Ophidiophobia: The Fear of Snakes

Introduction:

All individuals have a fear of snakes, as it is considered harmful and venomous creature. Elders and stories are given a picture of the threatening and hazardous nature of the snake. It is common, and it seems fine. Despite that, a few have an overwhelming fear of seeing, thinking, or encountering a snake. They are referred to as ophidiophobia, while it is the common specific phobia. About a third of the world has ophidiophobia. In addition, one in ten adults and one in five American teenagers experience ophidiophobia at some event.

What Is Ophidiophobia?

Ophidiophobia, also known as ophiophobia, is a type of specific phobia and anxiety disorder. An irrational fear of snakes is called ophidiophobia. The term is derived from the Greek phrases ‘ophis,’ meaning snake, and ‘phobia’ for fear. In addition, it is referred to as herpetophobia, a fear of reptiles at times.

What Causes Ophidiophobia?

As with other specific phobias, there is no causative agent or factor for ophidiophobia. Nevertheless, researchers have stated that certain determinants are attributable to one’s anxious and fearful sense of snakes.

• Genetics: A person with a family history of ophidiophobia and other anxiety disorders is more likely to have.

• Past Events: Past traumatic adverse events with the snake will trigger the person. For instance, one will fear the most till adolescence, who had a negative experience with a snake in their childhood days.

• Observational Learning: The little ones or elders fear the snake while they witness their family members, cousins, or competitors fearing the most.

• Portrays: People, at times, perceive things as such portrayed in the media. So, watching scary movies would lead one to fear.

• Cultural Beliefs: Mythical and superstitious beliefs would largely interfere with the thoughts and perceptions.

What Are the Symptoms of Ophidiophobia?

Panic attacks are common among people with specific phobias. Accordingly, an ophidiophobia person experiences intense fear, anxiety, and panic attacks while encountering a snake in person or through a film, hearing the hisses, thinking, and conversing about the snake. Hence, they express their fear in these emotional and behavioral ways.

• Abrupt anxiety response.

• A dread.

• Urge to run away.

• Sense of disorientation.

• Yelling and throwing temper tantrums in the case of children.

• Avoidance.

• Isolation.

Further, ophidiophobia can present a wide range of physical signs whenever a person comes across a snake.

• Trembling, involuntary severe shaking movements.

• Nervousness.

• Elevated heart rate.

• Increased blood pressure.

• Shortness of breath.

• Nausea.

• Vomiting.

• Chest tightness.

• Dizziness.

• Fainting.

• Hot flashes.

• Headaches.

How Is Ophidiophobia Being Diagnosed?

When people open up about their symptoms and fear concerns to healthcare professionals, they will figure out the phobia by inspecting the examination, family history, and the severity of the symptoms. They will be diagnosed with a specific phobia that is known for intense fear and anxiety in response to a specific trigger or object. The doctor will inquire into the frequency, duration, and daily tasks interferences with the tool called diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), fifth edition. The views set forth for any specific phobia incorporate the following.

• An absolute overwhelming fear over a specific object.

• The phobic object provokes an immediate anxiety response when thought or met with.

• The fear seems unreasonable and out of proportion to the actual event.

• The person certainly avoids or endures situations that are anxiety-provoking.

• These fear, anxiety, and panic attacks cause distress, culminating in daily function impairments.

• The fear persists for the duration of at least six months.

• Fear, anxiety, and associated symptoms are not considered and diagnosed as other cognitive illnesses.

Eventually, the specialists advise tests to get an insight into the specific phobia, and that includes a snake anxiety questionnaire (SNAQ).

What Are the Treatment Strategies for Ophidiophobia?

The treatment focuses on alleviating the symptoms and nightmares while enhancing daily tasks. As people with ophidiophobia bear distorted thoughts about the snake, they would get fixed up through psychotherapies concerning their thinking patterns and fear. Subsequently, the combination of therapy with medication works wonders. So, the recommended interventions for the fear of snakes are as demonstrated.

Exposure Therapy:

An essential psychological intervention for any anxiety disorder or specific phobia is exposure. Exposure therapy is, in its name, known for gradual exposure to a specific object in a safe environment. The therapist will expose the individual to an initial scenario of a snake and move on with a final scene in the latter weeks. For example, a person is given a snap of a snake to visualize and imagine. Then, make headway to discussion and seeing about a live situation. Visual reality exposure (VRE) for diminishing panic attacks considering a safe habitat and unavailability of the object.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychological talk intervention that works on sessions to revise thinking patterns, as the therapy underlines that one’s thoughts would amend one’s conduct. First, the therapist addresses the false beliefs and past adverse experiences and lets the clients know them.

Hypnotherapy:

Hypnosis is known for its trance-like state. Hypnotherapy is a psycho-allied therapy that utilizes hypnosis to modify one’s irrational beliefs. The person under hypnosis would hold open to any suggestions, so the therapist employs that he is less afraid in these times.

Relaxation Techniques:

Mindfulness and leisure activities would relieve the fear calming the person. As per the 2021 meta-analysis, it is evident that mindfulness is helpful against anxiety and fear.

Medications:

However, medication yields short-term relief for anxiety and related concerns. Therefore, doctors prescribe these pharmacological drugs intended for panic attacks.

• Antidepressants such as Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Citalopram, Escitalopram, and Sertraline.

• Benzodiazepine, a sedative.

• Beta-blockers, including Atenolol, Metoprolol, or Bisoprolol, regularize heart palpitations and blood pressure.

Conclusion:

Ophidiophobia is a distinct type of specific phobia that refers to an intense and irrational fear of snakes. It is an anxiety disorder that could impact daily life if left untreated. Though studies show that there is no cure for ophidiophobia, overall, ninety percent can effectively and successfully recover from phobia with therapeutic intervention. But, it is vital to manage the fear before it progresses to anxiety troubles.