Ophidiophobia: symptoms, causes and treatment

This fear manifests itself when being near stimuli associated with snakes or similar.

Although it is true that snakes enjoy little fame among people and that the stories about them have earned them the reputation of very dangerous animals, the reality is that the coincidence with a snake is rarely a real threat to a person's life.

In spite of this, ophidiophobia or snake phobia is one of the specific phobias is one of the most common specific phobias worldwide. Throughout this article we will see what it consists of and how it manifests itself, as well as its possible causes and most effective treatments.

What is ophidiophobia?

Ophidiophobia refers to a specific anxiety disorder in which the person experiences an exacerbated, irrational and uncontrollable fear of snakes. Although experiencing a certain degree of fear in the presence of one of these reptiles is absolutely natural, in ophidiophobia fear must be unjustified and exaggerated in comparison to the real threat posed by the situation. the real threat posed by the situation.

Some keys that help us to differentiate between a normal and adaptive fear of snakes and a phobia is the behavior presented by the person in situations where the animal does not pose a danger. These situations can range from the fear experienced when seeing them in a zoo, to experiencing anxious symptoms simply by looking at a photo or a toy reproduction.

Snake phobia or ophidiophobia is part of another, somewhat more generalized type of phobia: herpetophobia, which is included within the zoophobias.. Herpetophobia refers to an intense and exaggerated fear of any type of reptile.

What symptoms does it present?

Like the rest of phobias or specific anxiety disorders, ophidiophobia has a series of symptoms typical of this type of disorders. Symptomatology can be divided into three main groups: physical symptoms, cognitive symptoms and behavioral symptoms.

As is usual in all types of disorders, there is no common and rigid pattern, there is no common and rigid pattern of symptoms.Rather, symptoms may vary both in their incidence and in their degree of intensity. These individual differences in the manifestation of symptoms will change according to the intensity of the fear experienced by the person.

Physical symptoms

When a person with ophidiophobia is in a situation involving the appearance of any type of snake, hyperactivity of the autonomic nervous system is automatically triggered.

This hyperactivity generates a reaction in the organism which suffers a great amount of changes and alterations. Among these changes we find the following.

• Acceleration of the cardiac rhythm.
• Sensation of vertigo and dizziness.
• Nausea.
• Tremors uncontrollable tremors.
• Choking sensation.
• Increased sweating..
• Sensation of pressure in the chest.
• Confusion.
• Syncope or fainting.
• Gastro-intestinal disturbances.

2. Cognitive symptoms

For physical symptoms to appear in the presence of a snake, the person must also have a series of previous cognitive symptoms. This cognitive symptomatology is due to an association of the phobic stimulus with a series of irrational ideas and beliefs about the snake. irrational ideas and beliefs about these reptiles..

These distorted beliefs favor the development of the phobia, being reflected in the following way.

• Intrusive thoughts and beliefsinvoluntary and uncontrollable in relation to snakes.
• Unpleasant and aversive mental images.
• Obsessive speculations associated with snakes.
• Fear of not being able to manage the situation adequately and end up losing control.
• Feeling of unreality.

3. Behavioral symptoms

Finally, as in all conditions in which fear and anxiety overcome the person's control, ophidiophobia also includes a series of behavioral symptoms that appear as a response to the sighting or perception of the aversive stimulus.

These acts are carried out with the intention of either directly avoiding the situation that provokes discomfort, or escaping as quickly as possible once the aversive stimulus has appeared. These behaviors are known as escape and avoidance behaviors..

Behaviors known as avoidance behaviors are carried out with the intention of avoiding an encounter with any type of snake. In these behaviors, the person performs all kinds of behaviors in order to avoid the stimulus that is the object of the phobia and thus avoid experiencing the sensations of anguish and anxiety that the phobia provokes.

For example, these avoidance behaviors can be reflected in the constant avoidance or refusal to visit zoos or any type of facility where these reptiles may appear, as well as avoiding travel to exotic countries.

Finally, escape behaviors appear when the person has not been able to avoid encountering the phobic stimulus, and once the sensation has been experienced.Once they have experienced the sensation of discomfort, they will carry out all kinds of behaviors that allow them to escape from the current situation as quickly as possible.

What causes this phobia?

One of the main features that characterizes phobias is the impossibility, in most cases, of defining the specific origin of a phobia. However, there are a number of factors that can facilitate the emergence, development and maintenance of a phobia.

Someone with a genetic predisposition to suffer to a greater extent from the effects of stressaccompanied by the experience of a highly traumatic experience or with a very high emotional charge in which the aversive stimulus (in this case snakes) plays a relevant role, may be much more vulnerable to developing a phobia.

However, in the specific case of snakes, there are some theories that expose other factors, in addition to genetics and traumatic experience, which may justify the intense fear that a person feels towards snakes.

The first theory points to the idea that ophidiophobia has an evolutionary basis that has not disappeared in some people. These hypotheses argue that in ancient times the danger that snakes posed to the physical integrity of humans was much higher, so the sense of alertness and danger towards this reptile was much more intense. This sensation would have lasted until today in some of these people who suffer from ophidiophobia.

On the other hand, the mythology that surrounds this animal and the symbolism associated with it facilitate the development and maintenance of these irrational and aversive fears and irrational and aversive beliefs about snakes.

Is there a treatment?

In the case that the person suffers from a real ophidiophobia, and not a normal fear of snakes, an appropriate treatment can reduce, and even eliminate, the anxiety response associated with the aversive stimulus. The high effectiveness of psychological interventions in the treatment of phobias have made them the primary method of choice for symptom relief.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy in which, by means of cognitive restructuring, the patient's distorted thoughts are modified, as well as techniques such as systematic desensitization or live exposure, and training in relaxation techniques.and training in relaxation techniques, are highly effective and usually have very satisfactory results on the patient.