Fear Of Spiders: How To Overcome It?
Arachnids are fascinating invertebrates. These small animals have diverse shapes, impressive hunting habits and behaviors that in many cases fascinate the most curious. Still, unfortunately, there are people who suffer from a condition called arachnophobia. This irrational fear of spiders is relatively widespread, so we want to show you how to fight it.
It should be noted that the writer is not a psychologist and, therefore, in the face of serious phobias, looking for a specialist will always be the first option.
about arachnids
They are a class of chelicerate arthropods that comprise much more than the typical eight-legged spider. In this group, we find true spiders, tarantulas, ticks, scorpions and amblipygi, among others. Despite their different shapes, they all share some characteristics :
- They have two differentiated body regions: prosoma (cephalothorax) and opistosome (abdomen).
- They have a pair of chelicerae, mouthparts that break food.
- All have four pairs of limbs, and generally the forequarters have different shapes according to their function.
- They are oviparous and most feed on insects.
Despite the fear they can generate, have you ever felt any curiosity about these fascinating invertebrates? Whatever your answer, below, we’ll show you how to combat their fear.
Fear of spiders: how to overcome it?
First, it is essential to differentiate between fear and phobia. Being afraid of arachnids is relatively normal, as this is nothing more than an evolutionary mechanism. Humans are naturally afraid of animals that can harm them, and some spiders and tarantulas have very powerful venoms.
Phobia, on the other hand, is something different, as it presents much more severe symptoms, such as sweating, nausea, anxiety attacks, tachycardia or paralysis in the presence of a spider. In these cases, looking for a psychologist will always be the best option, since they are more serious disorders that usually require professional help.
Still, there is a little trick you can do on your own that will certainly help you overcome this irrational fear of arachnids. We will show it below.
exposure therapy
Exposure therapy is primarily about eliminating avoidance behaviors. Innately, the human being runs away from what generates negative sensations, which in this case translates into not wanting to see a spider in any reality, not even in drawings or movies.
Exposure therapy tries to break this dynamic completely: to overcome a fear, you have to face it. This does not mean that a person afraid of spiders should be thrown into a pool full of them, but rather that he should expose himself to their existence little by little.
For this, it is possible to follow some steps that will make the patient get used to it over time and, mainly, with a lot of patience:
- A good starting point is to start seeing images of arachnids for short periods of time (two to three minutes a day). There is no need to run away from the feeling of anxiety this generates (as long as it is moderate). The idea is to accept it.
- Later, the person in fear can venture to watch videos or documentaries that tell curiosities and facts about arachnids. Personally, we recommend paying attention to genera such as jumping spiders or tarantulas. They are relatively friendly looking arachnids, and some would dare say they are even pretty.
- The last step is to dare to interact with a spider. Certain species of tarantulas, such as the genus Brachypelma, for example, are completely harmless and rarely attack. In controlled environments and with the presence of experts, learning to manipulate an arachnid is the last step to show that fear has been overcome.
Overcoming a fear is a source of pride
Overcoming the fear of spiders only has positive aspects. This will allow you to learn to value one of the most fascinating invertebrates in the animal world. Also, spiders make great companions as they feed on mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects.
