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Snake Fears
Name: judy
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
My mom, who was born and raised in Georgia in the woods,
has raised us with
a "disabling" fear of snakes. I've settled into the fact that rattlers will
warn you, and I'm sort of o.k. with that. Last week my husband and I ventured
to southeastern Missouri to the Current River. The thought of this caused me
such anxiety for a week before hand that I was physically ill. This would
be my
>first canoe trip of many in 20 years that would involve not only rattlers
but,
cottonmouths and copperheads. My anxiety grew. We drove to Missouri, launched
our canoe, got maybe 1/4 mile out and I froze solid, babbling incoherently.
I've always tried to approach fears and problems in an intelligent
manner, but
I need help finding info to do so, (i.e. snake bite statistics, deaths, time
limits for medical attention, different habits/characteristics at different
times of year etc.). My question to you is, suggested readings, programs or
whatever that could educate me more so that i can try to deal with this
in the
future.
Replies:
The best "cure," in my opinion, is to find a nature center or similar
facility that has captive snakes, get to know the staff, talk to them about
the snakes while looking at them in protected situation, learn how neat they
really are, and then maybe if the facility permits, touch and then hold one.
Almost everyone who can learn about snakes and then get past the initial
fear to actually hold a snake changes their mind about them pretty quickly.
(Well, it worked for me.)
J. Elliott
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Update: June 2012
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