How not to be afraid of dogs? Cynophobia (fear of dogs): symptoms of a phobia and its treatment

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Since ancient times, a dog has been considered man's best friend. However, there are people who experience the strongest fear of these creatures - kinophobia. This is an increased feeling of fear related to mental illness. A person is frightened not only by the animal itself, but also by its image, barking, any paraphernalia, references to animals.

This disorder includes two types of condition: adactophobia, or fear of being bitten, and rabiephobia, fear of contracting rabies. If you have experienced something similar, then most likely you are interested in learning about a technique that will help in how not to be afraid of dogs. Psychologists have developed many special programs that help fight painful fear. They will be discussed in our article.

Types of fears

Psychiatrists distinguish two types of fear: true kinophobia and pseudophobia. The first type is an anxiety disorder that occurs in a passive form.with severe aggression towards animals. In a serious condition, hysterical seizures occur. Such people are aggressive not only to dogs, but also to their owners and those who like these cute creatures.

Pseudophobia affects subjects who, in fact, imitate kinophobia to somehow explain their sadistic inclinations.

Panic fear of dogs is a pathology that requires mandatory treatment. With mild forms, outpatient therapy is possible.

Why do fears arise?

Fear of dogs usually develops in childhood and can persist throughout life if it is not eradicated in time. Unlike other anxiety-phobic states, the fear of animals always develops in the absence of objective reasons. Some suggest that the pathology occurs as a result of fear, but this is not so. Even if there were no attacks, bites, a person may experience fear. According to statistics, cynophobia rarely develops in people who have been repeatedly attacked by animals.

Even after severe stress, a bite, a person may be afraid of dogs for some time, but this does not mean a phobia. With a mental disorder, the patient experiences fear of any dog, regardless of its size, age: panic can begin even at the sight of puppies and their images.

After studying the occurrence of phobias, scientists came to the conclusion that fear can be instilled in a child during his upbringing. After all, children often adoptfeelings of their parents.

Fears often arise due to a character trait, for example, against the background of an inferiority complex. Feeling inferior contributes to the development of phobias. In other cases, phobic anxiety disorder develops as a result of mental pathologies.

Clinical manifestations

Kinophobia is manifested by a variety of symptoms, the main of which is a feeling of anxiety, which is accompanied by sleep disturbances.

When at the doctor's office, the patient says "I'm afraid of dogs", he manifests bodily discomfort in the form of:

• increased muscle tension;
• dry mouth;
• excessive sweating;
• pain in the heart;
• chest feels tight;
• heart rhythm is disturbed;
• more frequent urination;
• trembling appears.

A characteristic manifestation of the disease is constant alertness, increased irritability, aggression, a sense of impending danger. Due to fear, attention worsens, frequent panic attacks occur. Patients experience intense fear of death.

With severe phobia, patients develop fear even at the thought of dogs. Usually they are accompanied by heart rhythm disturbances, shortness of breath, nausea, fits of rage, aggression, a sense of impending disaster.

Due to severe manifestations of pathology, most patients need treatment to help return to normal life. When the disorder progresses to the stageparanoid delusions, the patient can be a danger not only to himself, but also to others.

Diagnostic Methods

Proper treatment of cynophobia requires an accurate diagnosis. The true type of fear is diagnosed according to the following criteria:

• patients avoid any situation that encourages fear;
• primary symptoms of anxiety observed;
• vegetative manifestations are noted;
• feeling of anxiety appears in certain situations, when colliding with a specific object.

In cases where cynophobia is a symptom that signals the manifestation of another mental illness, the doctor selects the appropriate therapy.

Treatment methods

Let's find out what experts recommend about this, how not to be afraid of dogs and get rid of fear? Different degrees of manifestation of the disease require different treatment. Severe cases involve the use of tranquilizers. Such drugs cause rapid addiction, which is why doctors carry out progressive therapy. In parallel, antidepressants can be prescribed, the course of which, to achieve a stable positive effect, should be quite long - up to a year.

Usually, cynophobia responds well to treatment with the help of well-chosen psychotherapy. It is prescribed in addition to taking medications. After a full course, patients get rid of fears, manifestations of pathological symptoms. As a rule, people remain slightly wary of animals, but thisnormal and not considered pathological.

Free yourself from fear

And how to get rid of kinophobia on your own and can it be done without the help of a doctor? Even successful therapy should be supplemented by one's own attitude and efforts, various kinds of motivation. How not to be afraid of dogs and how to help yourself? There are a number of recommendations from psychologists that are easy to apply at home. These exercises help relieve nervous tension and reduce anxiety.

Achilles Heel

You should start self-treatment of a phobia with a survey of all family members, acquaintances, friends. To assess the attitude of other people towards dogs, it is necessary to simulate a situation when an animal attacks him. Ask to describe all feelings, thoughts, emotions. Those who had a negative experience of encountering dogs will talk about their experienced manifestations, unpleasant sensations. All information received must be recorded.

Then you need to indicate everything that you yourself experience in relation to animals, what exactly scares you. Consider how the phobia affects the emotional background, how well-being changes. From the information noted, it is necessary to determine the difference in reactions between fears: what are the similarities, what are the differences. Everyone write it down.

Then you need to come up with a thesis. For example, you can say the following: “I, unlike other people, when I see dogs, I need protection from my father or brother, another person, etc.” This statement helps to identify a weak spot in the psyche, "Achilles'sheel." Then you should simulate the situation with a good outcome. During an imaginary demonstration, it is necessary to write down all thoughts, everything that appears. An example would be:

My brother and I went for a walk and met some angry dogs. I was scared, but my brother was next to me. He looked calm, confident. These sensations were transferred to the dogs, they began to be afraid of him. I realized that there is no need to be afraid, everything will be all right. We felt sorry for the defenseless animals. We approached them and fed them. Too bad we can't take one of those cute dogs home.”

During the modeling, the first time rarely anyone manages to achieve the desired result. When thinking through a scenario of behavior, panic may increase, a desire to run away may arise. During the analysis of the situation, one should identify the place where fear intensifies, which then pops up in the imagination. It is worth stepping over negative feelings and moving on to the end. Pictures like this need to be painted in your mind every day until the result is completely positive.

What to do next?

How not to be afraid of dogs and what other ways of treatment at home are there? Be sure to pay attention to your daily routine, nutrition. While fear is present, situations that can lead to stress should be avoided.

You can start self-healing by simply looking at pictures of puppies, adult dogs, funny videos. Then you can move on to communicating with small animals. As soon as they stop provoking fear, you can get acquainted with dogslarger size.

An important condition for successful treatment is the understanding of loved ones, friends, and their support. In no case should they bring dogs into the house, trying to prove that they are harmless animals, as this can aggravate the situation.

Get your own puppy

You can finally overcome fear if you get your own dog. Puppies are cute, affectionate creatures. They need to be looked after and trained. Such animals always value friendship with the owner, they will help in a moment of danger and simply cheer up. Before such a step, you should think about everything, weigh the pros and cons. It is psychological preparation that will allow a patient with cynophobia to get a full recovery and find a true friend who will be a faithful, obedient pet in the family.