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June 20, 2013
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Definition of Fear of animals

Fear of animals: An abnormal and persistent fear of animals termed "zoophobia.

A phobia is an unreasonable fear that can cause avoidance and panic. Phobias are a relatively common type of anxiety disorder. Phobias can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy using exposure and fear reduction techniques. In many cases, anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication proves helpful, especially during the early stages of therapy.

"Zoophobia" encompasses fears of specific types of animals such as of spiders (arachnophobia), birds (ornithophobia), bees (apiphobia), etc. It is literally a zoo-ful of beastly phobias.

Source: MedTerms™ Medical Dictionary
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12363
Last Editorial Review: 6/14/2012

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