Symptoms and Causes of Herpetophobia

Herpetophobia is the fear of reptiles in general. When a person has a persistent and unreasonable feeling of fear due to a reptile of any nature, they are considered to be a herpetophobic person. Many of us are afraid of some reptiles, but a person with clinical fear of reptiles will have physical, emotional, and mental symptoms that those who have a healthy fear of dangerous reptiles do not have.

Symptoms of Severe Herpetophobia

Some people who have a severe phobia of reptiles will display symptoms of extreme anxiety. If a person with a great fear of snakes comes across a snake unexpectedly they may have a panic attack and hyperventilate. These are the symptoms of a person who is severely afraid of reptiles such as snakes, lizards, and other types of reptiles.

Often a person with this type of phobia will not be able to look at a photo of a reptile without being overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. These types of people will avoid places where reptiles are likely to be at including campgrounds, hiking trails, pet stores, and even the homes of friends and family who own a reptile as a pet. Those with a severe fear of reptiles should seek medical attention that will help them cope with their phobia so that it does not effect their quality of life.

The Causes of Herpetophobia

Like most all phobias the root cause is generally something rooted in the persons childhood or early adolecents. Many of us have a healthy fear of some reptiles because we were taught by our elders that snakes were dangerous, they could bite us, and many of the snakes were venemous.

Unlike those with severe fear of reptiles, many of us became educated about which types of reptiles posed a threat to us and we were able to cope with being in close proximity to non-dangerous reptiles. A person with herpetophobia; however, would not be able to be around reptiles because of their uncontrollable feelings of dread and fear.

Some people believe that we are genetically predisposed to having a fear of reptiles because of our ancestors. It is believed that since our ancestors lived in nature and were surrounded by reptiles and did not have the education to know which reptiles were dangerous and which were not, that the fear was passed down to us through our DNA.

Many of us don't have a true phobic fear of reptiles but do generally avoid being around reptiles because they are slimey, creepy looking, or we don't want their germs or possible venom on us. This is the difference between having a healthy fear and an unreasonable fear. A clinical herpetophobic person would be just as much afraid of a rattlesnake as they would a corn snake. They may know that a corn snake does not have venom, but they are equally afraid of either one.

Seeking Professional Help for Fear of Reptiles

If you have a severe fear of reptiles (herpetophobia) you should consider seeking professional help to overcome your phobia before it interrupts your quality of life. If you find that you are avoiding going places and doing certain activities due to your fear of snakes and other reptiles, you can speak with a therapist who can help you to understand the difference between a healthy fear and an unhealthy one. Your therapist can also help you become educated about which reptiles are in fact dangerous and which ones are not. This type of phobia is a common one and is in the same ranks of popularity as arachnophobia (fear of spiders) and ophidiophobia (fear of snakes only). If you suffer from panic attacks or anxiety due to your fear of reptiles you should seek help soon so that you can begin living a less fearful life.

Sources:

http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Phobias

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/phobias.html

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/anxiety-disorders/specific-phobias.shtml