Ophidiophobia is an irrational fear of snakes that can cause physical and emotional symptoms. It is different from a rational fear of snakes and is relatively rare. Severe cases may require psychological treatment, but most people can resume daily activities with some success.
Ophidiophobia is a fear of snakes that extends beyond encounters with actual reptiles. An ophidiophobic is not only afraid of the potential harm that can result from encounters with snakes, but is also disturbed by images and thoughts about them. The difference between a rational fear of snakes and a more primitive phobia can often be demonstrated by the behavior of a sufferer in a zoo.
A person who is afraid of snakes because they are dangerous will not be afraid when separated from the snake by glass, while the person with a phobia will be terrified even when they cannot suffer any physical harm. This is an important distinction because general fear of snakes is widespread, while true ophidiophobia is quite rare in the general population.
A person suffering from ophidiophobia can experience any number of symptoms when confronted with a snake or a resemblance of a snake. Nausea, panic attacks and crying are all common reactions. Some people experience less dramatic reactions to drawn representations of snakes and experience true terror only when they see live snakes or videos. Exactly how a person’s fear manifests itself is highly individual, and some people have more control over their emotions than others.
Of the different types of phobias, ophidiophobia is relatively common, although arachnophobia and general herpetophobia are both likely to occur more frequently. This is most likely because many people have somewhat rational reasons for being afraid of snakes, and these fears sometimes evolve into uncontrollable phobias. If a person’s phobia can be related to a specific event in their life, it is likely that a confrontation with snakes has had some influence on the ophidiophobic feelings about animals.
Conditions like ophidiophobia can become very serious when the fear migrates into the imagination. An ophidiophobic may have irrational fears that snakes might come out of walls, for example, and may take absurd precautions against snakes in her home. He or she may obsessively research snakes and ways to protect themselves from them. When the phobia becomes extremely severe, the images conjured up by the ophidiophobia imagination can make a person completely consumed with fears and unable to live with the condition.
People with severe phobias can be so plagued by their fears that they seek psychological help. Snakes aren’t usually encountered by most people in everyday life, so ophidiophobia usually doesn’t require treatment. It is only in the most severe cases that psychological action should be taken. Treatment may consist of desensitization, hypnosis, and talking. In most cases, treatment is at least partially successful and daily activities can be resumed without too much interference from the phobia.
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