How to Overcome a Fear of Snakes

Millions of people suffer from ophidiophobia, or a fear of snakes. Even fictional movie tough-guy Indiana Jones suffered from it. As with any phobia, though, you can overcome a fear of snakes by trying a few tried-and-proven methods. Some may seem extreme, but you're sure to find something that works for you to help you overcome your fear of snakes.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Explore the power of autosuggestion. Take 10 minutes to tell yourself every day that your fear of snakes is silly and is not based in fact. Autosuggestion works best when you are totally relaxed, so try it just before falling asleep or immediately upon awakening.
2. Face your fear of snakes. Visit a pet store, zoo or even a friend who owns snakes and handle one. Start off by simply touching one and eventually work your way up to holding one. Start with a small snake, like a garter snake, and work up to larger snakes as you start to conquer your fear.
3. Educate yourself about snakes. Fearing the unknown is common. Most fears are born from being ignorant about that which you fear. Learn about the positive aspects of snakes. Once you know all you can about them, you may overcome your fear of snakes.
4. Take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants to fight anxiety associated with your fear of snakes. The most popular of these types of drugs are Prozac and Zoloft. These drugs can reduce the severity and frequency of panic attacks resulting from phobias.
5. Undergo hypnotherapy. Hypnotism can work on your unconscious to get rid of fears by making you associate the object you fear-snakes-with something positive.