Ornitophobia, or fear of birds, is an irrational fear that can seriously affect the lives of those who suffer from it, the person faces a very intense or excessive fear of these animals, however, as with most phobias, it can be overcome through a series of exercises.
Facing fear requires effort and perseverance, because it is a complex and delicate process, it can be even longer and more laborious if it is a phobia, that is, an anxiety disorder that affects various areas of daily life. overcome the problem, it’s best to seek the help of a psychologist.
- The origin of most animal fears and phobias lies in traumatic experiences.
- Unknownness and behaviors learned.
- So interventions against phobia aim to generate a positive or neutral experience with the object of fear.
The psychological techniques that are applied do so using various strategies, including learning the animal to demystify it, generate new emotions and expose themselves in a relaxed way, these exercises, somehow, can be performed independently; However, if the fear is very great intense, it is best to have the advice and professional knowledge of a psychologist.
These techniques to overcome fear of birds can be very useful, as long as it is previously analyzed whether these self-help exercises are sufficient or if it is necessary to seek psychological help.
Learn more about birds, especially the species that scare you the most. Knowing your behavior, how you survive, and your role in nature can decrease the intensity of fear.
You can start by reading bird information with a more docile or harmless character, on the other hand, it can also give you control of the situation, knowing under what conditions it is easier for them to attack or what warning signs they emit. It’s also very helpful to know where they like to go and what encourages them to come to us.
Knowledge will help you see birds from a different perspective and get to know their positive side. Learning will take you down some of the myths you may have about them.
Take pencil and paper and make a list of the exhibits. To do this, in order from minus to more, write ten things that scare you from birds or a particular bird. Number one should indicate the minimum anxiety you experience. For example, see an image of a bird. And 10 would be the one that would scare you the most, in this case, a bird lands next to you.
Gradually you will have to expose yourself to these elements. It is recommended that you plan your exposure schedule, taking into account how much time you will spend and how long it will last. In addition, it should be exposed to each stimulus several times until the level of anxiety decreases. To do this, you must rate your level of anxiety or fear from 1 to 10 on an element.
If after several occasions the score is low (less than 5), you can proceed with more unpleasant stimuli or move on to the next item, on the contrary, if your anxiety level increases more and more, you should stay on this item for a while until the anxiety level is low and allows you to move on to the next item in the list , in this sense it is essential that you practice relaxation exercises to be able to perform them during the exhibitions.
If you find that over time your anxiety doesn’t subside or if you can’t move on, you’ll probably need psychological help. If you feel you have the strength to move on, follow the anxiety level recommendations above until you reach 10.
After being exposed to simple stimuli, you’ve probably already approached a certain type of bird in element 10, once here you’ve come to the most important step to overcome the fear of birds, but now it’s time to replace negative emotions with more positive emotions when you’re near one of these animals. To do this, first stay calm and try not to run away.
Stay close to the bird, but with some distance, if your anxiety level allows you to get a little closer, it’s likely that after discovering the birds, you can identify what species they are and whether you’re safe. at this stage it could be to visit a protected nature reserve where animals are free but controlled.
Once near the animal, you can take the opportunity to observe its body, its colors and, above all, its behavior, you will probably discover that nothing will happen to you when you stand next to the bird and that any movement will scare you and yet try not to make sudden movements, just maintain a relaxed posture. Also, while it may sound a little crazy, talking to the animal can make you feel comfortable and perceive it in a friendlier way.
By performing these exercises you will be able to overcome your fear of birds, yet the most important thing is to observe yourself and not try harder than necessary, if you feel a lot of anxiety at some point put the exercises aside as long as possible. Then ask yourself if it would be better to consult a professional psychologist for advice.
If, on the other hand, you can move forward and overcome fear, it will strengthen your sense of control and security and make you feel stronger in the face of other fears.