Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Anatidaephobia?Symptoms of Specific PhobiasTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Anatidaephobia?

Symptoms of Specific Phobias

Treatment

Coping

One phobia that has been discussed on many websites and blogs is known as anatidaephobia, described as the fear that a duck is watching you. While often presented as a real phobia, anatidaephobia is actually a phobia invented for comedic purposes and not a traditionally recognized specific phobia diagnosis like arachnophobia (spiders) or acrophobia (heights).

1:15Click Play to Learn More About Anatidaephobia

1:15

Click Play to Learn More About Anatidaephobia

The point of the phobia (or, in this case, ‘fauxbia’) was to illustrate the point that any object can become a source of fear. Since Larson first introduced the concept, the concept of anatidaephobia has worked its way into popular consciousness and is now often presented as a real type of phobia.

A quick internet search reveals an abundance of websites either presenting the phobia as Larson originally conceived it or mislabeling it as simply “the fear of ducks.”

The term anatidaephobia originates from the name for the biological family of waterfowl that includes geese and ducks (‘Anatidae’) and the Greek word for fear (‘phóbos’).

Anatidaephobia might not be real or officially recognized, but that does not mean that a fear of ducks or geese is not possible. The fear of birds, or ornithophobia, is a very real specific phobia. In fact, the actual fear of ducks and geese would be characterized as a form of ornithophobia. Specific phobias are classified as one of five different sub-types:

Ornithophobia is an animal type of specific phobia. Some people with this phobia might fear all kinds of birds, while others might only fear a specific type of birds such as waterfowl, birds of prey, or tropical birds.

What Is a Phobia?

When people encounter the source of their fear, they experience feelings of uncontrollable anxiety. Common symptoms include:

People may also go to great lengths to avoid the source of their fear, sometimes to the point that it interferes with daily functioning.

A person might avoid certain locations or even stop leaving their home in order to prevent any encounters with the feared object. In some cases, people may also have a panic attack. During a panic attack, fear symptoms become so severe that people might feel disoriented, detached, or even as if they are dying.

Treatment for Phobias

While anatidaephobia is not real, the fear of birds including ducks or geese can be serious and often debilitating. Fortunately, there areeffective treatmentsavailable to help people overcome their phobia and manage their symptoms. Here’s an overview of the treatment options.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy, whichinvolves being exposed to a fear object, usually gradually and systematically in a safe and monitored way, until the object no longer triggers a fear response.Exposure therapyand systematic desensitization are considered the gold-standard approach to treating specific phobias.

In vivo (real-world) exposure is usually considered the best approach, but research also suggests that virtual reality can also be helpful.

In the case of a bird-related phobia, a therapist might slowly introduce bird sounds and pictures of birds, steadily desensitizing you until you are able to encounter a real bird without feeling the same sense of debilitating fear.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), whichinvolves identifying the problematic thought patterns that contribute to phobic responses. Then, the individual works with the therapist to replace these unhelpful thoughts with more realistic ways of thinking. The goal is to remove the anxiety response from the fear trigger.

Medications

Medicationsmay also be used in conjunction with psychotherapy to help manage symptoms of anxiety. This may include antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication such as benzodiazepines.

Coping With Phobias

If you have a fear of ducks or some other type of specific phobia, there are also a number of coping strategies that you can use to make your anxiety more manageable.

If your fear is so intense that it disrupts your daily life, if it has lasted longer than six months, and it causes significant distress, you should consider seeking treatment.

How Relaxation Can Help Control Phobias

Anatidaephobia might not be a real or recognized phobia, but that does not mean the fear of ducks or geese is not a potentially serious issue. You should not ignore your symptoms if you do find yourself experiencing symptoms of this or some other type of specific phobia. Talk to your doctor for advice on how to deal with your fear and to explore your treatment options.

If you or a loved one are struggling with a phobia, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with a phobia, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Understanding Ornithophobia (Fear of Birds)

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Institute of Mental Health.Statistics: specific phobia.Burstein M, Georgiades K, He JP, et al.Specific phobia among U.S. adolescents: phenomenology and typology.Depress Anxiety. 2012;29(12):1072–1082. doi:10.1002/da.22008Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Symptoms.Kaczkurkin AN, Foa EB.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337–346.Wechsler TF, Kümpers F, Mühlberger A.Inferiority or even superiority of virtual reality exposure therapy in phobias?-a systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials specifically comparing the efficacy of virtual reality exposure to gold standardin vivoexposure in agoraphobia, specific phobia, and social phobia.Front Psychol. 2019;10:1758. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01758NHS.Self-help phobias.

National Institute of Mental Health.Statistics: specific phobia.

Burstein M, Georgiades K, He JP, et al.Specific phobia among U.S. adolescents: phenomenology and typology.Depress Anxiety. 2012;29(12):1072–1082. doi:10.1002/da.22008

Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Symptoms.

Kaczkurkin AN, Foa EB.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337–346.

Wechsler TF, Kümpers F, Mühlberger A.Inferiority or even superiority of virtual reality exposure therapy in phobias?-a systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials specifically comparing the efficacy of virtual reality exposure to gold standardin vivoexposure in agoraphobia, specific phobia, and social phobia.Front Psychol. 2019;10:1758. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01758

NHS.Self-help phobias.

Larson, G.The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit. Universal Press; 1989.

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