Treatment for snake phobia?

[ThePartyArtist]

I have a lifelong phobia of snakes (though i have held one). I haven't sought any help for this because I can completely avoid them. However I'm approaching 40 and it's got me thinking, would it be a great gift to myself for the future to try to cure this phobia? And could having a phobia mean I'm harbouring considerable anxiety - in which case I'd really like to free myself of that because anxiety does impact me day to day and i have a chronic illness which is worsened by it.

Although i can avoid actual snakes, the phobia does impact me in these ways:

• At night, if i go to the loo I'll imagine things in the dark are snakes. Eg. A towel in the bathroom. I have to leave the duvet flat otherwise i come back and see it as a snake on the bed.

• At times of anxiety i am prone to nightmares about snakes (occasional).

• phobia of not just real ones but toy / rubber ones. At my son's 5th birthday party i was worried someone might gift him a toy one. I actually considered telling parents (who i didn't know) that he shouldn't be given any toy snakes!

• can't go anywhere i might see one. Fearful of glass tanks even if it doesn't contain one.

• Fear if see a photo of one / see one on TV. My heart and stomach actually jump at the sight. Also uncomfortable reading about them.

• expecially fearful of them in captivity or coming into a non natural environment. Eg. More fearful of one that's a pet than in wild.

Is it worth pursuing therapy if i can largely avoid the issue?

Anyone got experience and can advise on what it would be like etc.

I've worked with lots of phobias; flying, travel sickness, spiders (several times) and yes - snakes!

You weren't born with this phobia so, somewhere in your past, it was imbedded into your subconscious mind. Maybe it was a film, a trip to the zoo or even a throwaway comment by a significant adult. It doesn't matter if you can't remember when/how it started. Anything the mind can learn it can unlearn - it just needs to know how.

I am exactly the same as you. Like you I can avoid day to day but if I go to someone's house that I've never been to before I have to ask if they have a pet snake. The summer worries me as we have a lot of slow worms around here & they terrify me as well, the day the cat bought one in I stood in the corner of the room crying & shaking, thank god my husband was here. I've actually considered hypnotherapy in the past but never got around to doing it

CBT is available free on the NHS under your local Talking Therapies service if you are in England. It's quite common in phobias for them not to be a problem due to being able to manage to avoid them. It's also common for phobias to affect people due to them fearing seeing the thing they are scared of.
Should take about 12 sessions, it you would have some work to complete in between your therapy sessions.

I'd be amazed if you can get 12 sessions of CBT on the NHS for a phobia that doesn't impact your life in an overwhelmingly significant way. You often only get 6 for severe depression and anxiety.

Absolutely worth having therapy for it. It sounds like even though you aren't exposed to snakes it still has an impact on the way you think and is generally bringing you anxiety.

Back when the NHS had a bit more funding I had CBT / exposure therapy for needle/injection phobia and it was one of the best things I've ever done. I didn't quite realise how much of an impact the phobia had on wider aspects of my life, not just on those moments when I had to confront needles. I found I was generally very anxious about health, and engaging in very controlling/avoidant behaviours which were not healthy at all.

The therapy was once a week for 6 months. It was intense and delved deep into wider aspects of my life. The therapist was amazing, and I think used a combination of techniques, not just CBT. There's no way you'd get that on the NHS now, but I would 100% have paid for it privately, it was so worth it. By the end of it I could happily have injections whilst watching, and no anxiety whatsoever. My health anxiety is sooo much better now too.

Go for it!

Just be aware that there is a school of thought that believes that some people are born with a predisposition to having a phobia and that something in their upbringing will determine what it is that will cause them to be phobic.

Therefore if your phobia is cured or overcome it may manifest in time to your being phobic of something else. That something could be something much more commonplace than snakes, agoraphobia for example and that boils really ruin your life.

You have to weigh it up.

@CharlotteMakepeace - interesting. Any links please?

@auntyElle the NICE guidance is quite clear what people can expect. You would definitely get it in a number of NHS Trusts (I know this through work).
Those services offering 6 sessions for mild/ moderate depression let alone severe issues might as well not bother. CBT, like medication, needs to be offered at a therapeutic dose for it to be effective. Yet another false 'saving' trying to be made by managers who don't understand. The clinical guidance is a clear, and Talking Therapies services were supposedly set up based on the evidence base.
Secondary Mental Health services, that's a whole different ball game.

Those saying you “won’t” get therapy on the NHS are presumably basing this on their own experience or knowledge of the services available where they live, but you might be luckier. I’ve just finished a full five months of weekly 1:1 sessions with a high-intensity therapist who used a range of techniques, including but not limited to CBT. And I only had to wait a couple of months for it.

Admittedly my diagnosis and problem was affecting my life rather more than it sounds like your phobia is, but it was excellent and resolved my problem. Just saying, it’s worth looking into what the NHS might offer in your area - you might get lucky.

I agree with everything you're saying, @AreYouShittingMe. But here and in many other trusts across the country the provision recommended by NICE is simply not available.

Amazing to hear you got that care, @BrownTableMat.

I'm glad that people are getting decent and appropriate care.