Knowing the causes and how to deal with snake phobia

Why does a person have a phobia of snakes?

Since ancient times, the human brain has continued to evolve in order to survive. One form of this evolution is to develop a fear of animals or anything that looks dangerous, including snakes, spiders, insects, and so on.

This is discussed by a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . In that study, people who were afraid of snakes tended to be quicker to detect the presence of these animals.

When studied, the number of nerve cells that respond to snakes is far more than nerve cells that respond to other objects. People with snake phobia also respond more readily and are more alert to avoiding them.

Apart from these factors, there are other conditions that can cause excessive fear of snakes. The following include:

1. Negative experiences

Negative experiences with snakes can be traumatic for years, especially if you experienced them as a child. The experience can be in the form of being bitten by a snake, or dealing with a bad event related to a snake.

2. Negative image shown by the media

A person could be phobic of snakes because he saw the negative image shown by the media. For example, if you watch scary movies or videos too often with snakes in them, over time your brain will "learn" to be afraid of snakes.

3. Hearing other people's negative experiences

Fear can be transmitted from other people. When you hear about other people's bad experiences with snakes, you can experience the same fear. Fear usually arises because you are anxious about the bad effects.

4. Often scared

If your parents, friends, or other close people often scare you with snakes, your brain will gradually think that snakes are terrible. The fear then gets bigger and bigger and develops into a phobia.

How to overcome a phobia of snakes

Fear actually helps you in dealing with dangerous situations. When you feel scared, your body and mind are alert, so you are better prepared to run or fight.

It's natural to feel scared when you are dealing with a real snake, but phobias are different from ordinary fear. This condition triggers excessive fear of threats that are not real, for example when looking at a picture or a toy shaped like a snake.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can treat your phobia of snakes. The results may not be immediately obvious, but they can help reduce the severity of symptoms when you see things that are associated with snakes.

These various ways, namely:

1. Exposure therapy

Exposure therapy trains you to deal with fear. You may be asked to look at a picture of a snake and then share your emotions and physical symptoms with the therapy. You don't need to worry, because this therapy will be carried out in a safe situation.

2. Cognitive and behavioral therapy

In this therapy, you work with a therapist to change the wrong thought patterns that cause your phobia to snakes. You may be invited to learn about snakes so you can see that snakes are normal animals and not terrible objects.

3. Medicines

Medication will not get rid of the fear of snakes, but it will help relieve panic that you are experiencing. Keep in mind that medications can be addictive, so make sure you consult your doctor about this.

It is normal to have a fear of snakes, but phobias can interfere with daily activities. If you are troubled by this condition, counseling with a psychologist can help you deal with your fear in a healthier way.