Consecotaleophobia Fear of chopsticks
One of the common images when it comes to eating food from China or Japan is the use of chopsticks. Like much of the written language of these great cultures for many their images and symbols are a great mystery. The same can be said of eating with chopsticks. This is due to the fact that using these implements do not appear to have a commonality with the utensils that most would be used to eating with.
Eating with chopsticks can seem a very complicated affair. Unskilled users may well make a mess of themselves, their table and even the people to whom they are eating with. This anxiety of making a mess can actually cause not only anxiety when it comes to oriental food, but actually cause anger and prejudice towards the very societies that provide the food. This can make what is on the surface a minor issue, to becoming far more severe when one adds potential xenophobia into the mix.
Sufferers will often avoid eating in Chinese or Japanese restaurants, which can cause issue with socialisation as these restaurants are popular with office and other forms of parties.
Effective treatments include using hypnosis with behavioural therapy with a bit of exposure therapy to help the client to overcome the issue.
