Dear Readers,

Sherone, 36, is a nail technician who recently moved to Stony Hill. Sherone is "haunted" by lizards. She doesn't know how long she can continue to live at her new home because as soon as the sun sets, all she hears is loud croaking sounds from all directions. She feels like a prisoner in her home as she has meshed all her bedroom windows and keeps the door closed at all times.

Sometimes, if the garage light is turned on before she comes home she cannot come out of the car because lizards are running over the garage roof. And the frogs! She recently came home to see a large toad jumping against the door trying to get away from her. She couldn't tell if she or the toad was more frightened! Another time she just got back into her car and waited for help (boyfriend help) to arrive.

Of course, says Sherone, she is not really sharing much about the screaming and hysterics that sometimes occur, like when two lizards ran out on to the wall behind her, fighting and racing all over the place!

Sherone has decided that she will probably have to move again soon but just wondered if anything could be done about her fear of these reptiles.

Sherone recalls that as a child, her mom unknowingly put on her shoe with a lizard in the toe and wouldn't let her take the shoe off when she cried. Later, the lizard was found dead in her shoe.

She also remembers lying in her bed on her tummy reading a book as a teenager when her younger sister thought it funny to throw a dead lizard between her face and the book. She recalls screaming hysterically and racing out of the room. She remembers cowering in a corner and just crying and shivering.

Things are not quite so bad now, but she still just can't be around the reptiles. She asks if she will ever be able to be comfortable in a room with even one lizard in it.

Sherone has a fear of reptiles, more specifically, a fear of lizards. She also has a good reason for her fears so should not feel too badly about them. Still, lizards are found everywhere in Jamaica and life would be a lot more comfortable if she could manage to share some space with them occasionally without becoming hysterical.

With some individuals, it is sometimes difficult to find a reason for the fear (phobia) although Sherone has an obvious reason for her hatred of lizards. In fact, some animal (and insect) phobias are the result of a very traumatic episode with the animal or insect. A child who has walked around with a lizard in her shoe may well develop a real fear of lizards!

Lizard phobia can also result from the negative portrayal of these reptiles in movies. A Lifeline writer recalled being unable to swim in water past her waist for several years after watching Jaws.

A phobia is an irrational fear but not all fear is irrational. Some fear is a sensible and protective response to an assault! Sherone's early experience and current response span both types of fear. Knowing why a type of negative behaviour is occurring is usually helpful in correcting the behavior.

"Scoliodentosaurophobia" is the specific term used to indicate a fear of lizards. Often caused by an intense negative experience in the past, the mind can create and reproduce that same fear, seemingly without basis. To overcome this, it is necessary to replace the negative associations with positive ones. This often involves behaviour change, which is brought about by some form of therapy, cognitive-behaviour therapy, or group therapy. Often, re-exposure to the feared object under well-controlled and in positively re-enforced surroundings, repeatedly, can help reduce fear and bring "reason" into the equation. The fear can be conquered but will often require time and counselling.

The people at greatest risk of phobias are:

People who tend to be anxious and fearful;

Highly strung people.

Redirecting the unconscious mind to deal with irrational fears involves becoming confident and calm in the presence of the previously feared object and overcoming feelings of anger, hurt, guilt, and anxiety, which may be associated with the genesis of the phobia.

Features of a phobia are:

Marked and persistent fear of a particular object which is excessive;

Exposure to this object always provokes an anxiety attack;

It can affect normal functioning adversely.

Symptoms of a phobia include:

Palpitations

Pounding heart

Sweating

Shortness of breath

Choking sensation

Dizziness

Trembling/shaking

Dry mouth

Clammy hands

Weak feeling

Nausea

Fainting spells

Irrational fear of death.

The above symptoms of anxiety occur in the presence of the feared object.

Through counselling and behaviour modification, eventually the fearful person will be able to first look at pictures of the reptile/lizard without experiencing any negative feelings at all, then later, even months later, be able to touch the feared object. Such treatment can take from weeks to years and often requires a trained mental health manager or therapist.

We do need to break the cycle of female phobias towards lizards! To do this we will need to begin with our female children. We need to reassure them that insects and reptiles in Jamaica are harmless and we need to control our own fearful reactions when around children. We also need to be careful about the movies they have access to and not frighten them by demonising animals, e.g., telling them that the "dog will bite them if they don't behave" and such things.

Phobias are treatable and curable, and in Jamaica, we have the real reassurance that we have no documented poisonous insects, lizards, snakes, or any other poisonous animals domiciled in our island! They truly cannot cause us hurt.

Write to: Lifeline, PO BOX 1731, KGN 8

AJM