Ophidiophobia the Fear of Snakes

Ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes. I admit, I suffer from Ophidiophobia and have been extremely fearful of snakes since I was a child. According to Wikipedia, about 1/3 of people have a fear of them making it one of the most common phobias around the world.

The first memory I have about snakes is when I was 7 years old. We were out in the front yard and my mother stepped on a baby copperhead. It bit her right in the foot. She had to seek medical care and treatment for that bite immediately. As a child…that scared the jeepers out of me! My second memory when I was about 10 years old when I stumbled upon a rattlesnake in the garage. That rattlesnake left me know he/she was there and I quickly ran off.

As an older adult…I’m still very fearful of snakes. When we visit zoos and wildlife parks I won’t go into reptile buildings or go near any snakes that they have on exhibit. No thank you, I’ll sit quietly outside and wait for my family to return. I just don’t want to be around them…even in controlled environments. Matter of fact, I can’t watch snake related TV shows or movies either! They gross me out!

Last week I was in a retail store trying to do some shopping. I was in the women’s accessories department and saw faux snakeskin handbags and belts. I seriously felt like I was going to throw-up. I quickly got out of that section of the store. I just can’t stand anything that has to do with them.