How can I conquer this irrational fear?

Question

I am terrified of spiders......they scare me sh!tless.

I don't know what the psychology of this is as I find them beautiful in their own right, and I know they won't hurt me.....but every time I encounter one I am reduced to jelly.

Where I live (Qld, Australia), they are massive. In my bathroom last night there was a huntsmen the size of a saucer and I was about ready to book into a hotel.

Ridiculous, I know, irrational, yes. I don't want to be like this.

Any ideas on how I can keep my cool around spiders? I have no problem with any other creepy crawly, reptile or bug - just the 8 leggedy beasties!

Please help.........thanks

Interestingly enough, I'm ok with crabs....

Answer 1

I used to think that irrational fears were based entirely in some learned way until I helped a friend of mine track down her brother. both siblings had been adopted out due to their fathers deeath, the brother was 18 months old and my friend was not born yet when her father passed away. so she was adopted out some time after her brother was adopted.

When we tracked him down and they met the most startling thing about these formerly unknown to one another siblings was that both had irrational fears of spiders and neither had any memory of any bad experience with spiders.

Neither can remember having been told anything overtly negative about spiders and yet both had suffered this fear all of their lives they were in their 30s when they met.

A few months after meeting they tracked down their birth mother and low and behold she had a dread of spiders too.

So perhaps it is in the genes.....

That does not mean you can't make you fears a little less irrational and a little more realistic.... after all it is sensible to be afraid of redback and funnel webs.... but not sensible to be so afraid of huntsman spiders...

Irrational fears is one area that counselling has a 99.99% success rate with.... et yourself a counsellor...

recent changes to medicare laws here in Australia at federal level mean that if a gp refers you to a psychologist you can receive 12 sessions in any calendar year that will give you a rebate from medicare... so ask you doc for referral....

Answer 2

Have your heard of "aversion therapy?" There are professional practitioners of this applied form of psychological remediation that are largely successful with those genuinely seeking release from irrational torments. It is important that there be an inherent repore between the "patient" and the "practitioner" so that the 'trust' level is created whereby the therapy can have its best results. You may want to read up on the alternative therapies available and then consider which would seem most "compatible" with your present psyche's capabilities. At any rate, the ultimate goal for you, it would seem is not to be un-nerved when you come into visual contact or general physical proximity to any member of the arachnid family. Actually, "crabs" are members of the arachnid family; do you think you could begin by picking up a live crab(?)... they may seem a trifle more innocuous
and may represent a step in the right direction> Anyway, good luck with all that!

Answer 3

I'm not so sure that your fear is irrational. You have Arachnophobia. You should seek counseling to help you through it. You live in Australia where there are about or over 2000 different species of spiders. Just a few of these are poisonous. The first thing you can do to help yourself is to familiarize yourself with the different species of spiders and isolate those that are potentially harmful to you. There are many books available on the subject, and you can also go onto the web for pictures and explanations. Learn how they work, and what they are good for, and how to keep them out of your house. Good luck with your endeavors.

Answer 4

Some people have got over their phobias by facing them safely. This usually includes a trained person to help. So for example they may have you put your hand into a tank of spiders . The spiders will not touch you and you will not touch them. After managing this and getting over the fear of doing it you move on to the next stage and so on.
Often people are afraid of things because theylearned this behaviour from a parent or other family member. Other times it can be as a result of a bad experience.
Hope this is of some help to you.

Answer 5

I'm not a professional, but through my own experience it sounds like some type of phobia and anxiety. I've had anxiety in the past, but usually some crisis triggered it, along with social type phobia. Think back to a year ago when it started to determine the cause of it. I would think you have to understand why it started first to know how to conquer it. For my own experience, I faced my crisis that led to anxiety and social phobias, read books, spoke with professionals and learned to deal with those problems and eventually move on with my life. Check the sites below, there's a great deal of information that talks about the problems you describe.

Answer 6

The size of a saucer..I'd be scared shitless too!! LOL!!! When you see the spiders think about what you just said. You KNOW they can't hurt you...just think that about that the next time you see one. Take a minute and face it. Look at it think about it then get rid of it or whatever you do. I'm guessing you throw books at the ones you have LOL!!!

Answer 7

Visit museums that have this things. Be exposed to spiders on a daily basis little by little add the quantities. WIth time and some theraphy you'll be able to deal with the fear. Look up info on them and pictures too. Good luck!

Answer 8

i heard a programme on the bbc last month (you can write to them & they're very good about getting back to you) anyway, this interview was about phobias & in the middle of this programme there was an interview with a guy who worked for a company that cures phobias. the guy said that many of the people came to be cured of fear of spiders & within minutes or just a few the worst cases they have are cured.

you might wanna write to them, i think it was a radio4 interview, & i heard it using their 'listen again' facility online.

Answer 9

Spiders bite . and it hurts.. If left they will multiply and then you will have the whole family looking at you. get rid of them . or you will be booking it to a hotel..

Answer 10

try carrying one of those stuffed toy ones that are sorta cute. like hold it in your hand or leave it in your pocket and do so often. Move up to those plastic ones that start to get realistic. It's okay if they gross you out, the point is to be able to tolerate them