All phobias share essential features. A phobia is an imaginary fear of something that poses no or very little danger in reality. As the fear of the imaginary object increases with the progression of the disease, the person affected starts shunning the object more and more. For example an agoraphobic patient might not want to be separated from his safe area. The patient would want to remain confined to a house or a small place where he feels safe.

Anatidaephobia is a rare form of phobias but shares the essential hallmarks of other phobias. The person erroneously starts believing that there is a “duck” somewhere keeping a watch on him round the clock. As irrational as it may seem the phobia is a serious condition requiring medical attention. The phobia is as debilitating as other phobias are and disrupts the daily activities of the patient.

Phobias are a form of anxiety disorder. There are many theories around regarding the causes of the disorder. Freudian psychologists believe the origins of the disease to be rooted in childhood and have something to do with the sexual fantasies of the childhood and societal constraints. Anatomically the phobias are thought to be linked with amygdala in brain. Amygdala in itself is a tiny structure and controls responses such as “fight or flight response”.

The advent of SSRIs – Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors has revolutionized the treatment of depressive disorders and anxiety. For phobias first line of treatment is Benzodiazepines or Benzos. Benzodiazepines are prescribed with SSRIs like Paroxetine, Fluoxetine etc. Usually the medications have to be continued for longer periods to avoid the chances of relapse.