To those who have pets or greet any animal they see on the street, the fear of a dog or cat may seem unimaginable, but it is more prevalent than you think. It is a specific type of phobia and a much more common condition than those who "adore pets" might think, for example: people who are afraid of dogs may have "cynophobia" ("cyno" - dog and phobia ”- fear in Greek).

According to the American Anxiety and Depression Association, about 19 million Americans suffer from a specific phobia, which is an "excessive and unreasonable fear in the presence of a particular object, place, or situation." Fear of certain pets is one of the most common phobias, so there is nothing wrong with you if you feel part of this category. However, there are a number of reasons that may have led you there.

How phobias develop:

Most phobias start in childhood or adolescence, says Dr. Mike Vasey, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Ohio State University.

There are several scenarios that can trigger phobia:

#1

- A direct experience or a traumatic event, such as a dog bite or even a very friendly dog ??that suddenly jumps on a child and finds him unprepared.

#2

- Sometimes children receive suggestions from their parents / grandparents: If they see that their mother is afraid of dogs, this fear develops in them as well, over time. Dr. Vasey says that sometimes, all it takes to cause a phobia is for a trusted adult to tell a child that dogs or cats are dangerous.

Are there certain people predisposed to developing phobias?

"Yes," says Dr. Redo, because there are so many genetic and biological influences that make someone more likely to develop a phobia than someone else. ”

If you want to somehow cope with this fear, try to touch only a little or at least stay close to them, a pet that someone you know may have. Do this in the presence of pet owners, to feel no matter how little protected and over time, you will see that it will not look so bad.

Source: Vet Street