Anatidaephobia, or fear of ducks, is an anxiety disorder in which people experience extreme and uncontrollable anxiety or fear when they encounter ducks or hear someone talk about them.

In this article, you can find all the pivotal aspects, like symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment methods of anatidaephobia. It has been mentioned to create awareness and help people cope with this fear. So, read to know more!

Anatidaephobia comes from the Greek word 'Anaetidae', which means a duck, goose or other waterfowl. Some people have an extreme and irrational fear of a duck or goose watching over them. It does not have to be touching or attacking but just watching. The object of fear can be anything, including:

• Fluffy feathers
• Wide beaks
• Noisy quacking sound

Here are some of the trigger factors of this phobia that initiate fear or anxiety among individuals:

• The fear that a duck is watching you.
• Hearing someone talking about a topic concerning ducks.
• Watching a photo or movie scene where a duck is involved.
• Hearing the quacking or wings flapping sound.

This phobia of a duck watching you can lead to different types of symptoms affecting both physical and mental well-being. Apart from feeling anxious or experiencing panic attacks, there are other noteworthy symptoms which can interfere with daily life, like:

• Heart palpitation or tight chest.
• Experiencing shortness of breath or breathlessness.
• Feeling discomfort while exposed to ducks.
• Sweating.
• Dizziness or light-headedness.
• Feeling extremely anxious or chills.

People with a fear of birds in general, or ornithophobia, will face similar symptoms, and it will involve some other psychological symptoms like:

• Feeling threatened.
• Experiencing extreme urge to escape a situation.
• Feeling the fear of losing control.
• Inducing self-harming thoughts.
• Feeling unreal.

The exact cause is not known, but mental health experts suspect the following can be the causes of developing this phobia of ducks:

• Individuals having underlying mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder or major depressive disorder are likely to get affected by this phobia.
• People with phobias like ornithophobia (the fear of birds) are likely to develop anatidaephobia.

Here are the potential risk factors of anatidaephobia that one should know to avoid the effects of this fear:

• A lot of times, the fear of ducks develops through genetics. So, individuals having a family member with a past history of this phobia are prone to it.
• It can also be because of external influence. If anyone has been attacked by a duck or a geese in their childhood the potential of building anatidaephobia increases.

The diagnosis of anatidaephobia includes evaluating the symptoms faced by the individuals whenever they encounter ducks or watch pictures or videos of them. In addition, the therapist may ask questions to understand the behavioural pattern that drives this fear.

Moreover, while diagnosing the respective phobia, the doctor can refer to the criterion mentioned in the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, 5th Edition (DSM-5), for a better understanding of the signs.

How much a treatment will work on a specific phobia varies from person to person. However, there is a significant plethora of treatment methods available that most therapists recommend across the globe to treat anatidaephobia:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT comes with the extension of exposure therapy, where the individual understands his or her emotional aspects of handling phobias. In addition, it allows the individuals to learn coping and managing tactics to avoid their feared elements.

• Medication: To manage phobia-related anxiety and stress, doctors prescribe medications for relaxation, including benzodiazepines, antidepressants and beta-blockers. However, such medicines must not be consumed for long or without a doctor's prescription, as it involves harmful side effects.

• Stress-Management Methods: In this treatment program, the medical counsellor guides his patient in learning stress management programs, which mainly include meditation, breathing exercises, group activities, or creative hobbies.

Anatidaephobia usually lasts for six months for most people with the symptom. However, if it is severe, it can be more than six months too.

Medical supervision or counselling becomes quintessential if the symptoms of anatidaephobia exist for a longer period. In severe cases, some individuals isolate themselves from gathering where they perceive their feared element will be present. In this case, one needs to seek medical attention and look for an improved coping mechanism.

If you fear a duck watching you or some other type of phobia, you can use several coping strategies to make your anxiety more manageable. It includes:

• Visualisation: Thinking or visualising a peaceful image of scenery will help an individual feel serene and work as a distraction from the disturbing mindset.

• Challenging Your Thoughts: One of the best and bravest ways to cope with anxiety is by challenging your thoughts and facing fear. This is a part of exposure therapy; however, one can try slowly and steadily, exposing themselves to factors causing anxiety. An individual can prevent the effects of anatidaephobia if treated appropriately and timely by a medical counsellor. Moreover, committing to mindfulness and following the treatment guidelines prescribed by the doctor will help one lead an anxiety-free life.