what is the best way to overcome a phobia?

Question

i have a severe phobia of frogs/toads - any kind. it is hindering my everyday life as i live in the country...tree frogs get on my porch,toads are all over my yard when it rains and at night...i love outdoor activities,but i am always on the look out for them. i have nightmares about them and have a paranoya (?) about them getting in my home. i have had a severe fear of them since i was young enough to walk - my mom says when i was small,i would freeze and scream if i saw one in the yard - i know logically they cannot hurt me,but i cannot get over this.i don't have medical insurance so i can't see a mental doctor or anything,and i cannot face it - i see them all the time,and it puts me in extreme panic mode. what can i do to get over this - it is horrible. i know we all have things to us that are creepy,or will scare us - but when it hinders your ability to do certain activities and makes you paranoid,there is a problem that needs help.

please help - thank you.

Answer 1

The best approach is by using "Systematic Desensitization". In this method, you first start with photographs of and articles about frogs and toads - you might find them at the National Geographic or a naturalist website (Yahoo search "frog images") or in a book from the library. Look at them, handle them, until the pictures and descriptions no longer affect you. Then move on to frog and toad plastic models - check out the toy stores in your city. Same thing, handle them, etc. You could then handle them cold (put them in the fridge for awhile) and wet (just water - frogs are not slimy). The third step might be a bit difficult - you need to handle real, dead frogs and/or toads. Maybe a biology teacher could help you on this one. Finally, you go out catching frogs in and around a pond. At each stage, you repeat the activity until it no longer bothers you.

Answer 2

Hi,
The best way to overcome this is to face it.
Go to any place where these reptiles are available, I mean the store where you can buy them and see that you capture them in a big bootle or covered object so that you can just think as to what makes you to run way from them.
This is the only way you can overcome from frog/toads.
If possible try to get a baby frog/toad so that you can hold it in your hand and once you do that you might be so afraid that you will die the moment you touch it.
But for the second or third time you do, fear is vanished from you dear..

Answer 3

aversion therapy is a technique where you mentally bring yourself closer and closer to your fear through something like guided imagery.

I have faced phobias in a similar way only actually, not virtually.

I had for instance a phobia of ticks. Generally ticks are only an annoyance, but sometime they do carry diseases. I get a puppy that was covered with ticks and if I hadn't done something he would have died. I had to make a choice and face my fears head on, not that it happened over night, but that incident set the stage for me because I mastered my fear once, and then again.

Just yesterday I found a tick on my dog and I pulled if off with my bare hands and then washed my hands (yuck) because they are just disgusting!

Frogs and toads are loud and annoying and they jump out at you and crawl around and there's a reason they are not portrayed as positive creatures in fairy tales,

Don't kiss one, but do some research on what makes them a benefit for the environment, and maybe work up to touching one, not all at once, and do it when no one is watching,

Baby steps,
they can't hurt you
they can only hold you back, but you are the Alpha!
You could have them for dinner

Just remember to wash your hands after you touch them,
Yuck



!

Answer 4

Desensitization therapy is the best way..you can start by just visualizing toads..then move to photos, and once you can stand the pictures, watch videos of them..once you can do that without having anxiety, go to the zoo or somewhere that you can see them in a safe enviromnent..basically just start with the MINIMAL exposure until you can do it..and keep moving up until you're better..you may never have them as pets, but the phobia will be MUCH less

Answer 5

A popular WWF wrestler name Jake “THE Snake” Roberts, was famous for bringing in to the ring a 17 foot python (or some thing like that). I saw an interview with him, and he said he was afraid of snakes as a kid. He got over his phobia by getting a snake as a pet. He said it took him time to get over his phobia. In the interview he said he had the snake for 2 months and still hadn’t touched it. He not only got over his fear, but love snakes now. I always remembered this interview because I have a phobia of snake as well and I want to try this sometime. I haven’t found the time of energy (or courage) to get a snake yet. But maybe you could get a toad in an aquarium. I hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 6

People have all kinds of phobia's for all kinds of reasons. Now, this is only my best guess, First, you might study them a
bit. Seeing them in a book or on a screen, this may make you less sensitive upon seeing them. Then next, you might try having someone catch one and put it in a jar. Catch some flies and watch them zap the flies(one of their favorites) What
I'm say is just slowly familiarize yourself and slowly I think your phobia will dissipate. Hope I helped..............

Answer 7

I would say to do alot of studying on frogs/toads through books. Alot of phobias manifest from a misunderstanding or fear of the unknown aspects of something. The more you know about something- the less scary it really is. You need to learn what exactly makes you afraid of them and figure out why. This is a pretty easy way to do it. Alot of phobias stem from what are called tapes- they are instant strings of thought that shoot through your brain whenever you see something. Because the brain dosn't have time to say "Oh my god- a frog- it's smiley and squishy. It's green and might jump on my face if I get too close. I might gets warts or something if i touch it." Instead *your* brain is programmed to just shoot through this "tape" and you say "Ahhhh!!! A frog!!". You have to identify your "tape" in order to change it. Then you need to develop a new tape that is based on actual logic. Most likely you have an irrational fear of frogs/toads- you, once again, should probably learn about them to easy the illogical view you have of them. I hope this helps!! Good luck ;)

Answer 8

unless your planning on living with this for the rest of your life there is no better advice i can give you besides : FACE YOUR FEAR! if you go to the doctor thats the same thing he will say. frogs are not the slimy repulsive creatures they are made out to be or look like. they are actually pretty cute. and remember they are just as scared of you as you are of them. so if your scared they're gonna get inside your house and get after you, your wrong. if you get near them they jump far away. you have to get around one and face the phobia that is plaguing you rlife. you will thank me later

Answer 9

to challenge you fears is and excellent way to end a phobia like me and roaches? mortal enemies. while im not 100 percent over them ive helped myself by getting rid of them MYSELF rather than stand on my bed or sofa eyeing it while it runs away lol. so if frogs/toads scare you, get some one you trust to go with you who does not fear them and ask them to interact with them while you watch and im sure that will work. or you can do research on them and maybe you'll grow to love them....i think frogs are the cutest..i dont know about toads lol anyway what ever you do dont go on the Maury show unless you enjoy being laughed at.

take care girl

Answer 10

Face it head on! Just do it in smaller steps if you'll find it hard. Liek try looking at one through glass, then without the glass, then touch one, then hold one - phobia cured.
I know it sounds awful but thats what you have to do. Be thankful youre scared of something that you can face head on.. im afraid of ghosts and dying, try cure that one.