Spring is in the Air … in More Ways Than One

"Spring is when life's alive in everything."
-- Christina Rosetti (1830 - 1894)

Happy Spring! Don't you love this time of year? The weather is not too cold or too hot, the azaleas are in bloom and no mosquitoes are biting yet. This spring also promises to be unique for many, especially those along the east coast, as it brings the 17-year cicadas, known as Brood X, with it. Millions of these large, noisy insects are expected to emerge from the soil by mid-May and with them, increased panic and anxiety.

While the cicadas are harmless, their mass quantities, large bodies, red eyes, and poor flying skills all contribute to people's reactions to these distinctive creatures. Reactions range from wonder and amazement to disgust to all-out fear and dread when they see millions of cicadas surfacing at once.

Like other specific phobias, a phobia of insects is characterized by an irrational, involuntary fear reaction that is inappropriate to the object, place or situation and generally leads to the avoidance of a particular circumstance, which poses no real threat of danger. Heightened anxiety, even panic attacks, results when exposed to these fears. As with all phobias, those with this phobia recognize that their fear is excessive and unreasonable but they are unable to control it. The feared object, in this case insects or the cicada, is usually anticipated with alarm.

"For people who have insect phobias in general and have learned to live their lives around this fear," says Jerilyn Ross, President and CEO of ADAA. "The cicada invasion is their ultimate nightmare because of the unpredictability, intensity and inability to escape these insects. However, one good outcome of the 17-year cicada appearance has been that people who suffer from an insect phobia and have previously avoided situations like camping, gardening and other hobbies, have been pushed to get treatment. Although this is a challenging time, this may be the impetus they needed."

More than 6.3 million people in the U.S. have a specific phobia. If you suffer from a specific phobia, what can you do to keep it from affecting your everyday life? Many people benefit from working through their phobia with a therapist or other trained professional who will help them face their fears and develop coping strategies that work best for them. Remember, with time and assistance, a specific phobia is treatable. To help you find the right treatment provider, the ADAA website, www.adaa.org, has available a searchable list of its professional members, as well as, a list of self-help support groups, organized by geographic location. Here is to a very happy, healthy and bright spring for all!

Do you have a phobia? Take a self-test available online at http://www.adaa.org/GettingHelp/SelfHelpTests.asp. Share the results with your healthcare professional.