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Advice on facing my deepest fear.
Cutiegirlracing
Member Posts: 2,595 ✭✭✭✭✭
I'm terrified or snakes. Living surrounded by a forestry, I seen them all the time and every time I see one my little heart about comes out of my throat.
I have friends who have pet snakes and I'm okay with them. But those don't seem to move or act like wild ones.
I want so bad to lose my fear of them and be able to catch them and let them loose away from the house, instead of running like a little girl.
I admire people who can pick them up like their picking up a puppy.
Anyone here have a fear of snakes and gotten over it? If so, how?
I have friends who have pet snakes and I'm okay with them. But those don't seem to move or act like wild ones.
I want so bad to lose my fear of them and be able to catch them and let them loose away from the house, instead of running like a little girl.
I admire people who can pick them up like their picking up a puppy.
Anyone here have a fear of snakes and gotten over it? If so, how?
Comments
Learn the differences between venomous and non-venomous, and the actions of the dangerous ones.
Catch some small rat snakes, water snakes, or king snakes, and simply handle them for awhile before you release them.
The fear will disappear![8D]
I hate snakes too
I don't believe in relocating wildlife just because we humans don't want them around our homes. If they're not hurting anything other than your fears, just leave them alone. They're probably more scared of you that you are of them. Think of how much bigger than them you are. You could kill one by stepping on it. Could a snake do the same?
You've got to kidding. If snakes want to live on my property they had better come up w/some cash and buy me out.
At least she wants to let them live. Even if it is someplace else. I'm no expert on snakes so my theory is "If it crawls on it's belly, it's poisonous". And therefore dead on sight.
My wife has a fear of snakes also, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying our wooded area out here and working in the flower beds. She just pays attention to what she is doing and where she is putting her hands.
Just man woman up and stop being afraid; that is unless it is chasing you! [:D]
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
Desensitization therapy.
BINGO!
My oldest daughter had a fear of rodents as a young girl so I've been down this road. If you REALLY want to cure yourself from the fear of snakes (spiders, mice, or insects) there is only one really effective method and it takes time. First off; do you have a total and complete fear of snakes? By that I mean does the fact that snakes exist on this planet keep you inside your house due to your fear? I doubt this, but it does happen. Do images of snakes like drawings or photos of snakes frighten you or just the sight of a real snake? You'll need to see a professional for treatment. Yes it will cost money but then what is your peace of mind worth in a world that has snakes in it? The Dr. will talk to you and then over a period of several visits will gradually expose you to a number of "snake realted" items: At first this may be just a little cartoon drawing of a snake, nothing frightening, more like a friendly Disney snake. If you can handle that he may move onto a kid's plush-toy that is a snake and see if you can look at it or maybe even hold it. If you don't freak-out then realistic drawings, photos, films and videos of real snakes will follow until these images no longer scare you. At some point the doctor will have brought a live snake in a cage into the room covered up and kept at a distance. He will test you by saying "You know that cage over in the corner has a snake in it" and then see if you panic by crying like a little girl (in your case this is allowed...Since you are a girl!) or running out of the room. If you do panic then the treatment goes back to repeat a few earlier steps. If you don't run out of the room then on the next visit you will get to actually view the snake over across the room. From then on you will get closer and closer to the snake until at some point you are no longer frightened by looking at the snake. Once you can touch the snake you have been totally cured but in most cases treament is considerd complete if you avoid panicing when you see a snake. There is no time table, it took my daughter 6 weeks, but the treatment was a total success and she later had a pet hamster.
Actually, I see no practical reason for someone intentionally handling snakes just to get over the fear of them, that is unless snake handling is their chosen profession. Sane folks normally do not make a habit of grabbing a snake just for kicks and grins, even if they have no fear of them, so a healthy respect for a serpent isn't a bad thing.
My wife has a fear of snakes also, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying our wooded area out here and working in the flower beds. She just pays attention to what she is doing and where she is putting her hands.
Just man woman up and stop being afraid; that is unless it is chasing you! [:D]
Geez,.....I am bummed!
I thought we were pals.[:D] I don't catch rattlers anymore, but I do know what each snake is, and if it is harmless or not.
The rat snakes, and king snakes,.....I simply leave them be. I have a few that live around my property, and I pay them no mind.
Probably why I have never seen a mouse around![;)]
quote:Originally posted by Old-Colts
Actually, I see no practical reason for someone intentionally handling snakes just to get over the fear of them, that is unless snake handling is their chosen profession. Sane some folks normally do not make a habit of grabbing a snake just for kicks and grins, even if they have no fear of them, so a healthy respect for a serpent isn't a bad thing.
My wife has a fear of snakes also, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying our wooded area out here and working in the flower beds. She just pays attention to what she is doing and where she is putting her hands.
Just man woman up and stop being afraid; that is unless it is chasing you! [:D]Geez,.....I am bummed! I thought we were pals.[:D]Sorry Marc, that was a Freudian slip, I really meant to type some! [;)] There I fixed it! [:D]
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
quote:Originally posted by Marc1301
quote:Originally posted by Old-Colts
Actually, I see no practical reason for someone intentionally handling snakes just to get over the fear of them, that is unless snake handling is their chosen profession. Sane some folks normally do not make a habit of grabbing a snake just for kicks and grins, even if they have no fear of them, so a healthy respect for a serpent isn't a bad thing.
My wife has a fear of snakes also, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying our wooded area out here and working in the flower beds. She just pays attention to what she is doing and where she is putting her hands.
Just man woman up and stop being afraid; that is unless it is chasing you! [:D]Geez,.....I am bummed! I thought we were pals.[:D]Sorry Marc, that was a Freudian slip, I really meant to type some! [;)] There I fixed it! [:D]
Thank You![:D][8D]
I didn't want to have to bring up your flower bed pics again.
right. can anyone say...MUSK?
Former Member U.S. Navy Shooting Team
Former NSSA All American
Navy Distinguished Pistol Shot
MO, CT, VA.
Like Polite said: Desensitization therapy.
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain
handle snakes?
right. can anyone say...MUSK?
Just Garter Snakes, thats all I seem to have around me.
Best way to get over fear is to understand them and get to know which ones to stay away from. Learn about the ones in your area, get to know which they are by sight and by their movements.
Biggest thing they ain't slimy, just cold.
As a Kid I would go catch snakes and sell them to pet stores. Lizards too, small ones would be for food for the bigger ones and large Lizards would bring up to $5 this was in the 60's so that was a good way to make money. The big catch lizards had to have their tails still on. If you know what you are doing no problems
Stay away from me with snakes.
BINGO!!!
Two things I will NEVER do is give speech in front of a crowd of people or touch a snake.
Thank You![:D][8D]I didn't want to have to bring up your flower bed pics again.Thanks, that's very considerate of you; that could have been embarrassing! [:D]
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
When fear hits me, and the chemicals hit my blood system, I just turn my fear into the red eyed rage or allow the chemicals to sharpen all of my senses. In other words I turn my knee-knocking-fear into something I can control(sorta.)
As for catching snakes, I think they make some kind of stick with a grabber on the end of it made just for that purpose. Make sure you know your snakes and dont try to catch a poisonious one.
I'm terrified or snakes. Living surrounded by a forestry, I seen them all the time and every time I see one my little heart about comes out of my throat.
Your choice of imagery is clear. Snakes are only symbols of your real fear: the male pudendum. "Living surrounded by a forestry" is how you view yourself in a male-dominated society; "I seen them all the time and every time I see one my little heart about comes out of my throat", thereby preventing anything from going into that throat. You need to face your fear of men, more specially your fear of being dominated by men. But please knock off your ca-ca about snakes.
That is my main phobia when I go hunting my smith 637 is loaded with snake shot and very handy. once had to make choice had nice 8 point standing broadside to me at about 80 yds and a cotton mouth about 3 feet to my side seen both about the same time I picked shooting the snake
Correct choice,......cotton mouth moccasins are extremely curious poisonous snakes.
Unlike rattlers, they WILL follow, or "chase" you.
Many experiences with them while wading for bass.
quote:Originally posted by savage170
That is my main phobia when I go hunting my smith 637 is loaded with snake shot and very handy. once had to make choice had nice 8 point standing broadside to me at about 80 yds and a cotton mouth about 3 feet to my side seen both about the same time I picked shooting the snake
Correct choice,......cotton mouth moccasins are extremely curious poisonous snakes.
Unlike rattlers, they WILL follow, or "chase" you.
Many experiences with them while wading for bass.
We have way too many of them in Florida anyways bad part is that was probably the best whitetail that I have seen in Florida
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=213260&SearchTerms=snake
I have never been afraid of snakes,......caught many an eastern diamondback by hand.
Learn the differences between venomous and non-venomous, and the actions of the dangerous ones.
Catch some small rat snakes, water snakes, or king snakes, and simply handle them for awhile before you release them.
The fear will disappear![8D]
I got the crap scared out of me as a kid by a water moccasin. By age 13 I was determined that I would fear nothing on the planet. I did just like Marc outlined (except I didn't catch rattlesnakes by hand, that's just nuts!). It worked for me.
I guess some kind of training is the only way around it, but I don't have a clue where you would find it.