Fear of snakes: what is it called, how to get rid of herpetophobia

What does it represent?

Herpetophobia, or, as it is also called, serpentophobia, ophidiophobia, is included in the list of the most common phobias. Fear of snakes is observed in people of absolutely any nationality, regardless of whether they are found in their area or not.

Phobe experiences panic, even if he sees a snake in a picture, in a terrarium. And although he understands that his fear in this case is irrational.

After all, the animal will not be able to attack him in any way, especially in the photograph, but he cannot do anything about it. In severe cases, he becomes so frightened that he loses his appetite, sleep and peace of mind.

Therefore, he does not leave the house, avoids walks in the park and forest. He doesn’t swim in the river and generally ignores any attempts to invite him somewhere outside the room.

This disorder is observed mainly in women, who are more prone to zoophobia than men. That is, fear of any animals. Most often they are afraid of reptiles and insects.

So, if there is a herpetophobe in your environment, you should not appeal to his mind, demanding that he calm down and pull himself together. You cannot get rid of a phobia by the power of thought. But it is quite possible to push someone away due to a lack of understanding of the condition.

Symptoms of the disease

At the initial stage of the disease, the patient, who sees the object of his fear in reality or on the TV screen, develops anxiety and tension. Fear develops into a panic attack, characterized by a vegetative attack, manifested by the following symptoms:

increased heart rate up to 100 – 120 beats per minute;
increased blood pressure;
heart rhythm disturbance - the appearance of extrasystoles;
rapid breathing;
nausea or vomiting;
pronounced tremor of the fingers of outstretched arms;
chills shaking the patient’s entire body, followed by a feeling of heat;
dryness of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity;
profuse cold sweat;
choking, feeling of a “lump” in the throat;
headache, dizziness;
the urge to urinate with the passage of a large amount of light-colored urine.

These vegetative symptoms are accompanied by the patient’s fear of death. In the initial stages of the disease, panic attacks can be mild and accompanied only by increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and cold sweat. But, over time, if this condition is not treated, the disease progresses and the symptoms of the pathology worsen. Vegetative crises become more severe, their frequency increases, and psychasthenia increases.

Fear and obsession with seeing reptiles everywhere forces the patient to limit his active activities. Lack of treatment can provoke the development of mental disorders:

delusion of belief - the patient convinces himself that his apartment is not a safe place, since various snakes penetrate into it;
obsessions - the patient stops leaving the house, constantly examines and checks the smallest cracks in the floor and walls, tightly closes all the windows and the toilet in the bathroom, fearing that various reptiles and a large snake living in the sewer may enter the apartment from the street.

Symptoms

If a person encounters the object of his phobia, he has a panic attack. Which is characterized by such somatic symptoms as:

Tachycardia, up to the occurrence of pain in the chest. The person thinks he is having a heart attack, so he panics even more. After all, in this case he needs emergency medical care, otherwise death will occur.
Breathing disorders. When frightened, the phobe begins to breathe frequently, so much so that this leads to hyperventilation of the lungs. Oxygen saturation occurs in the blood, causing dizziness and, worst of all, a lack of air. The person simply suffocates and may lose consciousness.
Cravings in the stomach, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea.
Trembling in the body, shaking chin and voice. Movements become abrupt, uncertain, and the gait is unsteady.
Headache, redness of the skin. A person breaks into a sweat, regardless of the temperature indoors or outdoors.
Loss of control over your behavior. Serpentophobe cries loudly and begs for help. He commits actions for which he later feels shame and guilt. In addition, the perception of reality is distorted; in a panic, he is capable of causing harm to himself and others. For example, if you walked into a room and saw that there was a terrarium there, then, quite frightened, you might jump out the window, believing that you were in mortal danger in the room. Subsequently, of course, he gets injured on the glass, and only if he survives a fall from a height. In general, at such a moment the consciousness becomes tunnel-like, the thought of salvation pulsates in the head, and the ability to make rational decisions is completely absent.
Shortness of breath, stupor. A person either becomes overly active and fussy, or, on the contrary, becomes numb and unable to utter a word; he will stand still, even if the snake approaches him.

How to get rid of a phobia?

Self-treatment for phobic disorders practically does not bring results. It is advisable for relatives or the patient himself to consult a professional doctor for treatment.

In this case, tablets are used only to eliminate the symptoms of panic attacks and physiological disorders caused by constant stress. The use of medications is advisable if herpetophobia is accompanied by severe physical and mental symptoms.

The main thing in treating any phobia is to eliminate the patient’s obsessive fear. Psychotherapists successfully use the following several methods to achieve this goal:

Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy.
NLP practitioners.
Method of systematic desensitization.
Hypnosis.

In all cases, the patient is gradually “introduced” to reptiles, controlling and preventing the occurrence of fear. A person gets used to the sight of reptiles, learns to separate truly dangerous situations from unreasonable anxiety.

In addition to undergoing treatment, it is important for the patient to independently fight his false beliefs. It is necessary to study reliable information about snakes and apply the learned techniques in practice when the symptoms of a phobia recur.

A timely visit to a qualified psychotherapist and having your own motivation will help you get rid of herpetophobia once and for all, treat animals calmly and live a full life!

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.

Herpetophobia, causes

It is quite difficult for psychologists to say exactly why this or that fear of reptiles arises, since there can be many prerequisites. It is customary to identify several main reasons for the development of this phobia:

Traumatic contact with a reptile.

The first meeting with a snake is often remembered by a person as dangerous. The ability to move silently and the animal’s quick reaction causes us fear and a feeling of lack of control over the situation. It also happens that the patient has actually previously suffered from a snake bite. The fear was remembered and spread to everything connected or even remotely reminiscent of the danger experienced.

Snakes often find themselves near human habitation. In search of a comfortable and safe place, they can even crawl into houses. In Australia and some other warm countries, it is not uncommon for reptiles to make their nests in close proximity to humans. A clear example of this is Kipling’s famous fairy tale “Riki-tiki-tavi”. Such forced proximity significantly affects the psyche of the inhabitants of the house and often becomes the cause of phobia.

Scary stories from childhood.

Children subconsciously copy the behavior of their parents. Mom and dad are perceived by the little man as indisputable authorities. And all their words and comments become an immutable truth. In addition, at an early age there is still no opportunity to objectively assess the reality of the threat.

Excessive care, too bright, hypertrophied reaction of the parent to snakes, negative coloring of reptiles in fairy tales leads to the development of herpetophobia in childhood and adolescence. Watching a horror film, where the main villain is a reptile, or a computer game on this topic can also play a role in this.

In religion, snakes also play a negative role. The tempting serpent in the Bible or the monster in the form of a serpent, with which the Egyptian god Ra and many others fight every day. Sometimes, under the fear of snakes and reptiles, another psychological problem is hidden, such as fear of helplessness, fear of losing control over the situation.

It's all about evolution.

Reptiles are one of the oldest inhabitants of our planet. And man encountered them at the dawn of his emergence and becoming the king of nature. Then a meeting with a poisonous reptile threatened death. Their excellent hunting qualities further enhanced the natural fear of our ancestors. Many scientists say that the fears we experience when communicating with these animals are passed on to us by inheritance. For some people, this genetic memory has acquired the character of a phobia.

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.

How is the treatment carried out?

Therapy for herpetophobia involves changing your attitude towards snakes. A positive experience of contact with these reptiles is very important. The use of medications is usually not required. This phobia is considered relatively harmless and highly treatable.

Professional help

In psychiatry, cognitive behavioral therapy is used to treat phobias, which gives lasting positive results and allows you to completely get rid of the disease.

First, the doctor determines the causes of fear, eliminates misconceptions about snakes, develops a new model of behavior and helps in establishing contact with these reptiles.

During treatment, it is important to receive support from loved ones. You need to share your fears and concerns with them. The more a person suffering from ophidiophobia talks about their experiences, the sooner they will recover. After all, recognizing existing problems is the most important component of therapy.

In some cases, hypnosis or visualization techniques are used. The patient is shown pictures of snakes or asked to imagine them. Then the doctor calms the patient, relieving him of fear.

Tranquilizers and sedatives are used only in the initial stages of treatment or in particularly severe cases. They help relieve neurosis-like conditions and anxiety, eliminate sleep disorders, but do not cure phobia.

Interestingly, after getting rid of the problem, many people keep snakes or other reptiles as pets.

How to stop being afraid of reptiles: getting rid of herpetophobia

Most contemporaries experience excitement, anxiety, and anxiety to a moderate degree. Indeed, fear reactions are a natural natural response of a “wise” organism to the action of unsafe and threatening stimuli. However, often a person’s anxiety does not correspond to the presented stimuli. According to statistics provided by the World Health Organization, anxiety-phobic disorders are the most common deviations in human mental activity. A phobia is the presence in an individual of an unreasonable, illogical, uncontrollable, irresistible intense fear, focused on a specific object, situation, phenomenon or group of objects. The content of phobias is vast and diverse: virtually any object, phenomenon, event, place can turn into an object of pathological fear. Quite a few people consider themselves herpetophobes, although, in fact, many individuals greatly exaggerate the extent of their fear of reptiles and call ordinary antipathy towards these animals a phobia. Many people simply do not like reptiles, and the reasons for their antipathy are quite understandable. This is the repulsive appearance of snakes and other reptiles, slippery scales that are unpleasant to the touch, and a quivering thin tongue. People are also alarmed by the difficult to predict behavior of the reptiles and the intricate maneuverability of their movements. However, there are also people for whom reptiles cause not only discomfort and antipathy, but are an object of obsessive, uncontrollable fear. This uncontrollable, illogical, intense fear of snakes and other reptiles is called herpetophobia. Individuals suffering from this disorder experience an overwhelming anxiety that grips their minds not only when encountering live animals. Panic horror haunts them constantly: when they anticipate a possible collision with reptiles, when they see images of snakes in pictures, photographs, when they watch films about reptiles or hold soft toys in their hands that look similar to these creatures. Obsessive irrational fear in herpetophobia occurs not only when confronted with crawling animals. A panic attack can also develop in anticipation of a possible encounter with reptiles. At the same time, the human imagination, gripped by herpetophobia, rewards the subject with a distortion of reality. Painful symptoms of a panic crisis can develop if a person notices any object that looks like a reptile. An obsessive fear of reptiles completely takes over a person’s thinking. Herpetophobia does not allow the patient to lead a full life. A subject suffering from this disorder does not visit terrariums or zoo areas. He refuses hiking and walks in parks and forests. In severe cases of herpetophobia or in advanced stages of the disorder, the individual experiences obsessions - obsessive thoughts and specially developed protective rituals - compulsions. Often, obsessive thinking is complemented by persistent delusional inclusions. For example, a sick person may be confident that a horde of reptiles will certainly crawl into her abode. Such an obsessive thought will require reinforcement with some kind of preventive measures. The patient will carefully inspect his home, looking for potential places where snakes could crawl. He will begin to seal the slightest holes in the walls, check the ventilation shafts, and make sure that the front door is tightly closed.

In especially severe cases, patients are convinced that reptiles have already taken up residence in their home and are breeding.
Such people, gripped by panic, are constantly on “combat readiness”, developing plans and strategies to repel the attack of snakes. Why people are afraid of reptiles: causes of herpetophobia
According to psychotherapists, any disturbance of mental activity and the appearance of pathological reactions does not arise out of the blue, but has real prerequisites.
To date, experts have put forward and confirmed several hypotheses about the origin of herpetophobia. Let us describe the most studied versions in detail. Among the reasons for the irrational fear of reptiles, a person’s own experience takes the lead. Moreover, the emergence of herpetophobia is observed in situations where the subject assessed personal experiences as significant. An example of such phenomena could be the severe fear that a person felt upon unexpected contact with living reptiles. The effect of surprise and the lack of knowledge of how to act in such situations gave rise to intense reactions of fear. The psyche has imprinted a person’s unpleasant sensations at the subconscious level, thereby choosing a unique defensive strategy, rewarding the subject with anxious experiences oriented towards the future. The cause of herpetophobia can be not only direct contact with snakes, but also tragic events that coincided with the appearance of a reptile in a person’s field of vision. For example, while in a forest area, a person inadvertently trips, twists his leg and feels severe pain.
At the same time, on his way he notices a crawling creature. A conditional connection has been formed: from now on, the person will associate the image of a reptile with pain. In order to protect a person from painful phenomena, the psyche takes specific safety measures by launching a program for the emergence of fear reactions at the sight of snakes. Another reason for herpetophobia is based on the negative emotions experienced by a person, which arose not during direct contact with reptiles, but during indirect “meetings” with them.
For example, a suspicious and impressionable subject watches a film, the plot of which boils down to the misfortunes created for humanity by snakes.
He painfully experiences the tragedy of the fate of people who became victims of reptile attacks. Since the individual perceives the frames he sees on the screen close to his heart, a significant trace remains in his memory. Excessive fixation of attention on such sensations forms the prerequisites for the emergence of herpetophobia. Very often, this phenomenon occurs during childhood - a stage when a person’s personality is not formed, the ability to analyze the significance of information has not yet been developed.
A receptive, trusting, impressionable baby believes in all the words he hears from authoritative adults. And if the parents’ stories are filled with hatred and contempt for snakes and contain themes about the mortal danger posed by these animals, then the foundation for irrational fear has been laid in the child’s psyche. In the future, when a person is faced with some intractable situation, childhood experiences can initiate herpetophobia. Some scientists insist that the pathological fear of snakes is a modified instinct of self-preservation. They argue that the phobic fear of reptiles is purely evolutionary in origin. The obsessive, pointless fear of a contemporary is a legacy passed down by ancient ancestors, for whom reptiles posed a serious danger. However, one point is puzzling: why for some contemporaries common sense gained victory over genetic predisposition, while for other living people the instinct of self-preservation was transformed into a psychotic disorder. Supporters of biological versions of the origin of phobias adhere to a different point of view. According to their hypotheses, pathological fear reactions are nothing more than a failure in the production of neurotransmitters and disruptions in the functioning of the body's neurotransmitter system. Indeed, neurotransmitters - biologically active substances - take an active part in organizing the human emotional world. Therefore, it is likely that neurotransmitter deficiencies may cause an unhealthy response to external stimuli. How does herpetophobia manifest itself: symptoms of abnormal fear
The main symptoms of herpetophobia that appear in everyday life can be divided into two groups: behavioral signs and mental defects.
A person suffering from herpetophobia is aware of the abnormality and illogicality of his pathological fear, but he loses the ability to control his emotions and behavior. The behavioral symptoms of the disorder, first of all, include avoidance behavior - a style of organizing life activities in which the dominant role is given to measures to prevent collisions with reptiles. As mentioned above, with severe herpetrophobia, a significant place in the patient’s daily routine is given to compulsions - ritual actions intended to “fence” possible contact with reptiles. Compulsions with herpetrophobia are striking in their fantastic strangeness. For example, a person can double-check the condition of his bathroom dozens of times, because he is convinced that reptiles can crawl through the sewer.
Mental symptoms of herpetrophobia are a peculiar psycho-emotional state of the patient. His sensations are represented by unpleasant experiences and negative emotions. He is nervous and irritable, worried and nervous. No logical arguments can eliminate his anxiety and “savoring” of the upcoming tragedy. This emotional state is reflected, first of all, on the quality of sleep of a patient with herpetophobia. The individual cannot fall asleep for a long time in the evening hours. His nightly sleep is filled with nightmares, which is why he often wakes up in the middle of the night. In the morning he gets up exhausted and feels drowsy throughout the day. Due to poor sleep, he is not able to perform his duties in full, so his professional activities suffer greatly. Problems at work also arise because a person with herpetophobia cannot concentrate on the task at hand, since his thinking is overwhelmed by obsessive thoughts about a potential encounter with reptiles. A person’s adaptation to society is also disrupted. A patient with herpetophobia becomes withdrawn and unsociable. He refuses to meet with friends and does not attend exciting events. A person’s horizons decrease; previously enjoyable activities do not bring him pleasure. As a result, very often the symptoms of herpetophobia are accompanied by signs of depression - a depressed state, sad mood, thoughts about one’s inferiority. How does an attack of herpetophobia manifest itself? Pathological fear of reptiles is accompanied by symptoms of panic attacks that occur when encountering an object of anxiety. Having noticed a snake or an object similar to it, a person feels a panic attack, accompanied by:

a sharp jump in blood pressure;
changes in heart rate;
dizziness, feeling of impending fainting;
pressing or squeezing headache;
feeling of heaviness in the epigastrium;
pain syndrome in the chest area.

Other symptoms of a crisis with herpetophobia are:

feeling of dry mouth;
increased sweating;
frequent urge to urinate.

A person feels his eyes twitching and his hands shaking. The resulting hot flashes quickly change into debilitating chills. Signs of derealization may also be observed, when a person ceases to understand where he is and what surrounds him. How to get rid of the fear of reptiles: treatment of herpetophobia
Modern methods of treating anxiety-phobic disorders involve the following activities:

prescription of psychotropic drugs;
conducting psychotherapeutic work;
application of hypnosis techniques.

At the first stage of treatment of herpetophobia, the doctor’s task is to stop emerging vegetative signs, eliminate psychopathological symptoms and achieve relief of the patient’s condition. The gold standard for the treatment of pathological fears is the use of benzodiazepines. These drugs have a sedative, muscle relaxant effect. However, it is not recommended to take tranquilizers for longer than two weeks, since longer use of benzodiazepines causes the development of drug dependence and carries a high risk of withdrawal syndrome. The main emphasis in the treatment of herpetophobia is on psychotherapeutic activities. The arsenal of modern psychotherapy is rich in a variety of effective techniques, among which the cognitive-behavioral technique should be noted. During psychotherapeutic sessions, the patient, under the guidance of a doctor, identifies destructive links in his thinking and carries out targeted work to correct them. As a result of psychotherapeutic sessions, a person develops a new style of thinking, free from fears and other negative experiences. In severe situations of herpetophobia, hypnosis treatment plays a huge role. Today, only hypnosis techniques can completely eradicate abnormal fear of reptiles, since they directly affect the causes of the disorder. The independent, focused and persistent work of the patient is also of great importance in the treatment of herpetophobia. Psychologists recommend that all persons suffering from a pathological fear of reptiles take the following steps:

Write your own opinion about snakes on a piece of paper, clearly articulating your feelings. Then conduct a study of scientific information about reptiles. Compare the information you read with your own point of view. As a result, a person will conclude that his attitude towards these animals is biased and does not correspond to reality.
View illustrations of reptiles and study their species. After that, move on to watching documentaries about reptiles.
Talk to specialists who “communicate” with snakes in their professional activities. Ask about their feelings. Obtain information about the behavior of these animals in artificially created conditions.
Visit the terrarium. Carefully observe the behavior and manner of movement of reptiles.
Buy soft or rubber toys in the shape of a snake. Hold the dummy in your hands.
Buy any item made from genuine snakeskin. Try to feel the texture of the reptile's skin.
Take a photo with a live snake. If there is moral readiness, hold the animal in your hands and touch its skin.

However, it should be borne in mind that it will not be possible to get rid of herpetophobia on your own if the disorder is in an advanced stage and manifests itself with severe vegetative symptoms. Therefore, all people who experience a panic fear of reptiles should consult with a qualified psychotherapist as soon as possible.

Should you be afraid of snakes?

The fear of snakes is justified if a person is outside the city in nature, in the country or in countries where these reptiles are common. In this case, caution will not hurt. But some facts from the life of these cold-blooded creatures suggest that you should not be afraid of them:

the majority of snake species are non-venomous;
the reptile is afraid of humans and attacks a person only if they are close to it or if they accidentally step on it;
A snake bite is not always accompanied by an injection of poison. For the most part, she only bites;
snakes are reptiles that are nocturnal. During the daytime, they hide in burrows or secluded places.

The real danger of snakes and lizards

In Russia there are not many places where poisonous snakes are found, as well as a small number of species that can harm humans. A snake can bite only if a person poses a threat to it or its offspring.

Lizards living in Russia are not poisonous. Two species of poisonous reptiles are found only in America. Therefore, in Russia, lizards do not pose any threat to humans, and there is no point in being afraid of them.