Index
It is generalized, irrational anxiety that a person feels for ducks, geese, or swans.
The word anatidaephobia derives from the Greek words “Anatidae,” that is, ducks, geese, or swans, and “Phobos,” which means fear.
A person who has this phobia knows that his fear of ducks is irrational, but also the fear is so intense and so fixed in his mind that seeing a duck or swan makes him anxious, which causes various symptoms.
Causes of anatidaephobia
As with all phobias, anatidaephobia is likely caused by trauma that occurred during childhood. The individual has an intense fear of certain species of waterfowl.
Geese and swans are relatively well known for their aggressive tendencies, and the anatidaephobic person may have been harmed by one of these birds.
Therefore, the most likely cause of anatidaephobia is a real-life trauma experienced by the person at some point in their life due to ducks or geese.
It may have been attacked by an aggressive swan or geese, mainly during childhood. This has created an intense and lasting fear of these types of animals.
Symptoms
The symptoms of anatidaephobia can be very different from person to person.
Some may have excessive sweating and moderate anxiety that usually disappear after a while, while in other people, the state of stress can be extreme and cause panic attacks.
When faced with their fear, some people may become a little uncomfortable, and they may feel nauseous.
Other symptoms are so severe that they trigger an overwhelming experience of anxiety or severe panic attacks.
But in general, the symptoms can include:
- The person’s mouth becomes dry.
- You have trouble breathing.
- Has muscle tension.
- Has tremors throughout the body.
- The person begins to breathe deeply.
- The person feels out of control.
- The person feels trapped in a situation of fear.
- It presents an overwhelming sense of impending disaster.
- Presents excessive perspiration.
- Systolic blood pressure rises significantly.
- She is frightened by ducks and cannot escape.
Diagnosis of anatidaephobia
Anatidaephobia is self-diagnosed; the individual recognizes that their fear of being observed by a duck is irrational and severely disturbs their ability to function normally in their daily life.
It can even interfere with the person’s social life, in addition to compromising their work responsibilities at a particular time.
However, they are unable to control this phobia. Many refuse to see a doctor, which suggests that the aversion may persist for years.
Treatment
It is essential to speak with a psychologist significantly if the anxiety symptoms caused by the phobia interfere with your daily life.
The following therapies can be highly effective in treating anatidaephobia and overcoming the fear of ducks.
- Cognitive-behavioral, desensitization, and exposure therapies: These therapies are based on the principle that most phobias are learned or programmed brain behavior. Through neurolinguistic programming, the brain is reprogrammed, and the dread is eliminated once and for all.
- Hypnotherapy: This is a highly effective therapy.
- Self-help therapies: practice techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, and inserting a list of positive thoughts to rationalize negative ones and thus overcome the fear of ducks.
- Anxiolytic medications for severe cases with extreme anxiety symptoms.
It is essential that in the family and social circle, the individual is supported instead of making fun of the phobia. Anatidaephobia is a severe disorder, and treatment requires all possible help.
