Koro, the Overpowering Fear of Genital Retraction

 Shrinking or Shriveling, in Constant Fear! 

I think I have a valid reason for why little boys and little girls should not be showing each other their privates.  I've been pondering this ever since I came across the Koro syndrome. 

Koro is a culture-specific syndrome where the person has an overpowering fear that his or her genitals are shriveling up and will disappear.  Know as shrinking penis it is a real disorder and is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders!

 The shrinking penis disorder is a worldwide phenomenon with a history of mass hysteria in Africa, Asia and Europe.  It is also known to occur in the U.S. and is classified as genital retraction syndrome which can also affect the female gender in that of shrinking nipples. 

People who have been suffering from the syndrome have been known to go to drastic means to prevent their penis from retracting.  One man tied a rope to his penis at night while he slept and hung the rope from the ceiling.  Women have been known to invest small fortunes in products that apply suction to the breasts to prevent retraction.  There are other documented cases where males have been injured and even suffered death by having the penis pulled with too much force.

So how does one become afflicted with such a horrible and embarrassing syndrome, you might ponder?  I believe it happens when children view each other naked and the poor boy discovers the girl has no penis.  And this also might explain why so many of the human males go though out life constantly checking to feel if it's still there.

Non Conformity is a No No Nowadays!

You'd better not be odd today or you might be labeled: ODD

I think I've just come across another Dumbing Down of society.  It seems that modern psychiatry has a new disorder that has been installed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM.

 Just what might this be you ponder; well it appears that anyone who deviates from the Norm can be declared mentally ill!  Or, if someone does not conform to what those in charge defined to be Normal, they can be declared mentally insane or having "oppositional defiant disorder" ODD.  Don't you just love labels with abbreviations!!  So now it's not PMS but ODD....

The DMS does give a little latitude with the diagnosis in that there needs to be an ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior.  However, this brings back memories of a time when people were forced in to submission with electroshock therapy.  I remember my aunt's sister-in-law was  turned into a drooling 50 year imbecile after so many electric shocks when her husband had her committed.  I was too young to know the details but I'm pondering if menopause might have had something to do with it. 

What is frightening is that children who throw temper tantrums or fight with siblings could be declared mentally ill and subjected to who know what kind of treatment.  As a child, if I tried to throw a tantrum or cause a fuss, I was sent to my room and privileges were taken away.  Since I had rather be outside playing, I learned early on that tantrums didn't work.

  At what point will someone exercising freedom of expression be silenced like in the USSR with mind-altering drugs.   Furthermore what will become of inventive minds like Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell whose unconventional ideas seemed crazy in their day. 

This ODD is definitely something scary to ponder and sounds like we might be getting even closer to Orwell's 1984.