Peeking Duck

Many people have some form of a fear; however, the extent of these fears vary greatly from person to person. The common ones include fear of the dark, of heights, of confined areas, and of flying. But not everyone's fears are common or even able to be understood by others. Some fears are simply what people would consider weird. One phobia that is not well-known and ridiculed by many of the people that are aware of it is anatidaephobia. Anatidaephobia is the pervasive, irrational fear that one is being watched by a duck no matter where they are or what they are doing. A person suffering from this fear usually has a traumatic experience as a child. Such experiences may include being flapped at or bitten by a duck, goose, or swan or simply being frightened by their abrupt or unexpected presence. This fear usually stays with a person for years and can become very intense. People may perspire, pass out, or have a panic attack at the thought of being watched by ducks. If a person feels that their symptoms are getting out of hand, they may seek counseling, therapy, or hospitalization for their condition. Anatidaephobia can interfere with every aspect of a person's life. It can ruin one's ability to make friends, maintain a job, and live peacefully. For many, the image of a duck watching them is hilarious and the prospect of such an image turning into a fear is crazy, but for those that struggle with this fear daily, the idea of a stalking duck is far from funny.

When I heard about this fear I was compelled to research it. I honestly could not believe that such a phobia could exist. As I researched, I found that some people believe that Anatidaephobia is unreal and that it was created by Gary Larson and published as one of his Far Side cartoons. On the other hand, there are people that truly believe that this phobia is real and affecting people all over the world. I do not have a stand on either side of this debate because I believe that no matter how the knowledge of this fear has spread, the fact is that it has spread. Some people will choose to self-diagnose themselves and others will choose to deny that this condition even exists. Everything boils down to what kind of person you are.