Animals And Anxiety
Anxiety is the feeling of uneasiness or comfortless at the present moment or the fear of what might happen in the future. Animals are among the things that cause us so much anxiety. Such animals may include pigs, dogs, cows, snakes and even cats. An overwhelming anxiety when around animals engulfs you suddenly especially the said animals. There is also the intense anxiety around snakes.
Anxiety around animals may be due to a number of reasons. I will list them below.
Animal scent
Animals have a very distinct and different smell that we aren’t used to. The smell may make us anxious when we are around these animals. The smell of a dog or a lion for instance may cause you to have jitters. This is because there is a preconception related to such animals.
Earlier experiences
The experiences you earlier had with certain animals may make you to be very anxious around animals. This is because of the memory that your brain registered before of the dangers or the bad way the animals may have handled you.
Myths
When around animals’ anxiety creeps in as result of some strong mythical truths. They are truths as they have been carried through time and they have now been believed to be the truth. An instance is the believe that snakes are a representation of evil. When somebody will be in a snake park or a zoo he will extremely or instantly be anxious when he/she sees a snake.
There is the intense anxiety around snakes which is a very serious issue. A snake isn’t the biggest friend to many people and that’s why there are a lot of anxious people when they come face to face with a snake. The sudden presence of a snake may send shockwaves around your body and cause you to be very anxious.
Excessive fear of the snake creeps into a person when there is a presence of a snake or a likelihood to meet one. Sometimes the snake attendants or even photographers of snakes may make a person to be extremely anxious.
When a person recognizes the fact that fear has taken over a large portion of their lives concerning snakes that’s when they know that they are very anxious around snakes. The mere presence of a non-venomous snake may make one to be extremely anxious.
Extreme anxiety to snakes may make one to avoid places or instances where snakes may be present. The zoo, the snake parks, forests or camping sites become a very big no to such people. Most may even prefer to remain indoors in new places for fear of encountering snakes.
Extreme cases of anxiety disorder around snakes should be properly treated.
Exposure. Exposure to controlled environments of snakes will help one to overcome the extreme anxiety disorder. One will begin to view snakes as harmless and with time he/she will no longer be very anxious around snakes.
Restructuring. Restructuring the false beliefs and myths about snakes will help one to relax and have a new view of snakes. The old beliefs that made you view snakes as very wild and bad animals may soon slowly change.
Body exercise. Relaxing your body and muscles may go long way to help you during your next encounter with a snake. The reactions will not be extreme as with previous encounters.
Anxiety exists among us all and especially the anxiety around animals. The most common anxiety complex is the one which faces us when we have a one to one encounter with snakes. I hope the article will be helpful to you as you fight anxiety around animals and the anxiety around snakes.
