According to statistics, each person in the list of hidden mental disorders has not a dozen phobias. What seems quite harmless and natural to some, is a serious danger to others. One of these seemingly harmless disorders is the fear of cats.
Why does it occur?
Often, such a pathology manifests itself after a serious shock experienced, namely after a collision with the object of one's fear. This may be due to children's curiosity, when everything around is so unusual and wonderful that you want to explore and touch.
Cats are naturally carnivorous, freedom-loving animals. Therefore, they do not always manage to endure human pranks in the form of a “harmless game”. Young children still lack the instinct of self-preservation, they are open to the world, unconditionally trusting it. It is common for a child to enter into play contact with a cat, while a signal is triggered in the animal about the need for self-preservation. A scratch or bite with subsequent treatments and possible complications is a concern. It was not for nothing that the saying atfear eyes are large.”
Plus, parental carelessness in the form of constant reminders of the consequences of the trauma experienced can contribute to the development of further hostility.
If a person is suspicious by nature, then fear, fear of cats can also arise based on the stories of other affected people. Fantasy is limitless, therefore, in the smallest detail, it is able to draw every stroke of a dangerous misunderstanding. Some people rely on signs in everything, associating cats with evil spirits and mysticism. Panic fear envelops the subconscious, which, if necessary, gives a signal of danger, for example, at moments when the object of fear is somewhere nearby, or in a photograph.
Name
So what is the name of the fear of cats? Phobia has several names. All of them are difficult to pronounce, however, like the name of any other phobia in psychotherapeutic practice. You can call this fear Gatophobia or Elurophobia. Also, specialists who are firsthand familiar with this type of disorder are also faced with such a term as galeophobia. But still, we will focus on the most common, which sounds like ailurophobia. It is with this name of the fear of cats that a person most often encounters, in whatever sources (on the Internet, encyclopedias or textbooks on psychology) he searches for it.
Tracking the roots of the problem
In the introduction to the article, the causes of the emergence and development of ailurophobia have already been mentioned. Now let's move on to a more detailed analysis.
Well, in order to trace the origins of fear, it is necessary to turn to psychological science in general, and in particular to psychoanalysis and its masters - Sigmund Freud and his student Carl Jung. According to their methodological research, it was concluded that all deviations of the human psyche, whether it be nervoses, psychoses or other disorders, are at unconscious levels and have their roots in early childhood. In the so-called Chaos Theory, there is a fair and quite vital statement: “One flap of a butterfly’s wing can lead to a hurricane on the other side of the Earth.”
Sources
And where are the sources of fear of cats? It is often difficult to answer this question. Since there can be many reasons, and each of them can be insignificant in the eyes of strangers, who, fortunately, are devoid of such fear. It could be a simple scratch, or treating a cut with nasty disinfectants following a minor injury. Or perhaps such that slow and superstitious parents often intimidate their children with cats, giving them some certain mystical properties that they naturally do not possess.
Superstitions associated with purrs have their roots in antiquity. Recall at least the ancient Egyptian culture, where our furry friends were revered like deities, and endowed in the eyes of people with unearthly supernatural abilities.
This attitude is found in ancient China, Babylon, Assyria,Sumer, Akkad, Phoenicia, in the cultures of American indigenous peoples such as the Maya or the Aztecs. These cute animals also occupy a special place in Orthodox culture. For a long time there have been endless disputes, discussions and discussions about whether a cat is a divine creature or is it a product of dark forces. It is unlikely that we will come to a final decision in this matter. But the fact that this question exists, and it is relevant, already speaks of increased attention to the feline family. That they have a place in our souls, hearts and minds.
Someone loves them, someone dislikes and despises them, and there are those who experience serious, bewitching fear. And part of this fear is historical. The empirical experience of quivering respect and fear, as we can see, has passed through dozens of generations in our age of technological and information discoveries. It occupies a rather extensive field for its influence on the already fragile psyche of the modern man in the street, subject to numerous irritations and stress tests of the nervous system.
Symptoms of the disease
From a person who is prone to fear of cats, you can often hear something that for ordinary people who are not prone to ailurophobia may seem ridiculous and stupid. It may seem to a suffering person that a cat will bite him, scratch him, or that he may be infected with some incurable diseases. Belief in supernatural causes is especially common.
Life is not deprived of those cases when a person himself cannot determine the causes of his fear. Such cases of psychoses are usually considered to be the most densely embedded in the patient's subconscious, rooted in his psyche. The treatment of such an "invisible" fear is the most difficult and requires attention and dedication from both the doctor and the patient.
Can I get rid of it?
Is it possible to get rid of the fear of cats? Undoubtedly! And there are an astonishing number of ways to do it. Not the most effective, but the most common of them is self-medication, but what do we mean by this? Most may think that all you need is the use of sedative, anti-stress drugs and the problem will disappear on its own. Under no circumstances should you do this! This is not only useless, but also dangerous for both physical and mental he alth.
Self-treatment means first of all introspection. It is necessary to show willpower and still ask yourself a lot of unpleasant questions related to this problem, and most importantly, answer them honestly. Gradually, some manage to realize, rethink the situation and understand that this is not such a disaster as it seemed before.
Expert Help
However, not everyone is able to cope with this problem on their own.
Most still need the help of a specialist in this field. Only a view from the side of a psychotherapist will help you realize the fact of ailurophobia, accept it, and then gradually and measuredly deal with it. The doctor will advisewhat drugs can not be taken, and what can and how much.
However, the treatment will not be limited to one pill. Moreover, this is just the beginning. Sessions of psychoanalysis, Gest alt therapy, in some particularly severe cases, even hypnosis is used. Also, the psychologist will teach you how to properly apply occupational therapy, meditation, yoga, sports. And, of course, group therapy will always help, where the patient is better aware that the fear of cats does not need to be ashamed at all - he is not alone, there are other people with a similar misfortune.
In 95 percent of cases, the patient gets rid of his phobia and never returns to a similar problem. Some are neutral towards these animals, while others are beginning to love them.
Conclusion
Now you know what a fear of cats is (a phobia called ailurophobia). We also talked about how it manifests itself and about ways to deal with a phobia.
