Arachnophobia: Irrational Fear of Spiders, Scorpions, etc...
Posted: Saturday, February 05, 2011
by Linda LaVoire
Arachnophobia, by definition, is the fear of spiders and other arachnids such as scorpions. It is a specific phobia . The reactions of people who suffer from arachnophobia, to even the smallest spider, can seem quite irrational to other people (and to the sufferers themselves). But coming from one who suffers from this, the panic, the sweats, the heart palpitations, etc, are very real! My first reaction is to freeze and my heart begins to pound. Then if the spider begins to move, so do I… very rapidly. I panic and I have been known to climb over what ever (or who ever) may be in my way. I have even given myself minor injuries trying to escape a room with a spider in it! I realize how foolish this must seem to the non-sufferer. The spider is but a small creature that (if necessary) could be squashed under foot, but to us, that’s the last thing on our minds. Putting any part of my body on a spider is out of the question! My fear is so profound that just trying to post a picture with this article was giving me trouble. This fear has caused me much embarrassment over the years. I can’t control the reactions so, if I see a spider in public, everyone sees me make a fool of myself.
(Argiope Spider, Wikipedia photo, used by permission)When I was 8 or 9 years old, a very large spider (approximately 3 inches in length, legs included with a thick body about 1 and ½ inches long) decided to build it’s web on the outside of my bedroom window. At the time, I had no clue what kind of spider it was and had no interest in learning. The first night after it built its web I turned out my light and went to bed. The neighbor had a flood light at the back of his property on the edge closest to my bedroom. The light shining through my window cast a shadow of the spider on the wall opposite my bed approximately 2’ x 3’ (these measurements may be the result of the overactive imagination of a very scared child but it was huge). It scared me so badly I couldn’t sleep. I lay awake all night staring at that shadow. The next day I told my family about it. I don’t remember who decided to help me but one of them took the broom outside and knocked the spider down. It ran so quickly they couldn’t catch or kill it. It disappeared under the house through a vent. I thought little else about it that day. That night I went to bed and, low and behold, the spider had returned and its shadow was on my wall again!! I did manage to get some sleep that night by covering myself so completely that the only thing outside the cover was my nose. Well, the process of trying to remove this spider continued for several more days. It just kept coming back and always to my window! Finally, after about 2 weeks, someone (and I believe it was my oldest sister) managed to kill it. I thought all was well after that but to my utter chagrin every spider, from that point on, caused me terror. I’ve gone 40 plus years now with this fear.
I’ve tried desensitizing myself of it (which is the usual form of treatment for arachnophobia) but to no avail. Desensitizing involves exposure to spiders via photos and even live specimens in a controlled environment and learning everything you can about spiders. I’ve learned much but I was never able to conquer this fear. The photos and specimens all caused me to have panic attacks. So I eventually just gave up. During my studies I did manage to learn about my tormentor. She was of the Argiope family. A large garden spider who normally builds their webs in the grass or weeds and are totally harmless to humans. The picture I finally managed to post here is exactly what she looked like. Why she chose to build on my window I will never know.
If you or someone you know is a sufferer of arachnophobia please seek help. I know that the desensitizing courses do work for a lot of people. I was the rare exception to the rule. I desperately wish it had worked for me. I fear that one day a spider will be the cause of a heart attack for me. In the meantime I will keep running away and my husband will keep removing the spiders for me. Bless his sweet heart!
P.S. Some cultures actually revere the spider. They believe them to be a large part of their creation theories. Other cultures consider them good omens and symbols of prosperity. And, there are even some who eat them! They are considered quite a delicacy. I can’t imagine what would happen to me if I tried to put one in my mouth!!!
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)
Excellent article baby girl. I couldn't have done a better job. Of course, you knew that.Thanks Daddy! Love you :-) .... but I beg to differ, you can always out do me!
That was an excellent information. My sister has phobia from lizards and I had a phobia from cockroaches. Both of us as children were brave enough to tease them and play with them. We just had a funny experience alternatively which led to the fear. I have almost overcome my phobia while my sister hasn't.Thank you DM. Knowing about your (and your sister's) fears and when you acquired them makes me feel better about my asumptions. During my many years of study on spiders and arachnaphobia it appeared that many, if not most, sufferers acquired their fears after some traumatic event. Thank you for sharing your experience with me. Linda
Great article! I enjoyed it! From one who was hospitalized twice from spider bites, I can identify well with its theme. My wife, never bitten, is so afraid of them, she's already hopped in the car, more than once, driven two miles to the nearest hardware store to pay twice the recommended price for a spray can of insecticide (I know, they are not insects, ha ha), and then she proceeded to empty the can on one lone spider she spotted in the house or garage. Somewhat of an over-reaction I guess - you should see her when she sees a hornet.Thanks for reading my article Dave. Your wife is braver than I am. I can't get near enough to a spider to spray it with anything! I wasn't kidding about climbing over people and things to get away from them. I have climbed over sofas (and the people on them)! ;-) Thanks for the comment. Linda
Oh my Goshwin! Thank you for reading and commenting on this article. And to think, I had actually thought of moving to Arizona. :-O Just thinking about the size of the spider you described on the road made my heart pound! I feel as foolish as, I know, I look and sound when I talk about or see a spider but these sensations can't be controlled. I've read and studied about almost every kind of spider, around the world. I know that tarantulas are considered the most gentle and beautiful but their sheer size prevents me from seeing that. I am also familiar with the Native American beliefs... I love almost everything to do with NA culture. I would never mean any disrespect to any culture and their beliefs on the subject of spiders but I know that I would probably bowl over the nearest person, regardless of the amount of respect I feel for them, if a spider was present. :-( It's definitely a thorn in my side and has been most of my life! Let me tell you about an instance even my father talks about sometimes. Before I went to work for a local non-profit organization here some years back, my father and mother had driven me to the location to submit my application. While sitting in the reception area I saw something out of the corner of my eye and when I turned in the direction of the movement I saw it was a spider. I jumped up and began backing away from it and the receptionist was looking at me like I was crazy. (We became best friends later on ;-) ) She saw the spider and the look on my face and called a man (who later became my boss) who proceeded to kill it. Daddy looked at mom who said, "She's seen a spider!" They were sitting in the car and saw me through the large windows and still knew what had happened! I could have lost that wonderful opportunity because of my fear but it turns out that they were very sympathetic.
Thank you also for your kind words about my daddy. You're absolutely right, he's a very special person and I love him dearly.
Have you ever seen the show Fear Factor Linda? Just as well, if you haven't. I feel for you. When I was a child I was very afraid of spiders, but seemed to grow out of that fear. I know people probably laugh and think you're being cute, when you are actually very terrified. I feel for you. Good article to make people aware someone else's fears are no laughing matter.Thank you Brianna, for reading my article and commenting. I watched one episode of Fear Factor and decided I didn't want see any more. I think I was afraid they would have spiders on it. lol
You poor thing, I can imagine how traumatic that was. It always amazes me that so many of us have this fear of such small creatures. It defies logic, doesn't it? I have a phobia of spiders, which I can trace back to a movie I saw as a child!
Thank you, Jen, for reading my article and commenting. It is amazing. I have gotten so angry at myself after an episode, knowing that it would have only taken one good stomp to rid myself of this menace but couldn't do it!! :-\ Oh well, over the years, I have resigned myself to the fact that I'm never going to be able to handle them.
Sorry it took so long to answer this... I just don't have much time during the week to spend doing this. I wish I could. :-)
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