What Is Wrong With Me?
A seventeen‑year‑old who sleeps naked and gets shamed by his parents asks if wanting his own skin instead of pajamas makes him a freak.
Moderator Note: Ryan emailed me threatening litigation after I banned him. I published his tantrum below because I am done with his shit. Now, onto something that actually matters. Casey found us because Jordan told him about the blog. Casey is seventeen. Everyone be gentle or I will end you. Sam
What Is Wrong With Me?
By Casey_17
Hi. I am seventeen. My friend Jordan told me about this blog after he posted his questions. I read every comment. I didn’t comment because I didn’t know if I belonged here.
My mom caught me in my room last week with no clothes on. I wasn’t doing anything. I was just on my bed doing homework. She freaked out. She said I was disgusting and slammed the door. Then two nights ago, my dad came into the kitchen at like one in the morning, and I was getting water. Naked. I sleep naked. I always have. I don’t even think about it. I go to bed with boxers on and wake up, and they’re on the floor. I don’t remember taking them off. My body just does it.
They sat me down at the kitchen table yesterday. Both of them. My dad asked what the hell was going on in my head. My mom said it isn’t normal. She said I am going to turn into some kind of pervert. My dad said if he catches me again, there will be consequences. He didn’t say what. Just consequences.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t look at people and think about them naked. I don’t want to flash anyone. I just... hate clothes. They feel like a costume I didn’t choose. When I am naked, I feel like myself. But maybe that is sick? Maybe I am broken? I don’t go to nude beaches. I don’t know any nudists. I just know that when I put on a shirt to leave the house, I feel like I am lying about something.
Am I a nudist? Am I a weirdo? Is there a pill for this? I am scared that my parents are right and I am some kind of freak. But I am also scared that if I stop sleeping naked, I will stop sleeping at all. I tried wearing a full set of pajamas last night. I woke up at three AM sweating and tangled, and I ripped them off without even waking up all the way.
Help me understand what I am. Please don’t laugh. I already feel small enough.
My name is Casey. I am seventeen. I am naked right now under a blanket because it is the only place I am safe.
Comments
Jordan_17: Casey. Bro. I didn't know. I am so sorry your parents said that. You are not a freak. You are not a pervert. You are just... you. I sleep naked too. I just didn't get caught.
Casey_17: @Jordan_17 I was too ashamed to tell you. I thought you would think I was weird.
Jordan_17: @Casey_17 Never. Come over. My mom is... whatever, but she knocks. We can just hang out and you can breathe.
Barb_Owner: Casey, sweetheart. There is nothing wrong with you. Millions of people sleep naked. Millions more are nudists. Your parents are reacting from fear, not facts. They think nudity equals sex because that is what this culture sells. You know better. Your body knows better. When you are eighteen and out of that house, you get to choose your skin. Until then, lock your door, hide if you have to, and know that you are not broken.
Jody: Casey, I am sixty-five. I have three kids. When my youngest was your age, he slept naked too. I didn't yell. I bought him better sheets. Your parents are wrong, but they are probably scared because they don't understand. That doesn't make what they said okay. It just means they need education you shouldn't have to provide. You are not disgusting. You are a person who prefers his own skin. That is all.
Rosa_68: I was raised Catholic in the fifties. My mother beat me with a hairbrush for taking off my nightgown. I am seventy years old and I still flinch when I undress. Casey, do not let them put that flinch in you. Your body is good. Your body is home. They are the ones who are lost, not you.
David_52: Casey, I raised three kids in this lifestyle. Two of them went through phases of shame because school told them nudity was dirty. The third never questioned it. There is no right way to become yourself. But there is a wrong way, and it involves letting someone else's fear colonize your bedroom. Lock the door. Breathe. Wait. It gets bigger than that house.
Desiree_33: Casey, you are not a weirdo. You are not a nudist yet unless you want to be. You might just be a kid who likes sleeping naked. That is normal. That is human. Your parents turned a preference into a pathology because they don't know the difference. That is their ignorance, not your sickness.
Sofia_19: Casey, I am nineteen and I still sleep in a T-shirt because I am scared of exactly what happened to you. Reading this makes me want to burn the shirt.
Clara_44: Casey, I am crying. I am so sorry. You are perfect exactly as you are.
Nate_29: Casey, I am a dad. If my kid came to me and said he sleeps naked because it is the only way he feels like himself, I would ask if he needs better sheets. Your parents are protecting their own shame, not you. Hang on. Eighteen is coming.
Sam_Moderator: Casey, I am going to say this as clear as I can. You are not broken. You are not a pervert. You are a seventeen-year-old human being whose body prefers not to be wrapped in synthetic fibers while it regenerates during sleep. Your parents are speaking from their own shame, not your sin. I am leaving this thread open and I am watching it like a hawk. Anyone who is cruel to this kid answers to me. Jordan, thank you for bringing him here. Barb, Jody, Rosa, David, Desiree, thank you for showing up. Casey: keep the blanket for now. But don't let them make you hate what is underneath.
Footnote from Sam: Below is the email I received from Ryan_30 after I banned him. I am publishing it because transparency is a bitch and so am I.
"You cannot silence me. This is viewpoint discrimination and I will be contacting my attorney. Nudism is supposed to be about freedom but your blog only allows one perspective. I am the victim here. You will hear from my lawyer."
Sam's response: Ryan, my lawyer is a bottle of bourbon and a delete key. Send your threats to someone who cares. You are not a victim. You are a grown man who got banned from a blog for harassing women and now you are throwing a tantrum. Grow up.
New entries in the Naked Voices thread go up every Tuesday and Friday. Read along in order to follow the whole conversation.
