MANILA, Philippines - For some, the deathly fear of snakes is completely reasonable — even if they are of the garden or garter variety. But what if you are terrified of moths, grasshoppers or puppies? Almost everyone is afraid of something or other, but in extreme cases, their fear can become so intense that it is actually a phobia. These phobias can transform every day behavior in a way that could make you laugh if it didn’t actually reduce you to terror or tears.
What do you do when you have a phobia that is so debilitating that you are paralysed by fear? Many desperate adults turn to the Anxiety Treatment Center of Sacramento, run by psychologist Dr. Robin Zasio. In My Extreme Animal Phobia, meet several people with unusual phobias that are disrupting their lives. Among them — Jahara, who is afraid to open windows or turn on her air conditioner for fear that spiders or bugs will get in her home; Marvin, a burly, tattooed, motorcycle-riding family man who won’t spend time outside with his kids because of his traumatic terror of pit bulls; and San Francisco musician Seth who utterly is terrified of snakes. With the guidance of Dr. Zasio, they are about to change their lives forever. The only problem – things have to get a lot worse before they can get better.
In each hour-long episode, three people embark on a five-day, live-in course of intensive exposure therapy. They achieve remarkable results to beat the fear that has taken a firm grip on their lives. Whether wild animals or domestic pets, including roaches, cats, lizards, spiders, dogs, birds, snakes, pigeons, bees, bats and even moths, exposure therapy is highly effective – and very entertaining.
My extreme Animal Phobia premieres on Animal Planet on Tuesday at 11 p.m. starting Feb. 7 and encores every Saturday at 4 p.m.