Dr. Fletcher

(writing notes) Like she does most weeks, Helen spent most of this session talking about her childhood. But then toward the end she told a story that I think is a lot more significant.

Helen

I developed this problem where I keep using too much toilet paper when I'm going to the bathroom and it keeps clogging the toilet. I did this once and I didn't think anything of it but then the next day I did it again. So I thought about it really hard and I tried to analyze all the different parts of my subconscious in order to figure out what was causing this.

And I realized quite easily that I was clogging due to a deep fear of penetration.

Dr. Fletcher

Well, that sounds difficult.

Helen

And I kept doing it. Even though I was aware of my fear, I kept clogging the toilet. It was particularly embarrassing because the same plumber was coming to my house every single day to unclog my toilet.

I didn't want him to think that I had some weird thing going on. I thought that I should probably explain to him this fear of penetration that was causing the clogging. So finally I brought him to the kitchen and I sat him down.

He put down his tools and I started to explain to him this clogging theory. He didn't react in any of the ways that I had anticipated. He kept saying, 'Oh, you're joking around,' or, 'Ha ha, you're so funny.'

And then we started messing around. And then we were having sex. I had thought he was very cute from the first visit. And the weird thing is, the next day I clogged the toilet again. But I was pretty sure it wasn't for a fear of penetration.

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