SNAKE PHOBIA (OPHIDIOPHOBIA): SYMPTOMS, CAUSES - ARTE

The ophidiophobia or phobia of snakes is the irrational, intense and persistent fear of snakes. Such is the fear of this reptile that just the idea of seeing a photo or a toy can lead to an uncontrollable panic attack.

It is the second most common phobia in the world, affecting approximately 10% of the population. In addition, it is believed that up to 1/3 of human beings have some kind of fear of snakes.

Whether it is because of the black legends that have been told about them, their hiss on the ground stealthily, their disturbing gaze, the fact that some are poisonous or the hiss that they reproduce with their tongue, many people suffer real chills just thinking that they are nearby of one of them. Fortunately, this mental inability to remain calm has treatment.

In addition to developing possible therapies, we will address the root of the problem, trying to understand its causes and what are the possible consequences of suffering from this disorder.

Definition

Ophidiophobia comes from the Greek word "ophis", which means snake and "phobos", fear, hatred. That is, the fear of snakes in a persistent and excessive way.

It is important to clarify that having a certain repulsion or fear of these reptiles does not imply a phobia. To be considered a disorder, it must be an unjustified fear that is within what is considered normal.

Ophidiophobia is included within herpetophobia (fear of reptiles) and this in turn to zoophobia (irrational fear of animals). Arachnophobia, buffonophobia, entomophobia, cynophobia or motephobia are other phobias that are included in this great section.

Symptoms

Symptoms can vary depending on how terrified you are of snakes. Some individuals will experience some discomfort when exposed to a reptile, while others will develop conditions that affect their health more.

This will be determined by the mental state and other characteristics related to the affected person. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), some of the most common symptoms are:

Shaking chills.
Feeling of vulnerability to the snake.
Difficult breathing
Increased heart rate
Excessive sweating
Difficulty expressing yourself or articulating a word.
Crying, screaming.
Inability to distinguish between what is real and what is not.
Panic attacks.
Instant or temporary paralysis.

Sometimes ophidiophobia can affect a person's normalcy considerably. This would avoid spaces conducive to a snake's habitat (parks, lakes, zoos, forests, etc.) or would go too far in ensuring that your home is free from unexpected visitors.

Causes

Only 10% of snakes can have a real danger to humans. So what makes us panic and cause this disorder in certain people?

Mythology

The snake is an animal full of symbolism that has been linked throughout history to such negative concepts as evil or the devil himself. The Bible itself, through the story of Adam and Eve, portrays the serpent as a mean animal and akin to the devil.

This popular culture remains intrinsic in the human mind, which due to ignorance is unable to distinguish the mythological from the real.

Traumatic episode

They occur mostly in childhood. If you have witnessed or been the victim of a snake attack or have been exposed to any disturbing or violent trigger, this can trigger trauma leading to ophidiophobia.

Evolution

The evolutionary cause is very present for many scientists. They defend that animals such as snakes were a nuisance to our primitive ancestors, which developed a certain alertness and visual acuity to the reptile's movements.

In an article by Isbell (2006) in Seed Magazine, the possible impact that has occurred on the brain of certain mammals such as monkeys or humans, when living with the snake is collected.

Genetics

Point of greatest controversy. While some scientists believe that having family members with ophidiophobia can promote your suffering, others refute it, arguing that it is simple family conditioning.

Treatment

At this point, it should be emphasized that you have to make sure that the fear you suffer from a snake is truly a phobia. For this, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMS) of the APA, includes the requirements that must be met to suffer from this disorder:

Persistent and excessive fear of a snake even though it is known to be harmless.
Panic attacks or anxiety at the exposure of the snake.
Recognition that the fear suffered is excessive (only applicable to adults).
Avoidance at all costs of contact with a snake.

Once these symptoms are recognized, if it is necessary to go to a professional to determine what type of treatment is the most appropriate to combat this suffering. Some of the most common and effective therapies are:

Exposure therapy

As its name suggests, the goal of this therapy is to gradually expose ourselves to the being that creates our fear. For this, a safe and controlled environment will be established, in which the patient can feel somewhat more comfortable. It is also known as a desensitization technique.

In this case, the patient will be gradually exposed to a photo of a snake, a toy that imitates the figure, a dead snake and a live one at a distance. The idea is that when the time comes, the affected person can touch the animal and even hang it by the neck. If you can stay calm, your brain can control fear and anxiety.

Cognitive restructuring

Also known as cognitive behavioral therapy. It aims to vary the negative thinking that is had about the snake to eliminate any hint of fear or panic in the subject. To do this, she relies on biofeedback or relaxation techniques.

Relaxation techniques

The purpose of relaxation techniques is to provide the affected person with certain skills and techniques to remain calm in states of anxiety. Meditation classes, controlled breathing or exercises linked to positivity are carried out to achieve mental and physical tranquility on a voluntary basis.

Medication

Only recurrent in severe cases. The intake of antidepressants (SSRIs) or anxiolytics can substantially improve the symptoms produced by this disorder, but prolonged use of them can lead to addiction or other side effects.

Curiosities

There are about 3,500 registered species of snakes.
The largest snake ever caught was 7.5 meters long and weighed around 250 kilos.
Snakes cause 2.5 million poisonous bites a year, causing more than 125,000 deaths.
In Southeast Asia, Brazil, certain areas of Africa or India is where more deaths occur from the bite of this animal.
Chimpanzees fear snakes in the same way as humans.
The snake is the symbol of the Pharmacy.
Actors Justin Timberlake and Salma Hayek and the film character Indiana Jones suffer from ophidiophobia.
Throughout history, different civilizations have given this animal a certain contradictory symbolism: wisdom, eternity, darkness, evil, psychic powers, demon, death, sexual vigor, etc.

References

Norris RL. Venomous snakebites in North America. In: Adams JG, ed. Emergency Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2013: chap 139.
Otten EJ. Venomous animal injuries. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2014: chap 62.
Bethany A. Teachman, Aiden P. Gregg, and Sheila R. Woody (2001). Implicit Associations for Fear-Relevant Stimuli Among Individuals With Snake and Spider Fears. Copyright 2001 by the American Psychological Association.
Arne Ohman, Anders Flykt, and Francisco Esteves. Emotion Drives Attention: Detecting the Snake in the Grass. Copyright 2001 by the American Psychological Association.
Schroeder, Harold; Craine, Linda. Relationships among measures of fear and anxiety for snake phobics. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Vol 36 (3), Jun 1971, dx.doi.org
Douglas M. Klieger & Kimberly K. Siejak (2010), Disgust as the Source of False Positive Effects in the Measurement of Ophidiophobia.

SNAKE PHOBIA (OPHIDIOPHOBIA): SYMPTOMS, CAUSES - ARTE - 2025