Ornithophobia comes from two Greek words - "orni", which means “bird” and "phobia", which translates to “fear”. It is a specific phobia that is characterized by abnormal or irrational fear of birds. It may be interesting for some readers or learn that David Beckham and Eminem are rumored to suffer from this phobia.
Symptoms
Some fear only birds of prey, such as eagles, hawks, falcons and vultures. Others tend to be anxious around birds kept as pets, such as lovebirds and pigeons. In extreme cases, seeing a feather or hearing the word “bird” is enough to trigger a panic attack. Ornithophobes tend to prefer avoiding places, where birds are particularly present, such as parks, museums, zoos, etc.
Most commonly, the physical symptoms include shivering, shock, perspiration, heart palpitations, uncontrollable vocalization and crying. People who suffer from extreme cases of ornithophobia may experience an anxiety attack triggered by anticipating a bird, rather than seeing an actual one. Furthermore, the phobia can become so debilitating that sufferers confine themselves to their homes. …show more content…
Usually, a negative experience in the past is what has triggered ornithophobia. However, another possibility is that the phobia has been brought about indirectly, through witnessing a bird attack or someone’s highly negative reaction to the species. Yet another explanation is that birds did not cause any harm, but were simply present during another traumatic event, such as an accident or a death. What is more, ornithophobia can be the product of stories, movies or documentaries, where birds were portrayed as monstrous or vicious creatures.
Symptoms
Some fear only birds of prey, such as eagles, hawks, falcons and vultures. Others tend to be anxious around birds kept as pets, such as lovebirds and pigeons. In extreme cases, seeing a feather or hearing the word “bird” is enough to trigger a panic attack. Ornithophobes tend to prefer avoiding places, where birds are particularly present, such as parks, museums, zoos, etc.
Most commonly, the physical symptoms include shivering, shock, perspiration, heart palpitations, uncontrollable vocalization and crying. People who suffer from extreme cases of ornithophobia may experience an anxiety attack triggered by anticipating a bird, rather than seeing an actual one. Furthermore, the phobia can become so debilitating that sufferers confine themselves to their homes. …show more content…
Usually, a negative experience in the past is what has triggered ornithophobia. However, another possibility is that the phobia has been brought about indirectly, through witnessing a bird attack or someone’s highly negative reaction to the species. Yet another explanation is that birds did not cause any harm, but were simply present during another traumatic event, such as an accident or a death. What is more, ornithophobia can be the product of stories, movies or documentaries, where birds were portrayed as monstrous or vicious creatures.