ornithophobia anyone?

[cassie]

I don't know if this will help, but I will give you the standard conditioning, or deconditioning, therapy I learned about in college. I will use a rabbit for illustration purposes, but you can substitute any feared object or critter and alter the setup to fit your circumstances.

Start out by having the rabbit (or whatever) in a cage within sight but far enough away so it does not cause any concern or anxiety on the subject's part. Maybe set a table and have lunch and conversation there. The next day, do the same thing, but move the cage just a lttle closer. Keep doing that for a few days. Then next maybe have the rabbit out of the cage and have someone holding it on their lap a safe distance away. Then later, in a couple days or so, let the rabbit hop around the room while you have lunch, etc. Then later, the subject can approach the rabbit, and maybe touch it. Just proceed like this, small baby steps at a time, and eventually the fear will be gone.

It is important not to rush things and go too fast because that will cause setbacks. Also, it takes at least three full weeks to break an old habit or form a new one. I hope this helps.

 

[Fierlin1182]

I did it!  I touched my first chick!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday I picked up a blue bantam cochin, a barred cochin, a blue silkie and a blue polish, and I was able to touch them!  They are just a couple of days old, but I'm happy.

I picked up two 9 week  old hens for a friend and I couldn't bring myself to handle them, but I'm hoping that will come with time!

That's an awesome achievement!
Take it easy.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

You're not alone. I've always wanted chickens but have been afraid of them since about age 4. My great-grandmother had chickens and they would peck me when I'd go to gather eggs. Pretty much imagine it was my fault but was too young to understand at the time. A real "love-hate" kinda' thing.

Got my 4 girls about 2 weeks ago. They're young - just beginning to lay. I've had great fun observing them and have learned a lot in two weeks but have yet to physically hold one. I've petted them and have touched them and I'm working up to the holding but thought I'd get to know them - and they me - real well first.

I've learned that they know my voice and my step and know that I'm the person with the FOOD. That's my plan for working my way into their hearts.

Fingers crossed this works!

 

[MySuburbanLife]

I also have a general bird phobia brought on by a negative experience with an aggressive rooster at a family friend's homestead farm when I was a child. I freak out whenever I see a bird moving in my peripheral vision, feathers freak me out, I hate beady eyes and pointy beaks and claws... just about everything that makes a bird a bird!

And yet I now have 7 4 week old chicks living in a playpen brooder in my living room. It shocks everyone who knows me to see how far I've come! I started with 1 day old chicks because there was no denying how adorable they were. I handled them frequently, named them, loved on them, talked to them, and enjoyed their personalities. As they started to feather out and their legs and feet started thickening, I pushed through my discomfort and reminded myself of what sweet little creatures they are. It helped that my pair of EEs are extremely calm, social, and affectionate!

Good luck to you!

 

[TwistOfFate]

I'm still doing well with the babies, they are about a week old and I can pick them up and put them on my palm and pet them while I talk to them. I also have 4 week old youngsters, and I can talk and look at them, I was also able to hold food on my hand and let them peck at it while climbing over my hand. Today I tried to pick one of them up and just couldn't. The second I felt their wings moving under my hand that was it. Sigh...............I hope I can get better at it with time.

 

[sumi]

Don't push yourself. Your are doing great so far. Phobias are major and they can't be overcome in a week. Take it one day at a time, one step at a time. I've been working on mine for about 2 years now, though I don't get many opportunities as I still avoid situations that scares me. But I'm getting better. If I see something coming, on a TV programme for example, I make myself sit down and face instead of leaving the room. Over time I dealt with it better. I also try to find positive things and make positive associations with fire as I find that helps. Like a story I've been following in the news about a little girl that got burned very badly over 80% of her body. Her mom refused to give up on her and found a doctor who was willing to help and then found a medical centre in the USA who grew her some new skin. They've transplanted the skin last month and she's doing very well. I'm so happy for her and her family. A few years ago I'd have run a mile if I heard something like this!
If you have a setback, remember we are up and down emotionally all the time and we have weak periods and strong periods. If you can't face your fears right now, leave it and come back another time, but don't give up. You can do this! I believe in you.

 

[sourland]

I did it! I touched my first chick!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday I picked up a blue bantam cochin, a barred cochin, a blue silkie and a blue polish, and I was able to touch them! They are just a couple of days old, but I'm happy.

I picked up two 9 week old hens for a friend and I couldn't bring myself to handle them, but I'm hoping that will come with time!

Well done! How are things going?

 

[TwistOfFate]

thanks sumi, you're a doll
I had hubby read your post, as he had to help me with the teenagers yesterday and didn't understand why I couldn't "just pick them up"
it's hard to explain, it's a very physical response I have still little control over, but thanks to your support and that of others I'm still trying

sourland, it's going great with the week olds, I can pick them up and handle them very easily
the teenagers are a whole other story, I've had to have help picking them up

everyone is eating out of my hands, and I don't mind the teenagers climbing all over my hand; it's the picking up that's the problem, something gets triggered when I try to pick up one of the teenagers, it's nothing they do, they are auracana and easter eggers, were pretty wild but now recognize my voice and call for me, it's something about the movement of their bodies that does it, and then I just CAN"T pick them up

I'm hoping that the babies will help me get thru it once they get old it, I don't know

 

[sumi]

You're welcome

People who don't have phobias don't understand what we're going through, so I'm happy to share my experience with you and support you on this journey as I know what you're dealing with. And I think you are very brave. You are doing very well already.
When you say physical response, to you mean your stomach muscles gets all twisted up and you have difficulty breathing, you are so tense. That's how I feel. When my phobia was at it's worst I watched TV with my brother and a neighbour at the neighbour's house once. I cannot remember much of the programme/movie except this slow motion shot of a burning match falling... next thing I knew I was in the bathroom on the other side of the house with my very concerned brother and neighbour wondering what on earth the matter is with me. I have no recollection of getting there. I was so embarrassed! And then there was the time, a few months prior to that when I went to the cinema to watch End of Days with a friend... I decided I have to do something about it. My panic attacks went off the scale.
I still get nightmares occasionally and what helps there is praying. I don't know if you are religious, but it really helps me. When I have a nightmare I usually wake up, I get up and walk around a bit to clear my head and my nerves and pray. After that I can sleep again.

 

[TwistOfFate]

You're welcome

People who don't have phobias don't understand what we're going through, so I'm happy to share my experience with you and support you on this journey as I know what you're dealing with. And I think you are very brave. You are doing very well already.
When you say physical response, to you mean your stomach muscles gets all twisted up and you have difficulty breathing, you are so tense. That's how I feel. When my phobia was at it's worst I watched TV with my brother and a neighbour at the neighbour's house once. I cannot remember much of the programme/movie except this slow motion shot of a burning match falling... next thing I knew I was in the bathroom on the other side of the house with my very concerned brother and neighbour wondering what on earth the matter is with me. I have no recollection of getting there. I was so embarrassed! And then there was the time, a few months prior to that when I went to the cinema to watch End of Days with a friend... I decided I have to do something about it. My panic attacks went off the scale.
I still get nightmares occasionally and what helps there is praying. I don't know if you are religious, but it really helps me. When I have a nightmare I usually wake up, I get up and walk around a bit to clear my head and my nerves and pray. After that I can sleep again.

You're right, people w/o phobias have a hard time understanding what we deal with, especially when it's something as innocent as a chicken. Fire sounds much more serious, I can't begin to imagine what you go thru trying to deal with that!
The response I get is a tendency to recoil, the same response you'd get if you're gardening and you go pick up a stick only to realize at the last second that it's a snake. I do feel it in my stomach as well. Wish there was a pill to take care of it, lol, would make it so much easier!
I had a panic attach once that was bird related, when a bunch of turkeys started running my way. The poor things were probably hoping I had food, but I lost it and ran to my husband in terror. He thought it was funny I was yelling for him because of the darn turkeys, only to realize it was serious when I got to him and was a mess, shaking screaming and crying all at the same time.
I deal with nightmares too, but not bird related. I'm not religious as in organized religion, but I am a spiritual person, so I'll give meditation a try next time it gets bad.