by Amy Jo Browne

Created on: September 19, 2010

My phobia was snakes of every size, but I got over it almost a year ago. How did I get over the fear that almost paralyzed me for my entire life? Read on and find out how I got over my phobia of snakes.

I have always had a big fear of snakes no matter if they were in a cage at the pet store or in a case at the circus. I would be the girl jumped on the picnic table or on the porch if I happened to see a snake on the ground outside. It did not matter the size, if I seen a snake it released that awful fear within me.

Not only would the snake sighting bother me during my waking hours, but also for nights afterward. That's right a snake sighting by day would invoke these nightmares that would invade my dreams for weeks afterward. My quality of sleep suffered, as did the quality of daily living because I was so tired for not sleeping at night.

I learned to avoid the rocky areas where snakes hung out in the area where I lived. I avoided the snake cages at the circus, as well as any movie or television show that showed snakes. I never took my kids out hunting for garner snakes, but that's okay as my siblings did.

When you have a fear or phobia, as a responsible parent you need to work hard to ensure that your children do not also develop that fear. You also do not want your children knowing you have a fear like this or they will tease you. It was hard to try to remain calm around snakes, but somehow I did manage.

My daughter grew up and began dating a man with a large blood python. I worried about her safety and the safety of my grandchildren even though my daughter and her boyfriend assured me the snake remained in a locked cage. For a year, after they moved in together I would not visit their home, which now had two blood pythons.

In November of 2009, my granddaughter Adrienne was born and on their second day at home, my son-in-law needs to return to work. This would leave my daughter home alone with a two-year-old and a new born. This is nothing for concern usually but my daughter was recovering from a very difficult labor so it was hard for her to get up and move around. Getting up fast and chasing an active toddler was dang near impossible.

I went to help my daughter, knowing my fear she covered the snakes. My grandson who was two pulled the cover off at some point of the day and I never realized it. Somehow, during that day as I helped my daughter with her children my fear or phobia of her snakes dissipated.

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