How do i get over a fear of Spiders..?

Question

I would also run from a money Spider..

Tried the hold one in hand but the #### ran up my arm at a 100 mph.. will stick to being scared thanks to all that answered..

Answer 1

It might surpise you to find that spiders are not frightening. Oh yeah! I hear you saying. The difficulty with fears is trying to get the person to understand that it's not so much the object which is frightening, but the emotions attached to it. This is why some people are not frightened of spiders and would be quite happy to have one run over their hand or keep one as a pet.

So the question is, how do you deal with your emotions attached to spiders? well, one way is systematic desensitization, that may sound like a complicated and too long a word to make much sense, but all it means is that you become more familiar with spiders and learn about them. The chances are that you've decided that spiders are just something to be scared of and you're not at all interested in really knowing what a spider is. Maybe you would describe it as a black thing with legs that runs.

By learning about spiders, the types, sizes, where they live, how they breed, what they like, what they don't like (size 9 shoes) the history of how they developed, you can begin to see spiders in another light and begin to think about them in other ways, ways which are not just about 'fear'.

Look at pictures of spiders, look at their detail, visit pet shops, talk to the pet shop owners about their spiders and entheusiasts, take a trip somewhere where you can see the species in their little tanks. Over time, if you put in the effort, work hard, there is no reason why you can not overcome your fear.

There are also some techniques to use, based on the fact that anxiety can not maintain itself at 100%. Therefore if I bring a spider in a box into a room, you might experience 100% anxiety. After 5 mins of being in the room, you will notice that you are maybe at 90% - therefore the spider box could come closer to you and once again you'd be back up to 100% - again, your body can not maintain itself at 100% anxiety and therefore, bit by bit, it's highly possible that you could be sat alongside the spider box with minimal anxiety. This takes a lot of hard work and encouragement, but can be done in just a couple of hours.

Just realise that being scared of something which you don't know anything about is quite normal, you're not on your own. Don't let the problem can get out of hand, because you can come to fear your own fear of spiders to the point that your behaviour starts to affect your social life and your relationships.

Lastly, a rational emotive behvaioural therapist should be able to help you with desensitisation and phobias, but there is alot that you can do on your own to overcome the problem. You can become an expert in solving your own problems, well, at least when someone points you in the right direction. You will never get over being scared of spiders 100%, this is becuase no one wants to wake up with a spider running over their face! and no one likes to be surprised or shocked, but you DO NOT need to get over your fear of spiders, all you need to do is move from a position of not being able to tolleate spiders to a position where you can tollerate spiders; you will never need to love them. Let me know how you get on.

Answer 2

Sorry to say that I dont think you can get over a fear of spiders. I too have a terrible phobia and I've tried everything - looking at them in a glass after my husband catches them, touching a red knee tarantula, my daughter brought a Chilean Rose tarantula and I could look at that but still house spiders make me scream, Ive been hypnotised the lot - nothing has helped. My husband gets cross and tells me all the stuff about them not hurting me blah blah but it doesnt make any difference. I carry a can of raid everywhere in the autumn months when I know the spiders are coming out to play.

Answer 3

Getting over a fear is really hard. Try exposing yourself to spiders very slowly. Start with a small house spider in a jar. When you can live with that put it on the wall for 2 minute periods until you're okay with that. It's all about exposing yourself very slowly. If this still doesn't work, I suppose hypnotherapy is another option. But you should realize that fear is human and that there's no shame in it. Heck, I'm afraid of pickles or anything pickle shaped!

Answer 4

Dont really know if there is a cure, I think you have to learn not to be afraid of them from an early age. A funny story goes with that, I've always taught my 3 year old daughters not to be afraid of these creatures, so regularly the run in the garden and play with them without giving them a second thought. It was only last week when one of my girls came in to the house heart broken with a daddy long legs in her hand. It had no wings as her sister had pulled them off. She was sobbing her heart out saying ' Daddy, Daddy, Heather broke my spider'!!!!!

For the love of God, I couldn't console her for laughing!!

Answer 5

i had been afraid of spiders for 40 years till i screamed when finding a big ish one on the kitchen floor when it jumped in fright i realised it was more scared of me than i was of it try to spend some time with a little one and see how it goes

Answer 6

You should face it head on and pick one up, even if it's just in a jar. When you get bold, put it on your hand. really, you've got nothing to worry about, especially in this country - the spiders won't hurt you! Now if you were in Australia, you'd have a damn good reason to be scared...

Answer 7

My partner bought a tarantula at a car boot sale for this very fear.

He's OK with tarantulas now but he still screams for me to remove ordinary house spiders.

Answer 8

i do no longer concern dying, or spiders, I used to pass around college gathering all of the spiders and putting them someplace secure, removed from those bitches who pulled their legs off :'O

Answer 9

pick one up and cuddle it. make a new friend. take it for walks. tell it bed time stories... lol

seriously...try hypnotherapy/hypnosis or something like that.

I too hate spiders and fell down the stairs the other day coz there was a massive one on the wall and i wanted to get past it as quick as i could (i'll inform you that my foot is broken and my legs in plaster...so i had to hop as quick as i could, then fell!)

Answer 10

LOL...oooh Starlet..I carry my raid also..cant even squish the suckers..just spray and run!! Thank God for the "spider spray!!"