Ornithophobia (fear Of Birds): Symptoms And Causes
One of the most common types of phobia is an irrational fear of animals. Although technically you can develop fear of any animal – and in fact of any stimulus in general -, in this article we will analyze one of the most common phobias: ornithophobia or fear of birds.
We will focus on defining the main characteristics of ornithophobia: its definition, its relationship with other disorders, Its characteristic symptoms and its most common causes. We will also do a brief review of other animal phobias (or zoophobias).
Ornithophobia is defined as a intense and irrational fear of birds. In the presence of a bird, the phobic person reacts with a physiological and/or cognitive response of anxiety; In some cases, panic attacks (popularly known as “panic attacks”) may occur.
In the DSM manuals fear of birds is classified inside of diagnostic category of specific phobia. To meet the criteria for this disorder, the fear must be excessive or irrational, last for more than 6 months and significantly interfere with the person’s life or cause a high degree of discomfort.
According to the DSM-IV, there are several types of specific phobia depending on the phobic stimulus: situational (driving, claustrophobia…), natural environment (heights, darkness…), the “blood/injections/wounds” type (which frequently causes drops in tension) and the animal, among which is ornithophobia. There is also the residual subcategory “Other type”.
The word “ornithophobia” comes from ancient Greek: the root “ornithos” means “bird” and “phobos” translates as “panic,” so it literally translates as “bird panic.”
Sometimes the term is used more broadly to designate a intense dislike for some types of birds, like those that abound in cities. In these cases, the meaning of the word moves away from the connotation of fear, having a use more similar to that of concepts such as “homophobia” or “xenophobia”, in which “phobia” comes to mean “rejection”.
Common symptoms and manifestations
In addition to intense fear in the presence or anticipation of the phobic stimulus, the other basic criterion for the diagnosis of specific phobia according to the DSM-IV is the appearance of intense anxiety symptoms that can lead to panic attacks.
Panic attacks are brief periods of fear and discomfort which usually start abruptly. They are characterized by physiological and cognitive symptoms; Among the latter, the fear of dying and losing control stands out, while the physical signs include the appearance of palpitations, sweating, dizziness, nausea, tremors and breathing difficulties.
What is it that is feared?
The fear may occur in relation to a single species of bird, birds from the same family, or constitute only a partial manifestation of a broader phobia of animals; In that case we would talk about zoophobia. It is possible that anxiety appears only when faced with predatory birds like eagles, or with much smaller and harmless species.
People with animal-type phobias tend to be afraid especially of movements, especially when they are sudden; Thus, in the case of ornithophobia, feelings of intense anxiety may arise if a pigeon suddenly appears fluttering around, for example – or worse still, an entire flock.
Although in some cases the person fears suffering harm, in other cases they are simply afraid of being made a fool of or suffering physical problems due to their own anxiety. Feelings of disgust may appear in addition to anxiety but this is more common in other animal phobias, especially those that are small, such as insects.
Causes of ornithophobia
According to a study by Lipsitz et al., around 90% of animal-type phobias They begin in childhood, specifically before the age of 12. It affects female people to a greater extent, which is common in cases of specific phobia.
Most phobias develop due to experiencing one or more traumatic situations. In the case of ornithophobia, events such as receiving a peck from a duck or a goose are typical examples of the contexts in which these fears tend to appear.
However, not all phobias are acquired directly: sometimes fears appear by observing or listening to the experiences of others. For example, a little girl might develop ornithophobia after watching Alfred Hitchcock’s movie “The Birds,” in which birds begin exterminating people.
On the other hand, Seligman’s theory of biological preparation states that humans are phylogenetically predisposed to associate certain types of stimuli with phobic responses. At an evolutionary level, many animals have posed a threat to survival, either due to the possibility of attacking or transmitting diseases.
Other zoophobias (animal phobias)
Extreme fear of animals is known as “zoophobia.”. This term can be used to describe both a specific phobia of animals in general and in its meaning as a category of disorders, equivalent to the animal type described in the DSM.
