The Cure For Arachnophobia

**( This is not a profesional opinion [advise])


a week ago i suffered from a horrible case of Arachnophobia, it ruled my life, i was paranoid, and i had a recurring image in my dreams (of a black widow) that really disturbed me.
Then i decided to do something about it, and tried a couple of self-help tapes, and i even went to a professional [-nothing helped-], and then for some reason i googled spider, and i started to read and read, i started talking about them, and i learned a lot about spiders.
after all the learning i encounter a european garden spider on my yard, and i did not fear it, it was at that moment when i realized that i was cured of my fears.
So in my opinion the cure for spider fear is LEARN ABOUT SPIDERS, ignorance kept me in fear, and now i think spiders are a wonderful species and very facinating.

-- the recurrent black widow image on my dreams has dissapear--

[edit on 10-9-2008 by CzErased]

I'm a bit of a tarantula enthusiast, so I completely agree. I've had more than a few friends who are really badly arachnophobic. Some of them won't even come into my flat because they know there's tarantulas in there, even if the never see them or they're in a different room.

I've found that the people who claim to be most afraid of them actually ask the most questions about them. After a bit of information they start to become more curious rather than scared. Then finally they work themselves up to wanting to see one eating, then see it out the tank, then see me hold it, then try to touch it themselves. Before you know it they're holding on saying 'why was I afraid of that?'.

Facing your fears are definately the best way to tackle them.

Spiders aint scary at all!

even reading about them gives me goosepimples, oops! aww, I'm fine with money spiders, or very small ones...

it's the ones where you can see the fangs, haha! im rubbish! I tried to get one in a glass once (nearly the size of my palm), just about got the legs in it... not impressed in the slightest. And then it took me nearly a day to find something thick enough and appropriate to slide underneath it to keep it in the glass!

(For those vital 24 hours I named him Norman!) I got it out my bedroom window eventually, but I'm not partial to touching the big ones, eep!

The cure for arachnophobia? Ha!
Saturday night I'm sitting on my royal throne reading a few pages of a novel I keep handy for just such ceramic proceedings. I look on the window sill...and dang it to heck it see a red nasty vile looking escaped from the jaws of hell inch long spider. I dispatched it with great prejudice. I finish the proceedings. Spider stuck on book. So I take a squid of tp to wipe it off my book.

For reasons totally unknown to me I decide to squarsh it a little before going to the sewer. I felt a barb hit on my middle finger. Actually thought I imagined it. Minutes later I felt a throbbing. So I look down at my finger and I see a slight blue streak, two centimeters on the side of my finger.

I'm like where the heck did I get ink on my finger? I know I just washed my hands. So I go back to wash it off, it aint comin' off. So I hit it with cortizone and an icepack

Did I ever say...'I hate spiders'. Much better by the way. No amputation necessary.

I must be the biggest arachnaphobe you are ever likely to meet. If a spider enters the house not only do I have to stay out of the room that I saw it in but I start to imagine that I see spiders quickly crawling across the carpet.
Years ago while watching the film Arachnaphobia, my ex girlfriend put a false eye lash on my knee and I was out the back door and half way across the yard before I dared to stop and look back.
Horrible little eight legged creatures. . . "Urghhhh!"

In the wild or not near my entrance doors I say live and let live. Come into my confines and I say live and let die.

yeah, i may not be afraid of spider anymore, but i dont want them to crawl all over my bed , my face, or in my food.

I hate 'em. Period.

Don't get me wrong, I'm fascinated by them. I understand their usefulness and purpose (Well, until I read the thread about arachniod aliens yesterday!), but, I hate the way they look and especially how they move.
I've read about them, handled them, taken some cool pix of them:





But, I still can't stand them. Believe me, your "cure" won't work for me.

Cuhail

I don't fear spiders in the least wonderful,natural,pest control and on top of that one of the worlds best architects and designers.Anyways I do wonder if the arachnophobia cure would also do justice for those of us terrified of camel crickets?

reply to post by Randall Flagg


i dont know, it worked for me, but it may not work for others.

but it wont hurt you to try it out.

reply to post by jpm1602

"The cure for arachnophobia? Ha!
Saturday night I'm sitting on my royal throne reading a few pages of a novel I keep handy for just such ceramic proceedings."

You will be recieving an invoice via U2U, for the repair costs of my laptop. I just spat coffee all over it, I have deemed it your fault, lol. Cereamic proceedings, getting used ALOT.

As for arachnaphobia, I don't really like spiders, I wouldn't say I was '#' scared of them, but they make me seriously uneasy. I try and ignore them as long as I can, but inevitably I have to get rid of them or, if I can't, kill them. I hate killing them, as I really feel guilty, but I cannot sleep if there is one in the room, unless I am plastered, lol. So I may take you up on your advise, only, I don't find them uneasy when looking at pics etc, only when they are moving, quite close to me, you think this would matter?

Either way, I'll give it a try, WE HAVE TO STOP THIS GENOCIDE!

EMM

I've read about them a lot but I still get the heebie geebies every time I see one, real or photo. I know they do a lot of good in keeping the insect population down but Im still not going to pick one up. The ones from South America really creep me out especially when their main food source are large parrots.

Sorry but I will never like anything with more than 4 legs.

I do actually agree with this and it does work.

I used to hate spiders until I adopted a tarantula for 6 months. You get to appreciate what amazing creatures they are and like the OP said, learning about them definitely helps.

I still wouldn't wanna wake up with one crawlin on my face or anythin but I have no issues about picking them up now, whereas previously i'd struggle to get close enough to stick a glass over them!!

So if you wanna help get over arachnophobia, adopt a tarantula!

Howdy Ms Randall. I used to think the same till a brown recluse was having a really bad day in my garage that decided to make lunch out of my forearm.

ElectraMagneto you should no me by now! I will add an addendum to my siggy 'read at your own risk, in no way shape or form will this client be held liable for.........'

Unplug it, turn upside down, and let it dry, or get out the hair blower.
Sorry homes.

reply to post by jpm1602

Sorry to hear that.I guess that would put you off spiders,around here though you always have to look before you reach as there is no telling what you may grab or may grab you.I guess even with a bad experience like yours you could always just try to look at them as little crabs since that is pretty much what they are.

reply to post by Randall Flagg



Crabs are almost creepier than spiders. They look very much the same and then move sideways!!!

Yeah. It's pretty deep-seeded in me.


Cuhail

Only if they had any meat on them RF. Gastly little booger I say, gastly.
Took a month to heal, I may get a tat over it. Of a spider of course.

Cuhail. Do you read SK? Remember the gunslinger? chuck chuck gnook or something like that. Shivers.

I owe it to some primieval (now why couldn't I thing of a name like that when I started here!) primative natural fear of spiders back then when spiders were a good 2 meters across.

Mods! I want to be called PrimeEvil now.....please....eddy.

[edit on 9/10/2008 by jpm1602]

Try a plate full of cigali lobsters.
They look like the face huggers from 'ALIEN'

Taste great with fresh ground chilis,garlic and lemon though.


EDIT.
"So I look down at my finger and I see a slight blue streak, two centimeters on the side of my finger. "

JPM ...I'd be really wary of blood poisoning by the sound of that.. ouch.!

[edit on 10-9-2008 by AGENT_T]