Ophidiophobia or ophiophobia is the abnormal fear of snakes. The word comes from the Greek ophis meaning ‘snake’ and phobia meaning ‘fear’. It is possibly the most common subcategory of herpetophobia, the fear of reptiles. For people with severe Ophidiophobia, the mere mention or an image of a snake in books or on TV can lead to an intense fear response, the reactions of which can even include heart attacks and death.
?Your doctor will initially ask you a series of questions to collect information about your symptoms and fears. They will review your medical, psychiatric, and social history. They may also refer to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association, to diagnose the specific phobia. Your doctor will then plan your treatment based on your diagnosis.
?Some people who have a phobia may not need treatment because all they need to do is avoid whatever is causing the phobia. You should consult a doctor if this is something that is not easy to do or it starts to affect your social, work, or personal life. ? It may take some time to successfully treat ophidiophobia depending on how serious the condition is. But with treatment, upwards of 90% of people are able to successfully recover from a phobia.
Credit : WebMD
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