Here’s the fifth part of our article by BN member Sheila Maycock on Naturism and Mental Health.
Read the previous articles on this website - Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four
Who am I?
I am a Naturist. Four simple words, but what a plethora of meaning behind this, or indeed any statement about who I am. And Naturism is just one facet of our life that contributes to our psychological self-image or sense of self.
Am I who I am because of nature or nurture, because of the genes I have been dealt or the way in which I have been brought up and subsequently lived my life? For most of us, it’s generally a fascinating mix of inherited traits and learned behaviour - whether from the family of origin, peer groups, or media or education. I guess for the majority, a Naturist lifestyle falls into the latter category of learned behaviour, having seen others enjoying the many benefits of social nudity and embracing the benefits for ourselves.
Our self-image can be quite vulnerable. When trouble hits there are multiple challenges facing people who are trying to integrate a sense of self, and Naturists are not immune from those challenges. Were you part of a dysfunctional family, abandoned, adopted? Did your parents split up acrimoniously? Were you bullied, neglected, suffered or did you observe or experience domestic violence, bereavement or loss? Did you experience physical or emotional abuse or over critical parents? The list goes on.
A large part of my work as a Family Therapist involves overcoming the challenges facing young people when trying to integrate a sense of self from within fragmented families. When parents fall out, wage war, split up – even if it is in the best interest of the whole family – it has an effect on the family system for a very long time. This transition can be complicated when the separation is bitter, when parents experience mental health difficulties, or have the financial and emotional pressure of being single parents. I don’t dispute that any of these Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can be overcome, but research links ACEs to premature death and health disorders, including mental ill health. Such early difficulties can make it really tricky to move towards self-acceptance and garner the self-confidence to explore new ideas and approaches.
Melanie Klein (1882- 1960) wrote about ‘splitting’, which is our psychological capacity to identify and seek out what is good and to reject aspects that are trickier or more uncomfortable to deal with. An essential aspect of being mentally healthy is to integrate these aspects – the good and bad, working towards a healthy assimilation, where one can tolerate the dilemma – where we can hold in mind that sometimes one person may be distant and disinterested, and other times they can be loving and attentive. Thus one person can be both good and bad.
The outside world has a view of the Naturist community that can be rather split because of ignorance, misinformation and an inability to integrate good and bad. What may be seen as good – a strong sense of community with like-minded people, admirable for embracing freedom and doing what is good for you and what is seen as bad – nudity and all that implies in society and culture, can be perceived as related to sexual activity, vulnerability or even abuse or perversion. The naturist community encourages an integration of these opposing views, detaching nudity from sex, enabling people to overcome pre-programmed fears and make informed choices about who they are in a safe environment of respect and mutual trust.
Much of our belief about who we are is a subconscious process, so on a day-to-day basis we tend to just act as who we are, without having to wake up each morning and think ‘What am I like?’ (That would be really tiring!). But figuring out who we really are and choosing who we prefer to be is a lifelong process. Are Naturists just people who are genetically predisposed to contemplation? Or have we had the opportunity for reflection and the development of a strong sense of self offered to us? In my experience Naturists have a healthy level of self-awareness, as a result of the thought and questioning that has gone into the decision to embrace a naturist lifestyle, finding your own sense of self and refusing to accept the version of you that may be expected by other people.
Who am I? I’m a Naturist and that is to be celebrated!
Sheila Maycock
MBACP
Accredited Therapist (and BN Member)
Image: Mark Bass