specific obsession: looking at other people’s genitals. She knew this was uncomfortable for them, and even though she felt anxious when she did, she could not stop staring.

These details show how complex this psychiatric disorder is.

Characteristics of taijin kyofusho disorder

This disorder has four subtypes that form a specific type of phobia:

• Sekimen-kyofu. The fear of blushing and that other people feel uncomfortable because of it.
• Shubo-kyofu. The fear of annoying others because you are unattractive.
• Jiko-shisen-kyofu. The feeling that others will feel threatened or restless if you look at them.
• Jiko-shu-kyofu. The fear that you have a bad body odor.

In the West, these four aspects are taken into account:

• Analysis of whether these characteristics are permanent or transient.  This behavior can, for example, begin in adolescence and then disappear.
• How bad the phobia is.
• Having delusions, obsessions, etc.
• This disorder is common in people with schizophrenia.

How is this disorder treated?

From a cultural point of view, the taijin kyofusho disorder can be very interesting. For example, the first treatment for this condition began by Dr. Shoma Morita in 1910. These days, this was the therapeutic approach the physician used:

• To isolate the patient in a specific setting.
• To invite them to rest and relax.
• To write a journal or diary.
• To do manual work, such as gardening.
• To attend the lectures of Dr. Morita.

From the 1930s onwards, Dr. Morita changed some of these aspects. He introduced both group therapy and the use of medication. Today, the Japanese still use Morita therapy. In the West, things are different. Taijin kyofusho is not seen as a separate disorder, so it is treated as a social phobia.

There are leading cognitive therapies with exposure to triggers, as well as techniques to relax and improve one’s self-esteem. However, it all depends on each patient and whether they also have other disorders. All in all, taijin kyofusho is well known to the Japanese, but not here in the West.