Cynophobia
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) reports that only 12% to 30% of those with a specific phobia will seek treatment.
[6] These manifestations may include palpitations, sweating, trembling, difficulty breathing, the urge to escape, faintness or dizziness, dry mouth, nausea or several other symptoms.
Willem A. Hoffmann and Lourens H. Human further confirms this conclusion for patients with cynophobia and additionally found dog phobia developing as late as age 20.
[15] Although Rachman's theory is the accepted model of fear acquisition, cases of cynophobia have been cited in which none of these three causes apply to the patient.
[16] In a speech given at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, Arne Öhman proposed that animal fears in particular are likely to be an evolutionary remnant of the necessity "to escape and to avoid becoming the prey of predators".
Systematic desensitization therapy was introduced by Joseph Wolpe in 1958 and employs relaxation techniques with imagined situations.
[20] In a controlled environment, usually the therapist's office, the patient will be instructed to visualize a threatening situation (i.e., being in the same room with a dog).
Hoffmann and Human whereby twelve female students at the Arcadia campus of Technikon Pretoria College in South Africa were found to possess symptoms of cynophobia.
[20] His research into recent technological developments has made it possible to integrate virtual reality into systematic desensitization therapy in order to accurately recreate the threatening situation.
[27] Öst's results were collected over a seven-year period and concluded that "90% of the patients were much improved or completely recovered after a mean of 2.1 hours of therapy".
[32] Whether utilizing systematic desensitization therapy or exposure therapy, several factors will determine how many sessions will be required to completely remove the phobia; however, some studies (such as a follow-up study done by Öst in 1996) have shown that those who overcome their phobia are usually able to maintain the improvement over the long term.
[33] As avoidance contributes to the perpetuation of the phobia, constant, yet safe, real-world interaction is recommended during and after therapy in order to reinforce positive exposure to the animal.
