Many people live in contact with nature and with birds. These communicate through signs and sounds that they carry out to transmit messages within large cities or fields despite being immersed in the routine of people. It is common to find birds in various places, whether in parks, streets, trees, mountains, hills, lakes, among others.
In general, the vast majority of them are harmless beings that do not entail major complications for the population. However, there are people who have an exacerbated and intense fear of this class of animals that affects the development of their daily lives. Having concrete and valuable data can give us useful tools when dealing with this problem. In this Psychology-Online article we will talk about the Ornithophobia (fear of birds): what is it, causes, symptoms and treatment.
Index
- What is ornithophobia
- Causes of ornithophobia
- Symptoms of ornithophobia
- Treatment of ornithophobia
What is ornithophobia.
Ornithophobia is an anxiety disorder that causes a irrational and exacerbated fear of the presence of birds. In this sense, ornithophobia is within the group of specific phobias of the DSM-V[1] due to the peculiarities of the clinical picture.
In establishing a proper diagnosis of ornithophobia, the following must be met: diagnostic criteria for its correct interpretation:
- Fear and/or intense anxiety to the birds.
- Avoid specific situations in which birds may be present.
- Fear and/or anxiety disproportionate to the real danger posed by birds.
- Duration of six months or more.
- Deterioration of work, social and family relationships in certain contexts.
- The symptoms cannot be explained by the presence of any other mental disorder.
Causes of ornithophobia.
Why am I afraid of birds? In order to locate the reasons for ornithophobia, it is essential to know the causes that emerge from the clinical picture. Next, we will show you the main causes of ornithophobia:
Environmental factors
On the one hand, the unpleasant experiences in the past They leave marks that last over time. In cases of ornithophobia, some unpleasant situation with birds may have occurred in the past. For example, having been the victim of a bird attack or having seen a loved one involved in this difficulty.
On the other hand, if important people in the environment show a avoidant behavior face the birds, the imitation of this way of reacting can cause ornithophobia.
Genetic factors
Genetic inheritance plays an important role in understanding human behaviors and emotions. There are several genes that are linked to the emotional processing of external stimuli. In general, people who suffer from ornithophobia have a increased neural sensitivity against the presence of birds, since these generate responses of fear and/or avoidance.
Symptoms of ornithophobia.
Ornithophobia has some physical and emotional manifestations. In order to provide more clarity to the subject, we are going to show you the most frequent symptoms of ornithophobia:
- Breathing difficulties.
- Excessive sweating.
- dizziness
- Nausea.
- Tremors.
- Palpitations.
- Avoidance of places where birds could be present.
- fear of death.
- Catastrophic thoughts.
It should be noted that the presence of any of these symptoms does not necessarily imply that we are facing ornithophobia. It is essential that the diagnosis is carried out by a professional of mental health that evaluates the characteristics of the person, taking into account their particularities.
Treatment of ornithophobia.
Beyond the difficulties that this anxiety disorder entails, fortunately there are ways to treat ornithophobia and improve the quality of life of people who suffer from it. Next, we will show you the main treatments for fear of birds.
psychological therapy
The therapy provides a personal reflection space that provides help to people experiencing conflict in their daily lives. On the one hand, emphasis is placed on inquiring about the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that cause the symptoms. In turn, this type of approach addresses the problems in a limited period of sessions and provides the patient with various tools to face the fear of birds. The most used and effective treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy.
On the other hand, he also works for pinpoint the source of symptoms of ornithophobia through the memory of childhood experiences. When the source of the problems is understood, the symptoms are better understood and can be resolved. Specifically, the person learns to face the fear of birds through alternative strategies.
psychiatric medication
In the most serious cases of ornithophobia, the supply of anxiolytics is a tool that allows decrease the intensity of symptoms However, the use of psychiatric medication should only be done under the supervision of a mental health professional.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Ornithophobia (fear of birds): what is it, causes, symptoms and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.
References
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: Pan American Medical Publisher.
Bibliography
- Castro Beltran, A.R. (2010). Theoretical references related to the treatment of anxiety disorders with relaxation techniques. Scientific Information Magazine, 66 (2), 1-17.
- Delgado Reyes, A.C., Sánchez López, J.V. (2019). Fear, phobias and their treatments. Electronic Journal of Psychology Iztacala, 22 (2), 798-833.
Ornithophobia (fear of birds): what is it, causes, symptoms and treatment
