Beloved action hero Indiana Jones is known for fearlessly rushing into ancient ruins to rescue damsels and priceless artifacts, only to get the heebie-jeebies from a booby trap with snakes. “Snakes!” he yells. “Why is it always snakes?”

If you’re someone struggling with ophidiophobia, the fear of snakes, then you knowexactlyhow our adventurer feels.

Since snakes are often depicted as threatening or dangerous, a fear of snakes is considered a given — who wouldn’t be afraid of something that can kill you with one bite?

A 2013年研究 even found that our brain is evolutionarily conditioned to be afraid of snake-like forms. This makes sense, as they’ve always been a threat to the human species.

However, in the modern day, if you find you’re unable to function in your life or that you lose all control at the mere mention of a snake, you may be dealing with more than just the healthy respect a wild predator deserves.

阅读有关Ophidiophoophobia的更多信息以及如何处理此具体phobia为自己 。

如果您对蛇有深深的恐惧，您可能会在您靠近它们时体验一个或多个症状，想想它们，或与包含蛇的媒体啮合。

For example, if your co-worker discusses their pet ball python in the break room, you may have one or more of the following reactions:

  • dizziness or lightheadedness
  • 恶心
  • sweating, especially in your extremities such as your palms
  • 增加心率
  • 难以呼吸或呼吸急促
  • trembling and shaking

These symptoms may worsen as you get physically closer to a snake or as the time of a proposed snake interaction grows closer to happening.

与其他特定的恐惧症一样，对蛇的恐惧可以来自各种原因。它实际上可能有多个因素，每个因素都在另一个中，采取潜在（未开发）的恐惧并将其转化为焦虑诱导的东西。OphidiophoophoOphobia的一些原因包括：

  • A negative experience.A traumatic experience with a snake, especially at a young age, could leave you with a long-term phobia of the creatures. This could include being bitten or being in a frightening environment that prominently featured snakes and in which you felt trapped or helpless.
  • Learned behaviors.If you grew up seeing a parent or relative demonstrating terror around snakes, then you may have learned they were something to fear. This is true of many specific phobias, including ophidiophobia.
  • Portrayal in media.Often we learn to fear something because popular media or society tells us it is scary.小丑，蝙蝠，小鼠，确实蛇经常在这个位置结束。如果你看到太多的可怕电影或可怕的图像，在很长一段时间内以蛇为特色，你可以学会害怕他们。
  • 了解消极经验。听到有人描述一个有蛇的可怕体验可能会触发。恐惧往往来自导致疼痛或不适的东西的期望，而不是实际遇到它的记忆。

特定的恐惧症有时可以精细地诊断，并非所有这些都列在精神障碍的诊断和统计手册中（DSM-5）。这是精神卫生专业人士在诊断不同心理健康问题或障碍时使用的参考工具。

In this case, your fear of snakes may be diagnosed as a特定恐惧症, which means an intense fear or anxiety in response to a specific trigger, such as an animal, environment, or situation.

学习诊断的第一步是与治疗师讨论您的症状和恐惧。您将通过不同的记忆或体验您的恐惧症伴随着您的恐惧症来帮助他们清楚地了解您的历史。

Then, together, you can talk through different possible diagnoses to see which feels the closest to your own personal experience. Afterward, you can decide together on possible treatment.

对于特异性恐惧症，没有单一的治疗方法，如眼光恐惧症。您可以决定探讨彼此的一些不同风格的治疗。这一切都是关于找到适合您的合适组合。渗透恐惧症的一些常见治疗方法包括：

暴露疗法

This form of talk therapy, also calledsystematic desensitization这听起来像：你在非娱乐和安全的环境中接触到你担心的东西。

For ophidiophobia, this may mean looking at pictures of snakes with your therapist and discussing the emotions and physical reactions that come up in response.

In some cases, you may try using a virtual reality system to be around a snake in a natural but digital space where it feels like you’re there, but nothing can truly hurt you. You may work up to being around real snakes in a safe and regulated environment like the zoo.

认知行为治疗

通过这种类型的谈话疗法，您可以使用治疗师设定短期目标，以改变思想中的模式或问题。认知行为治疗通常涉及动手解决问题，可以帮助您改变您对问题的感受。

在这种情况下，您可以通过方法来讨论，以使他们不再担心。你可能会被爬虫学家参加讲座，一个研究蛇的人，所以你可以了解更多关于动物的信息。

Medication

Medication is best used in conjunction with regular talk therapy while treating your phobia. There are two types of medication commonly used to help with specific phobias:beta-blockers和镇静剂. With beta-blockers, your heartbeat pumps a little slowly, so if you have a panic or fear response, this can help you to feel calm and relaxed instead of spiraling.

镇静剂是处方药，以帮助您放松。但是，他们可以导致依赖。因此，许多规定者避免了焦虑或恐惧症，而是鼓励您通过咨询来通过恐惧症工作。

getting help for ophidiophobia

害怕snakes is a common phobia among a wide variety of different types of people — remember our archeologist hero from the beginning? Even he was afraid of them. But the best way to conquer our fears is to name them and face them.

By talking with a therapist and seeking support from trusted friends and family members, you can find a way to reduce your anxiety and live a life free from ophidiophobia.