A phobia, which is a type of anxiety disorder, is defined as a state of intense fear felt by an individual toward a specific situation, living or non-living species, or place. Individuals with a phobia perceive certain risks as more threatening than they normally should be and avoid these situations deemed risky to a significant degree. When these individuals are confronted with the conditions that are the object of the phobia, they experience a major problem. This encountered situation can manifest itself as a complete form of panic and a sense of terror. While there can be many causes of animal phobia, it is also possible to overcome this feeling. Not every fear of animals is considered zoophobia (fear of animals).
Zoophobia is defined as the condition of being afraid of animals. Generally occurring in young children, this problem can also be seen in adults. For patients, zoophobia can be overly stressful because many people make animals a part of their lives, and since inhumane-considered animals are widespread in the world. There are various treatment methods available for individuals experiencing this problem.
Why Does Zoophobia Occur?
In individuals experiencing this problem, a fear of animals develops from various aspects. This fear can be seen towards every kind of animal, big or small. Sometimes, patients who have an excessive fear of animals may experience a single type of fear. The most common zoophobia in society stems from dogs, cats, and insects. The root basis of these fears can stem from childhood traumas, as well as various reasons such as disorders resulting from the brain failing to perform its functions properly. Therefore, a person with zoophobia can receive psychological support to identify the source of the fear.
The types of animals feared also show cross-cultural variations. For example, being afraid of spiders is quite common in England, whereas spider phobia is not commonly seen in our country. A portion of people with animal phobias state that their phobias began after a bad experience with that animal. A dog bite can be given as an example of this situation. In another portion, no such initiating factor can be found. The phobic patient typically develops an avoidance behavior suitable for providing himself with a comfortable daily life. He might not watch documentaries related to the feared animals on television. Where he travels depends on certain conditions.
What Are the Reactions Given by Individuals with Zoophobia?
Whether or not someone has zoophobia can be easily understood when facing animals. If the person exhibits the reactions stated below, a condition of zoophobia can be mentioned;
- Increased heart rate
- State of fear
- Panicking
- Getting angry
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Moving away
- Crying
What Are the Treatment Methods for Zoophobia?
Among these, behavior therapy provides the best help to patients. In this treatment technique, patients share their phobia related to the animal they fear with the therapist and explain the reason for it according to themselves. During the treatment process, desensitization sessions can be arranged for the patient, during which reactions given to animals and displayed animal shapes are examined, and an effort is made for the individual to get used to this situation.
Apart from this, some medications can be used to help the patient combat his fear. These medications produce effects that cause the patient not to react when encountering animals he feels fear of. However, the use of medication is not recommended first; the main technique is to confront the fear.
For example, when questions are directed to the patient such as; why are you afraid of cats? Did they harm you? Did you have a moment with cats when you were little? The person will try to answer these questions. Along with this, the subconscious also plays an important role.
Zoophobia is an important issue; people who are afraid of animals must be treated with patience and persuaded to receive psychological help. Apart from this, it is not healthy to humiliate or mock people; in such cases, individuals can experience more intense emotional stress and cause the phobia to worsen.