Cynophobia - The Fear of Dogs

Introduction

While several people are phile (love) for a thing, a few seem phobic towards it. Correspondingly, some love and adore dogs, while others fear and run away from them. It is more than being unpleasant or uncomfortable with dogs. Fear of dogs is common among the types of specific phobias. Studies show that about seven to nine percent of the world population experiences fear of dogs or cynophobia.

What Is Cynophobia?

Cynophobia is known for fear of dogs and other canines. It is an intense, irrational, persistent fear of thinking, imagining, talking, or encountering a dog. Cynophobia is a specific animal phobia that falls under anxiety disorders. In addition to fear and panic attacks, the person bears a number of symptoms with daily functioning interferences.

What Causes Cynophobia?

Cynophobia or any specific phobia does not rely on any single causative agent, while certain genetic, neurological, and environmental predispositions contribute to the development of phobia, persisting to adolescence.

• Genetics: As specific phobias can be inherited at times, a family history of cynophobia plays a vital role in such fear and anxiety.

• Traumatic Events: A past traumatic or adverse experience with the dog would precipitate intense fear of it.

• Neurological: Any neurological conditions or physical trauma results in an alteration in the chemical balance of the brain. These incidences can lead to anxiety disorders.

• Behavioral: Children can learn through observation of parents or peers fearing dogs.

Who Is at Risk of Developing Cynophobia?

The overwhelming fear can abruptly develop when a dog attacks or gradually advances over time. Nevertheless, individuals with the succeeding illnesses can encounter cynophobia.

• Anxiety.

• Depression.

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

• Panic attacks.

• Panic disorder.

• Autism.

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

• Substance use disorder.

• Other cognitive conditions.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Cynophobia?

The intense fear of dogs is the characteristic feature yet the predominant symptom of cynophobia, though. The person has fear while seeing in person or through videos, imagining, and conversing about dogs. They feel endangerment in all likelihood and bear the symptoms to this degree.

Physical Signs:

• Elevated heart rate.

• Dyspnea (shortness of breath).

• Dizziness.

• Trembling.

• Excessive sweating.

• Nausea.

• Vomiting.

• Dryness of mouth.

• Chest tightness.

• Fainting or lightheadedness.

Emotional Symptoms:

• Fear of dying.

• Distorted dreadful thoughts.

• Anxiety.

• Loss of control.

Behavioral Symptoms:

• Disorientation.

• Yelling.

• Crying.

• Stupefied (unable to feel or think properly).

• An urge to escape the environment.

• Avoidance.

• Isolation.

How Is Cynophobia Diagnosed?

Medical healthcare professionals inspect medical examinations, mental status, family history, and symptoms to determine the phobia better. Subsequently, the doctor will culminate in diagnosing a specific phobia only if the illness meets the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), fifth edition. The criteria view on frequency, duration, and severity of the phobias are among these lines.

• Persistent fear of a specific object or situation.

• Provoke abrupt anxiety when the person is exposed to the phobic object.

• The fear and symptoms last for at least six consecutive months.

• Individuals recognize that the fear is unreasonable and disproportionate to the phobia factor itself.

• The person precipitately avoids and endures phobia-provoking circumstances.

• Fear and anxiety interfere with various aspects of daily functioning, such as occupational, social, and personal.

• The fear, anxiety, and associated symptoms are not determined by other cognitive health conditions.

In addition, the professionals will rule out the phobia with individual interviews and questionnaires.

What Are the Treatment Options for Cynophobia?

Intervention better addresses cynophobia, like all specific phobias. As the condition is cognitive-allied, psychotherapies and distinct medication work wonders. The doctors may recommend one or a combination of the following treatment options.

Exposure Therapy:

Exposure therapy is the first-line intervention for specific phobias. It is all about alleviating the fear and symptoms through gradual exposure to the object, a dog here. First, the therapist takes the person to an initial scenario and finally to the most anxiety-provoking scene. Here, the person is given the challenge of visualizing the dog with an image or film, followed by imaging a dog with them. Then the therapist asks to commence dog-allied talks. Eventually, the person is taken to a dog.

Virtual reality exposure is the exposure intervention that pictures the dog and nurturing situ intended to diminish the fear. It is evident that VR exposure therapy is an effective treatment against specific phobias, according to 2022 research.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):

Cognitive behavioral therapy is typical psychotherapy or talk therapy that works on the principle that one’s thoughts reflect on conduct. The therapy recognizes and modifies distorted thinking patterns as anxiety patients are more likely to develop fearful thoughts over a theme. And CBT operates well when combined with exposure therapy. Through sessions, the therapist talks to the person and helps identify their views on a dog and amend them.

Systematic Desensitization Therapy:

The therapy is on contributing relaxation techniques through imaginary situations. Firstly, the therapists will conceive the anxiety level by allowing the person to imagine a dread while keen on how he reacts. Then he gradually endures relaxation techniques and pursues till the visualization no longer threatens him.

Medication:

The advisement of drugs is to relieve fear, panic, and anxiety attacks. Sedatives, beta-blockers, and antidepressants are commonly prescribed as they aid in betterment when combined with psychotherapy. The effective yet compelling pharmacological drugs are, as discussed.

• Sedatives like Benzodiazepine.

• Beta-blockers such as Atenolol, Acebutolol, and Metoprolol addressing blood pressure and heart palpitations.

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) of antidepressants. The drugs include Paroxetine, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Citalopram, and Escitalopram.

Conclusion

Cynophobia is more than discomfort with a dog and its bark; that is why the overwhelming fear of dogs is referred to as the condition. It is the belief that one perceives the dog as at the point of biting him. So, the cognitive part is to look at. Cynophobia is one of the most successfully treatable specific phobias, as the intervention reckons on modifying those false cognitive beliefs. And, when one is exposed to a dog more frequently, he falls more likely to be nurturing and loving.