arachnaphobia

[happynagini]

I have a paralysing fear of spiders. I am so terrified of them, i dont know why
i would like to get over my fear as I believe mine is intense and not natural

has anybody had arachnaphobia and come past it? I dont know how to fix my fear as i dont know how it even originated

 

[Misnomer]

Brief solution.

Rationalisation. Each time 'the fear' grabs you....rationalise why it's irrational( eg. spider too far away to cause damage, non lethal species, sedantry, trying to hide etc).
Desensitisation...make 'friends' with hopping spiders(ie start small). Make yourself observe it and it's behaviour. Get closer over time until you feel ok to bite the bullet and pick it up, or let it wander on your hand. Rapid desensitisation....buy a Bird Eating Spider

Safe travels.

 

[Wing_Nut]

Planned confrontation and exposure following education. Education would consist of but not be limited to books, documentaries and expert advice. Reading texts about common spiders in your area with small still images can be a good place to start. Learning to identify and educate your mind about the species you are likely to encounter can teach the brain to not send panicked flight or fight transmissions when you are confronted. Planned confrontation is the next step, and best done with a calm friend or a professional therapist. Repeat exposures in a controlled environment coupled with education is the best way forward. Remember that phobias like this are not uncommon, 7% of the population are affected by arachnophobia, and with positive experiences many people who choose to face these types of fears are successful in overcoming the fear. I hope this helps. Good Luck

Regards

Wing_Nut

 

[Zipidee]

Gidday happynagini, where do you live? If you live in Sydney, Taronga Zoo run specialist courses to help people overcome these kinds of fears. I wrote a magazine article for the Zoo on one such program and the results were outstanding! I think other zoos do similar. Check out their websites.