What is animal phobia?
It is the irrational, disproportionate fear of animals such as cats, dogs, snakes, spiders, mice and birds. When a person encounters an animal that he or she is afraid of, he or she feels extreme anxiety and believes that he or she will be attacked or harmed in some way. He feels like he is going to get sick, faint, drown or even lose his life. Breathing changes, complaints such as palpitations, hot flashes and cold sweats occur. Because of this intense anxiety, he tries to get away from the animal as much as possible, and may even endanger himself during this escape.
For example, he may go down the road in fast traffic to escape from the dog. He/she engages in avoidance behavior to avoid experiencing such a state of panic again. He takes extreme precautions to avoid entering environments where he thinks he will encounter animals. Fear is not always at the forefront in animal phobia. Sometimes the feeling of disgust may be more dominant. For example, after seeing a cockroach, a person cannot feel comfortable, he changes his place, and his body may suddenly feel itchy.
Why does animal phobia arise?
In prehistoric times, people were trying to protect themselves. He had to avoid snakes, spiders or dangerous animals. It is thought that this fear and avoidance has been coded into the human genetic structure for centuries. A previously experienced traumatic event may lead to animal phobia. For example, being attacked by an animal in childhood or experiencing a situation that causes intense distress may cause a phobia. Or, a child may develop a phobia when he sees that the adults around him are extremely disgusted by an animal. Listening to negative stories about some animals or watching relevant situations in movies can also pave the way for phobia. On the other hand, according to psychoanalytic theory, if unconscious fears and desires have difficulty rising to the conscious level due to prohibitions, this situation may manifest itself as an animal phobia.
Fear of animals is very common in society. Is it a common problem?
In fact, urban life and living away from natural environments have distanced us from animals. Natural plants and animals, especially in the old residential areas of the city, have almost disappeared. In green areas Due to environmental pollution and climate changes, the balance of natural life has been disrupted. We now encounter fewer animals other than pets, but this does not eliminate phobias. Fears that do not surface continue inside. In fact, suddenly encountering animals we are not used to can create sudden and severe fear.
These fears usually surface in holiday environments and summer houses. Phobia towards pets such as cats and dogs can also be observed. This can cause problems both in apartment life and when visiting friends. We can say that animal phobia is the most common phobia in society.
When should a person seek treatment?
As with all phobias, in daily life If there is a disruption, it makes it difficult to live the person's daily routine, and If there is extreme tension caused by anxiety, it can be said that the person needs help. Most people do not know what to do to improve this. The doctor does not want to accept the treatments because they are long and drug-based. Because he believes that there will be no solution over time, he prefers to live without treatment, accepting his fear of animals at the expense of being deprived of his comfort and chronicling his unhappiness.
Psychological Support is Absolutely Necessary for Animal Phobia
First Photographs, films and models of the feared animal are used. The person is then taught relaxation and breathing exercises to combat his fear when he encounters the animal he fears. Breathing work is done by breathing slowly and deeply.
Relaxation techniques are based on first slowly contracting and then relaxing some of the main muscle groups in the body. One of the helpful methods is to imagine the feared situation and cope with it. After this stage, if possible, the animal that the person is afraid of is shown in a closed box. Then the target is to touch it. This study can generally be done for small animals such as spiders, cockroaches and flies.
When is Drug Treatment Necessary for Animal Phobia?
Animal phobias are very common. If it is severe, the person usually has another problem such as anxiety, panic disorder, depression. We encounter a problem. If we detect such an additional psychological problem, drug treatment is required. We use some antidepressant medications and sedatives in the treatment.
How Long Does the Treatment Last?
If there is no other psychological problem, sometimes even a single session can be enough. Traumatic situations underlying this phobia may require longer-term therapy and treatment.
Does Animal Phobia Go Away Over Time?
As the anxious thought in the mind repeats itself, your fear will increase. is also reinforced. In this case, the more time passes, the more the problem recurs. Rarely, its effect may decrease over time, but most often this fear threatens the comfort of life and becomes unbearable. There is no medicine that will completely cure this fear. Animal phobia can be completely eliminated in a few sessions with techniques such as hypnotherapy, EFT and EMDR.
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