I lived in town all my life and now I Iive outside the city somewhere in the middle of a sugarcane plantation in Central Africa and the rainy season is about to start and I know that any day now I will be surrounded by all kinds of insects and frogs! I'm terrified of them! Some of them are huge and I don't know how they get in the house but they do! Other people just shoo them away but I can't I'm too scared. Please help me! And don't tell me to go for therapy because theres no one I can go to here.
2006-10-19 03:06:57 · 26 answers · asked by Ceejay 2 in Health ➔ Mental Health
Look up the process of conditioning and behavioural therapy - loads on the Internet.
You usually have to start with pictures - can you touch those?
The next thing is to move on to the real thing. It'd help to have someone with you to talk you through things and to reassure you. You should have music you like on, be encouraged to think positive things and to notice how well you're doing.
Rather than think about the frog, focus on your body's natural response - the increased heartrate and sweating and tension.
All of these things help to distract, but mostly, go for the bevioural therapy. It'd help if you knew where the phobia came from.
2006-10-19 03:11:15 · answer #1 · answered by jinz 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Think about what it is about the frogs that you don't like. Is it there skin or the noise or just that they keep appearing in too big a number in the rainy season.
Get a friend to find a small one that you can put in a bowl (with a lid) that you can go close too but you know will not be able to get to you.
As you get used to it remove the lid gradually and after a while perhaps touch its back with your finger.
Familiarity with the object of your phobia will lessen the horror and it may help.
2006-10-19 03:28:32 · answer #2 · answered by persistentd 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Progressively get yourself used to frogs. Start out in a relaxed state, close your eyes and just imagine a small frog in your mind. Focus on breathing when the anxiety creeps up on you. Deep breaths (in through the nose out the mouth). Do this a couple times a day progressively working your way up to bigger frogs. After you can bring the image into your mind with relatively little anxiety get pictures of frogs. Again be in a calm relaxing place, focusing on breathing as you get anxious. Start off glancing at the pictures, looking at them longer and longer, get a variety of pictures. After pictures get video of frogs, either commercial or have someone take video of frogs where you are. Repeat the same process. Eventually being able to watch the entire video of frogs. At this point expose yourself to real frogs. Start out with small frogs working towards big ones. Start out just being in the room with a frog (not necessarily seeing it just knowing it's there) do this a few times, next have a frog in some sort of terrarium or glass tank so you can see the frog but it's in something (again do this a few times), then have a frog on a table (repeat), then start slowly approaching the frog on the table until you can stand near it, then work towards actually touching the frog. A technique like this is called exposure therapy you can look it up on the web. It definitely isn't a quick fix but it is a reliable method of desensitizing people to their phobias. Realistically you may never be able to touch the frog or be completely calm around them but it's all about maintaining your anxiety so you don't flip out. Hope this helps!!
2006-10-19 03:23:10 · answer #3 · answered by stargirl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
LOL I know how you are feeling, I have a serious fear of spiders...when I went to visit my husbands family in Bangladesh for 6 months I went to his sisters house ..and in BD they have bars on the windows but no screens and while i was sitting there i noticed the KING of spiders on the wall near the ceiling..looked like a tarantula...you talk about fear.The rest of my visit there I had to have my husband search the house for spiders everywhere before I would go to sleep and made damn sure the mosquito net was tucked really good around the bed. When i came back to the USA I didnt feel as scared of "our" spiders not as much but they still terrify me. a psychiatrist will tell you that exposure therapy will cure a persons fear...by putting yourself into direct contact with what it is you fear....by doing this gradually. I dont know what else totell you maybe you will see a huge KING frog one day and you will be less afraid ofn the regular ones. I dont like frogs either but they wont chase you or jump on you they are usually more scared than you they have no teeth or fangs and no claws. What about them scares you the most?Are you scared of them biting you or touching you...how they look or what? I am scared of spiders because they bite and jump on you..I got bite before too by a poisonous one...................ps Africa and other warm countries do so have frogs......South america has lot as well
2006-10-19 03:20:50 · answer #4 · answered by precious z 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I was a kid I'd go down to the creek and catch a bunch of frogs, I've probably caught about 100. I grew out of that phase but I still don't mind them, they're not gross diseased venomous animals.
2016-05-22 01:51:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go on walks with someone you trust, someone you feel comfortable with. Start around your house, and gradually increase your walks in larger (concentric) circles around your house. Stop to examine the things, including the insects, frogs, and spiders that you see on the way. Talk to them.
Tell them you mean them no harm, that you come in peace. Whenever you find one in your house, or in your way, use paper or a cup to move it out of the way. By confronting them in a respectful way, you will gain their cooperation, usually. Learn to identify any poisonous species, and give them added respect, if not affection.
If you follow this advice, you should be fine. It is not considered crazy to talk to animals in Central Africa. Actually, you will gain more respect from the natives if you do so.
2006-10-19 03:11:24 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no matter how big the frog, it's not going to bite you! they just have sticky feet so they can climb things and wet skin. i think that you should go online and research the crap out of the frogs in your area so you know in your head that they can't hur you, then when you see one get as close to it as you can stand and just look at it and little by little get closer and closer til you can touch it and finaly hold it. and take days and weeks if you have to. but set a goal for yourself.
2006-10-19 03:13:01 · answer #7 · answered by onlylove41 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its very brave of you to want to get over your phobia.
You need to subject yourself to frogs little by little until you are okay with them. So first just watch one on tv, then look at one outside throught a window, then look at one in a glass container, then hold that glass in your hands with the frog inside. You get the picture. good luck.
2006-10-19 03:16:57 · answer #8 · answered by tay_jen1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well, i wish i had an answer for you...but you are not alone. just remember that ! i also have a weird phobia: i am terrified of BUTTERFLIES and BIRDS! i hate them ! ugh! if there is a bird or butterfly in the room with me, i would have to leave the room. wont go near them. i've been afraid of them for most of my life, basically. it's interesting how we can be scared of pretty harmless things.
2006-10-19 07:52:40 · answer #9 · answered by Queen of Halloween 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can visit a local pets at home store. they stock tiny aqautic frogs (very small) and there is a glass tank between you and them if you can get near them then it's the first step, also contact local zoos they often offer "phobia courses" where they slowly expose you to the creatures ... but i think it's fairly expensive
2006-10-19 03:15:22 · answer #10 · answered by arthur d 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋