Fear Of Frogs: Causes, Symptoms, Overcoming

Fear of frogs – Ranidaphobia . All over the world there are mixed opinions about frogs and toads: some people find them cute, others find them ugly and disgusting. Then there are others who have developed an outright fear or phobia of frogs. The term used to describe this phobia / fear of frogs is called Ranidaphobia. This word comes from the Latin source ‘Rani / ranidae’, which means the family of amphibians, including frogs, toads, newts, etc. and phobos, which is Greek for fear. Another term for this phobia is Batracophobia. (The fear of toads is specifically called Bufonophobia.)

Causes of Ranidaphobia

There are many associations and stories related to frogs in folklore and fairy tales. Frogs have been deemed ugly, but princesses still need to kiss them to ‘win back’ their handsome princes.

Frog urine (or skin contact with the creature) supposedly causes warts on the skin (similar to those on a witch’s face). In some cultures, seeing a frog is believed to be a bad omen.

Then modern science television shows have shown that many species of frogs are poisonous or induce allergies. Therefore, children develop a phobia of frogs after reading about them or watching such shows.

A negative experience with frogs in childhood is the most common trigger for Ranidaphobia. One phobic describes an incident from his childhood at a makeshift shower stall on the beach where he accidentally caught a bullfrog while bathing in the dark. His fear of the sight and the croak of the frog made him run screaming in the middle of nature. This negative humiliating experience comes back to haunt him every time he encounters frogs.

Another phobic, a woman, accidentally killed a frog by running her lawnmower over it. The violent manner in which the frog was killed caused him a lifetime of anxiety about these creatures.

Some students who asked to dissect frogs in Biology experienced leg spasms from dead frogs and have since developed a deep fear of these creatures.

Frogs are usually associated with humid , humid or rainy places. They croak out at night to feed and mate and for a person already suffering from nervous anxiety disorders or adrenal insufficiency, the mind may associate evil, death or death with these supposedly “ominous” sounds made by the frog .

Frogs are also found in toilets or in dirty, tight spaces. People who are afraid of dirt or lack of cleanliness are prone to developing this fear of frogs.

These creatures are good at camouflaging and blending in with their natural environment. They tend to make a sudden appearance frightening people who later associate them with the panic they feel at their presence.

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Symptoms of fear of frogs

Symptoms of fear of frogs vary from person to person.

In some individuals, even the sight, sound, or thought of the presence of frogs can trigger a series of anxiety symptoms such as screaming, shaking, crying, increased heartbeat, sweating, tremors, etc.

Some people can’t bear to even look at pictures of frogs or TV / nature shows about them.

Many refuse to walk in the tall grass in the spring / summer months and especially at night, or swim in ponds or pools where frogs generally lurk.

In extreme cases, the phobic tends to think that a frog will jump on his head or crawl under the skin and this can make one hysterical or paralyzed with fear.

Overcome Ranidaphobia

Knowing the root cause of Ranidaphobia is the first step in its treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy and psychotherapy are highly effective in achieving this goal. Both can help the phobic to rationalize his fear of frogs.