Herpetophobia – fear of snakes, lizards and other reptiles

Slava Profina 07/25/2018 no comments

Every person has their own fears or phobias. On the one hand, phobias are something psychological, and on the other hand, fears help a person not to lose the survival instinct and sense of proportion when faced with danger. Herpetophobia or fear of snakes and lizards is associated with the past, when our ancestors did not know much and did not know how to cope with basic dangers.

What it is

The name is derived from the ancient Greek words ἑρπετόν, which means “reptile”, and φόβος, which translates as “fear”. Herpetophobia is a subtype of zoophobia, fear of animals.

Many people consider themselves herpetophobes, although in fact, not everyone who is afraid of snakes or other reptiles has this fear in the form of a phobia. The fear of creeping creatures is inherent in us by nature; this is a normal reaction. Of course, provided that a person can control his fear, does not lose critical thinking and does not panic at the mere thought of a reptile. Otherwise we are dealing with a phobia.

Interesting! Sometimes the fear of reptiles hides a fear of helplessness, and this type of phobia is associated with the fear of death and pain.

Manifestation of the disorder

Quite a lot of people consider themselves to be herpetophobes, although in reality such statements are a clear exaggeration. In most cases, the fear of poisonous snakes is reasonable, justified and logical. For a person, fear that arises in a timely manner is an adequate protective reaction of the body to a possible danger.

Herpetophobia is an obsessive fear of representatives of the reptile family: reptiles, snakes, lizards. This disorder is one of the subsections of zoophobia. Fear of reptiles in the initial phase of the disease, like minor anxiety in other phobic disorders, occurs with relief of symptoms and their exacerbation.

A severe form of the pathological disorder is accompanied by a comprehensive, intense, constantly present fear and makes it impossible for the patient to lead full life activities. Those suffering from herpetophobia avoid visiting terrariums, pet stores, circus performances, refuse walks in parks and are unlikely to go hiking in the forest. They experience panic fear even when they see images and figures of reptiles, regardless of the size of the animal - be it a tiny gecko or a huge anaconda.

At a severe stage of the disease, at the sight of a snake, the patient’s fear “fetters” so much that often the person does not control himself and his body: he cannot make the right decision, act adequately, he is not even able to move or take steps to retreat. With this form of the disease, it is extremely important to seek medical help and undergo the necessary treatment.

Causes of herpetophobia

We have already named one of the reasons - the inheritance of fear from distant ancestors. Let's look at others:

Psychotrauma. Perhaps the first acquaintance with reptiles was unsuccessful, or the person was bitten by a snake or other animal. Or the person witnessed someone else getting hurt.
Media influence. In Australia, a snake can be found in the toilet of every home. In Russia, in some villages this can also happen. Suggested people do not necessarily have to have personal negative experiences; they may be frightened by the stories of other people, news reports, etc.
Fear, trauma while watching horror films. Perhaps in childhood the child saw a shocking film or encountered a frightening computer game.
Parental influence. Mom and dad were afraid of snakes, and the child copied their behavior, or the parents intimidated the child with overprotection.
Unpredictability of snake behavior. Some species are truly dangerous. All snakes, regardless of species, move silently and can jump out right in front of your feet. During an unexpected meeting, a person has no time to think, analyze the snake for poisonousness - he gets scared.
Religiosity. For believers, snakes are associated with sins. This can cause fear.
Injury due to an evil prank. Perhaps friends threw a toy snake into a bag or under their feet, and an impressionable person was afraid of this.
Fear of rape, denial of male power. This is how Freud, the author of psychoanalysis, described herpetophobia. He believed that the snake is a phallic symbol. And subconsciously, the fear of snakes may be associated with the fear of men.

Fear of reptiles caused by psychological trauma can remain dormant for many years. For example, a childhood trauma can be recalled in adulthood, when a person meets a reptile again.

Causes

Now let's look at the most likely reasons why people are afraid of snakes.

Genetic memory

In ancient times, people lived in caves and were not at all protected from attacks by predators and reptiles in particular. The bite of most species of snakes is poisonous or even deadly, causing unbearable suffering and pain to the victim before he dies.

There could be no talk of any vaccines, and any careless movement during sleep or hunting could lead to irreversible consequences.

Accordingly, cavemen were afraid of these animals; fear helped them survive and protect themselves. And the information acquired through bitter experience was passed on from generation to generation at the level of instincts.

Therefore, we, being in completely safe conditions, for the most part experience horror at the thought of meeting reptiles.

You will learn more about how genetic memory is structured and works in this article.

Negative experience

If you once happened to become a victim of a bite, or simply a witness to an attack and suffering due to the spread of poison in the body, then it is likely that the horror experienced will be deposited at the subconscious level, thereby causing the development of herpetophobia.

Moreover, if a close relative or acquaintance died as a result of such events.

Or a shocking and unexpected encounter occurred when, for example, a snake crawled into a person’s room. Such events happen quite often to tourists, especially in Australia, where reptiles are literally teeming.

Childhood trauma

If, in order to maintain the safety of the child, the parents intimidated him so that, for example, he would not come close to creatures that crawl in the grass, on stones, and so on.

It is not surprising that he will develop a certain stereotype of behavior when meeting reptiles, even in cartoons.

Parents are significant adults in a child’s life, whom he trusts unconditionally. Therefore, if a mother is terrified of reptiles, then she really should be wary of them.

The psyche of children is not yet able to withstand some information, and if mom or dad overdo it in intimidation, herpetophobia is inevitable.

Personality traits

Not only children are receptive to information, but also vulnerable, overly emotional individuals with a tendency toward hypochondria. They are already anxious by nature, worrying about the slightest reason.

Therefore, if they see a film where a huge anaconda mercilessly kills people, or news about an attack by reptiles that ended in the death of their victims, this will create additional stress on the psyche. Which may well provoke the development of a phobia.

Signs and symptoms of herpetophobia

With a mild degree of the disorder, there is a slight manifestation of symptoms: mild anxiety, restlessness. At the same time, a person can control his reactions. At the next stage, the intensity of fear intensifies, and the herpetophobe can no longer control it. An avoidance reaction is noticeable. Herpetophobe does not visit terrariums or pet stores and is afraid to go for walks in parks and forests.

A herpetophobe is frightened not only by real animals, but also by images or figures of reptiles, as well as sounds, such as hissing. When meeting an object of fear, a person falls into a stupor and may have a panic attack. It manifests itself in a number of somatic reactions:

nausea,
dizziness,
chills,
tachycardia,
arrhythmia,
chest pain,
sweating,
feeling of suffocation.

In a moment of panic, the herpetophobe becomes dangerous to himself and others. He has absolutely no control over his reactions and behavior. During panic, a person thinks that he will die or go crazy.

Description and manifestation of phobia

Everyone has a fear of reptiles , but some people treat it with humor, while others absolutely cannot fight it and behave irrationally. The lack of this rationality is expressed not only in hysterics, fear, stupor, anxiety at the sight of a snake, but also in anxiety that reptiles will end up in the home. The patient is haunted by obsessive dreams involving them.

Any object that resembles a snake causes horror in a person. Films and paintings with reptiles can put him in a stupor and panic. This is herpetophobia - one of the types of zoophobia.

Manifestations of this phobia vary: from mild to severe. Some people feel discomfort when touching a reptile, but can safely be near it. Others begin to go hysterical at the sight of a photograph of a snake - this is already a severe form.

Some people treat those suffering from this disease with understanding, others with humor and even consider themselves herpetophobes. Others are afraid to be near such patients, because in the presence of reptiles their behavior is unpredictable and inadequate.

The instinct of self-preservation, that is, the usual fear at the sight of a live snake, is not herpetophobia. What are the manifestations of this disease? Fear of reptiles is expressed in the following:

Intellectually, a person understands that his fear is far-fetched, hyperbolic, that is, exaggerated. He realizes that not everything is so terrible. But at the sight of a reptile, this awareness abruptly disappears. Immediately anxiety, fear and numbness appear, up to a panic attack.
Deterioration of the general condition: shortness of breath, palpitations, sweating, nausea, increased blood pressure, dizziness, dry mouth, feeling of lack of air.
While of sound mind, the herpetophobe loses the ability to express thoughts coherently.
The feeling that death is about to occur.
Most often, such people are nervous, fussy, irritable, they find it difficult to concentrate, and they get tired quickly.
In patients with severe manifestations, all of the above symptoms are strongly expressed, and a panic attack can lead to paralysis.

What does fear of reptiles lead to? In fact, this is a very serious disease and over time its consequences only get worse:

Herpetophobe begins to fear even those objects that are not directly related to reptiles, since certain associations have already formed in his head.
Far-fetched fantasies and fears. For example, fear of snake attacks.
Refusal of pleasant things: picnics, trips to pet stores, zoos, exhibitions.
The inability to lead a full life, up to complete self-isolation in the apartment.

Treatment of herpetophobia

The main method of treatment is psychotherapy, in particular, the method of systematic desensitization and EMDR. Medicines are prescribed in rare cases, only to relieve pronounced somatic symptoms. You can read more about treating phobias in this article.

You can get rid of the fear of snakes yourself with the help of education. Study the life features of reptiles. Find out what species are available in your area. Visit the terrarium and practice identifying snakes.

How to get rid of a phobia

To get rid of a phobia, you need to change your perception and behavior. Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy is used for this. It involves a gradual rapprochement with the object of fear. First, the client is told about safe types of snakes, shown pictures of them, then he is offered to personally meet a non-venomous snake. A psychologist is nearby, helps to overcome fear, suggests what relaxation methods to use.

Psychologist's advice

Psychologists recommend using the following tips to correct the condition:

Write a written analysis of your phobia. Determine what exactly scares you. Now write down what snakes live in your region and what is typical for them. Compare this to your fears. Usually at this stage half of the worries disappear. For example, did you know that snakes have no poison?
Start getting closer to the rest of the worries. Look at the picture of snakes and video of snakes.
When one type of snake stops causing you panic, visit the terrarium and ask its workers about representatives of the species and the peculiarities of communicating with them. Find a service that allows you to handle snakes.

The diagnosis of ophidiophobia is made if the fear of snakes prevents a person from living a full life for six months or more. What methods are used in the professional treatment of ophidiophobia:

Eye movement reprocessing desensitization (EMDR). This is a special technique for liberating and correcting the subconscious. It involves making rapid eye movements according to a special pattern. Thanks to this exercise, old memories are no longer perceived as threatening, and psychological trauma is processed.
Hypnosis. If performed correctly, it can rid a person of a phobia in one session (the number of sessions depends on the severity of the disease).
Relaxation. This method, unlike others, can be used independently. Relaxation includes breathing exercises, meditation, mental counting and concentration on breathing and affirmations.

This is interesting! Snakes also have their own phobia - hedgehogs. Why are snakes afraid of hedgehogs? Because snake venom has no effect on them. They will eat a grass snake or viper without any problems.

Independent work with a phobia

In the initial stages of development of a phobia, you can cope with the problem yourself. To do this, you need, first of all, to admit that there is a problem and start studying the world of crawling creatures. Practice recognizing dangerous and non-dangerous creatures, master safety precautions when coming into contact with a poisonous representative. Visit the terrarium and practice there; in moments of panic, calm yourself with slow and deep breathing. The end of the fight against a phobia can be a photo session with a boa constrictor, and for starters, you can buy a toy in the shape of a snake.

This is interesting! A snake attacks a person only for the purpose of protection. Remember this.

Conclusion

Now you know what the fear of snakes is called and how to cure herpetophobia. By the way, experts believe that isolated phobias (not part of a broader disorder such as panic or anxiety) can be treated quite quickly; several sessions of psychotherapy are enough for this.

In addition, doctors do not recommend delaying seeking help if fears really interfere with your life. With age, they can worsen, intensify and even lead to complete isolation from society, when a person is afraid to leave the apartment so as not to encounter some danger outside. In order not to bring yourself to such a deplorable state, do not hesitate to go to specialists and work on your fears.

This video explains how different human phobias are formed and the different ways to treat them.

Factors that cause fear

Each herpetophobe fears snakes in his own way. Psychologists identify several factors that cause fear:

the appearance of reptiles, which many people find scary;
cold, slippery, unpleasant to the touch skin;
a strange, from the point of view of a two-legged person, way of moving;
unpleasant and terrible hissing;
quick reaction of a creature that can attack completely unexpectedly;
fear of a poisonous bite and fear of dying.

Treatment

Herpetophobia is a mental disorder that must be monitored. Therefore, at the very first symptoms of manifestation, it is important to go for a consultation with a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

The fact is that hopes of improving the condition without any effort are quite dangerous. After all, if the phobia develops, the person will develop other diseases and symptoms, which will not be so easy to cope with.

For example, insomnia or depression, due to constant anxiety, the nervous system will malfunction and other mental disorders will arise. The body will be exhausted, which is why chronic diseases will make themselves felt, painful and sometimes incurable.

To prevent or stop this, the psychiatrist will prescribe a number of medications, depending on what exactly is bothering the patient.

For example, for depression, antidepressants that are not available without a prescription, sleeping pills, sedatives, tranquilizers, and so on.

There is no need to worry about being locked up in a madhouse. Inpatient treatment is necessary only in extreme cases; phobias do not require hospitalization.

With the exception of, say, depression with suicidal tendencies, affective states, when a person becomes overly aggressive and causes harm to himself and the people around him.

Psychotherapy will help you understand what exactly triggered your panic fear of reptiles.

You will work on your limitations, behavioral patterns and reactions that prevent you from satisfying your needs and feeling harmony within yourself.

The most effective approaches to combating such disorders are gestalt therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnosis. Group work also shows good results.

In this format, a person gets the opportunity to feel support from people with similar fears. And also the experience that serpentophobes share with each other.