Hi.
My entire life I suffered from fear of toads, frogs and lizards.

I'm not really afraid of them. Yes, I know they don't bite or can cause any real harm (the ol "they're more afraid of you than you are of them" thing). I know.

I think I'm more grossed out by them rather than afraid of them, but this still doesn't really paint the whole picture.

The sensation I get when in close proximity to them is ... hard to describe.
It's not fear, as I said as in "they're coming for me"
and it's also not entirely "gross". I wouldn't throw up if I had to touch one of them. It's just a weird, almost painful sensation in the chest. Some sort of a mix of "gross" and some kind of primeval dread.

Similar to arachnophobia, this does take a toll on my life. When I walk by some rocks or concrete walls, I always worry that an Agama lizard will be there and fall on me, or close to me.
In the wetter seasons, it's the frogs and especially toads.

Has anybody ever had anything like that?
And more importantly: instead of living my life, trying to get myself away from my "enemies", I figured I could try to get this phobia resolved somehow, but it just looks insurmountable! I can't see myself ever holding a frog! It almost feels like this fear is hard-wired into me. I don't even know where to begin.

Can somebody who has recovered from a similar phobia share their experience? Maybe you used to suffer from arachnophobia and now you don't, so how did you do that? Maybe share your experience, just to see if this is even possible to overcome.

Thanks