Arachnophobia: symptoms and solutions

Spiders chase people everywhere: in apartments, houses, on the street. Women, doing cleaning, remove cobwebs from fixtures and ceilings. Little spiders weave her. Even at the sight of them, many representatives of the fair sex fall into panic. What is the fear of spiders connected with?

Most of us believe that arthropods have a rather unpleasant appearance, and people are also scared that there are many poisonous individuals among them.

People are characterized by various phobias. Some are afraid to die from some disease, others are going crazy. But almost everyone is united by a fear of arachnids, in other words, arachnophobia. This is one of the special cases of so-called zoophobia. It is noted that this fear is the most common among many phobias.

The structure of the arachnid's body is completely unlike the human. The insect has many paws, has a large body and a small head. A variety of body structures, sizes and colors of this instance are amazing. These blood-sucking creatures attack their brethren and kill, drawing out all the juices. And this fact means that spiders are significantly distinguished by their ruthlessness among other insects.

No wonder people are afraid of spiders, since many of them are poisonous. Biting the most harmless spider can cause big problems. Even if the poison is not fatal, a dangerous infection can get into the wound.It turns out that even a large individual can die from the attack of a small insect.

They are able to appear suddenly. It's just that an individual can see a very large spider or an unusual image at any time, and at that very moment he will begin to have a tantrum. All this happens because for many centuries, humanity has been faced with sad experience.

Arachnophobia is often confused with disgust or rejection of something. Such feelings can develop in the interval of a certain time and at some point suddenly wake up. A panic attack with fear of spiders happens with almost every person. No one is safe from her. And the danger of this condition is that a person may have a nervous breakdown or even a heart attack.

Then a sad case will lead to constant fear. Further painful, obsessive conditions may begin. After that, the subject will begin to fear various dark rooms (basements, attics) only because there may be spiders.

And you can initially observe your well-being, and then draw conclusions. If you or your loved one has an unpleasant feeling when you see arthropods, you need to beware at least. The following symptoms will help determine your phobia:

• palpitations and heart rate;
• there is an inexplicable desire to kill an insect immediately;
• a growing sense of fear, and it becomes uncontrollable;
• tremor of hands and feet;
• fear develops into a panic attack;
• sweating
• lethargy or sharp activity;
• the skin becomes crimson or, conversely, turns pale.

If a person continues to behave inappropriately, then he tries to find spider nests everywhere and destroy them. Women usually begin to thoroughly clean and mop floors throughout the house. Some get to the point that they can spray a poisonous aerosol in all rooms if they notice a cobweb. And it causes arachnophobia real panic.

Individuals suffering from this phobia all the time talk about the danger of meeting arthropods. Describe cases of spider attacks on people. In this case, they show their overexcitation. And this suggests that measures must be taken that will save them from a phobia of this orientation. And initially it is necessary to identify the reasons.

Studies by scientists have shown that arachnophobia in most cases can not explain the reason for their fears. Therefore, they have practically no power to keep their phobias, which arise only with the thought of arthropods, under control. But here it is necessary to separate arachnophobia from hostility.

Some people are squeamish in nature. They are annoyed by the sight of spiders. At the sight of any insect, they want to look away, shake their clothes or stamp their feet. Dislike is also an obsessive state, only it is expressed in a different form.

Apparently, this is due to the fact that arachnids are very different from humans in their appearance. Such hostility comes from the depths of centuries. When a person was forced to survive in the cruel world of nature, he developed phobias associated with the preservation of the genus. Not all living creatures of the planet are associated with panic in people.The inhabitants of the seas and depths do not cause such a strong disgust due to the fact that they are at a considerable distance from the human home.

Nothing can stop them before entering the house. There are frequent cases when spiders attacked people during their sleep in bed. Scientists have discovered that spiders are quite ancient inhabitants of the planet. Ever since the plague and other serious diseases, people have been convinced that insects are able to carry dangerous pathogens. And this is another persistently worked out reason to fear arthropods.

Spiders are destroyed only because they live on Earth.. For some reason, it is believed that killing them is a bad omen. However, there is another version: if you kill a spider, you will be freed from all sins. No wonder such contradictions exist among people.

Of course, it is arachnophobia that can affect people with an unstable mental state. Maybe in childhood a person experienced more than one stressful situation. Negative experience has remained in the subconscious and is now being selected outside. This individual may suffer from various phobias, but they are far enough from his vision. And the presence of a huge spider could arouse in his soul long-standing fears, which immediately came together and embodied in arachnophobia.

People suffering from constant fatigue or from nervous strain are also prone to arachnophobia. With these manifestations, the body expresses its fatigue. Therefore, first you need to identify the true cause of the phobia, and then draw any conclusions. Impressive people, once faced with terrifying information about spiders, can come up with various stories that will scare them. They are even able to believe in these fables themselves and convince other people in them.

On the basis of their own fantasies, arachnophobes can carefully examine each specific case associated with the life of spiders. As a result, this part of the people will seek danger in every corner of their room, thereby developing their phobia to enormous proportions.

Children are not aware that a spider can do harm. But they always focus on adult behavior. And if the child sees the parents' fear at the sight of an insect, he “repeats” their behavior. We can say that arachnophobia is transmitted on the behavioral basis of loved ones, from generation to generation.

Here you need to make one reservation. A person with a stable psyche is not able to focus on a problem for a long time. He can switch to positive emotions and forget about fear for a while. When an individual is happy, he does not pay attention to danger, especially when it is not so concretized by something in his mind.

And people with a tendency to obsessive states and neurosis can experience daily stress at the thought of the danger of spiders. Every day it can only intensify and ultimately lead to phobia. Arachnophobia is prone to neurosis. Some are sure that neuroses are inherited and it is impossible to get rid of them. Is it so?

Experts say that if a child born in a family with people with neurosis is placed in another family, where all its members have a stable psyche, then this child will grow up healthy. And this fact confirms once again that all phobias and neurotic states are not inherited, but acquired. And if phobias do not just arise out of nowhere, then it can be said with accuracy that they can and must be disposed of.

People faced with specific cases of a spider bite involuntarily begin to think about this problem. In Central Asia, there are karakurt. The bite of these individuals in most cases is fatal for both humans and animals. Before going to bed, shepherds pull a long thread of pure sheep’s wool around the bed.

This behavior has developed since the time when a person began to understand that this type of insect is dangerous. Word of mouth passed on various stories related to the attack of this particular category of spiders on humans.

In hot countries there are species that can kill a person almost instantly. Bananas brought from eastern countries have long been loved by many of us. They are sold in every store. And almost no one thinks that buying bananas can lead to sad consequences.

In the favorite exotic delicacy often found banana spiders. These creatures live in palm trees and lay eggs on the peel of bananas. The venom of this reptile is ten times stronger than that of a karakurt or a black widow. There are many cases where people died from a bite of a banana spider far beyond its habitats only due to the fact that today bananas are spread around the world.

Therefore, it is not surprising that people initially fear a deadly bite. Fear also arises from a small arthropod species. Theoretically, they can crawl into a person’s home at any moment and through any tiny hole, and the consequences of the invasion will be unpredictable. Horror causes the so-called surprise effect. It is he who is able to lead to panic.

In addition, on the wide screens of cinemas there are numerous films with the participation of various types of arthropods, which in the eyes of the crowd eat people. And it also contributes to the spread of persistent hysteria around this type of insect.

It should be noted that it will be difficult to overcome arachnophobia unilaterally. A comprehensive approach is needed here. A suffering person simply must independently want to get rid of a phobia. Then the specialist will be able to help with all available methods.

It is possible to get rid of the fear of spiders in a medical way only as a last resort, just when the disease has already started. The severe nature of the course of the disease leads to extensive symptoms. For panic attacks, the doctor prescribes nootropics, antidepressants (SSRI group), tranquilizers.

In other, less severe cases, other methods of psychotherapy are used. They are gentle and help to avoid relapses in the future. The only condition: the specialist must be highly qualified. We list some of the techniques.

• The method of confrontation implies a collision of a patient with a phobia (with its embodiment). Pictures of spiders are placed in front of a person, but live specimens in special terrariums are best suited for this purpose. Together with the doctor, an arachnophobe examines arthropods and learns to control his fear. As soon as the situation begins to level off, the patient is transferred to the tactile perception of these insects. So gradually comes the realization that bastards cannot do much harm, and an adequate attitude towards them is developed.
• In modern society, various gadgets have become widespread. With their help, you can play computer games, where the main characters will be the most nasty spiders that need to be destroyed. Gradually, a person will get used to the image of insects and stop being afraid.
• Approximately the same method was developed in Russia. Only here is a special virtual program used. Arachnophobe is invited to go through a difficult path to fight spiders in the virtual world. This technique works well on the psyche of a person who is afraid of insects. She helps manage her fears.

People with very strong nerves practically do not suffer from phobias of various kinds. However, they also have weaknesses. As a result of severe stress, they can acquire signs of a condition in which they begin to experience fear. These individuals can be advised to overcome their fears with the following exercises.

• Turn to the practice of meditation. Constant classes in silence will help to relax and then establish inner harmony.
• We need to stop fighting obsessive thoughts. Yes, they come to your mind, but you need to have the courage to accept them, to come to terms with their existence. The more you think that negative thoughts need to be driven away from you, the less they will come to your mind.
• Let your nervous system rest. Stop responding to unpleasant situations. Some people specifically seek out information to tickle their nerves. Refuse negative news (at least temporarily). It’s best to go away from home and be quiet.
• Understand one thing: obsessive thoughts and intuition have nothing in common. You should know that nothing bad will happen to you, even if you stop thinking through your steps for 10 days in advance and predict events.
• If you cannot immediately get rid of obsessive thoughts, then write them down on paper, and after a while re-read them. By rereading your fears, you will realize how absurd they are.
• Once you understand that thinking about the bad is a futile exercise, start replacing your fears with sober and rational reasoning. Think about the fact that the probability of fulfilling the worst fears is very small.
• Always face your fears. Do not run away from them and hide. If you are afraid of spiders, then force yourself to clean the cobwebs in the apartment or watch a small house insect. You will realize that your worries were in vain.
• Actively engage in relaxation. These methods include meditation, repetition of affirmations, physical training. These exercises will reduce brain activity, which leads to obsessive states.

You must understand that there are enough methods that help fight phobias. Any of them can be cured by dissociation. This word means a complete abstraction from current events.

To overcome fear, you must completely “break away” from the object of your phobia. To do this, try to make your brain experience different emotions about the same event, depending on the environment. A huge spider with shaggy legs scares much more than a small, barely noticeable spider under your feet. In order to stop being afraid of both, imagine how a huge spider gradually loses its size and turns into a completely small, harmless spider.

To easily cope with a phobia, do not exaggerate reality. There are no places near you where large arachnids are found. If your fear broke out in the winter, then think that any spider will freeze on a snowy road until it reaches your doorstep. And summer will come soon. So, before the warm season, you have nothing to fear.

You always need to find options that will help “push back” your obsessive states. Say to yourself like this: "I’ll think about it tomorrow, but today I feel good."This is roughly how the method of changing the scale of events works.

Imagine a spider that is 5-7 meters away from you. Then move this distance. What do you see? The spider has significantly decreased in size. Now imagine how you are watching him through the window. He gradually creeps away according to his affairs and completely disappears from your sight.

Remember that your fear arises instantly. Dissociate in time. Think about the fact that tomorrow at the same time you may not remember about your phobia, as you will be at the concert. Arthropods are not found in large halls. In addition, an entire orchestra will play for your pleasure.

Just try to shift the moment of fear to the time when the concert will go. Tomorrow you will not be up to a phobia, and you probably will not remember that today you were scared of your own thoughts.

And also try to do the exercise "Destruction of the arthropod." Proceed as follows.

• Make a spider figure out of paper or plasticine. Color it, attach as many legs as possible.
• Then place it on the table in front of your eyes and focus on this object. You may be panicked.
• Move all your fear to a spider figure. Fasten it there. Realize that in response to your actions, the spider could not do anything. It turns out that he is defenseless before you.
• Then with force, applying all the senses, crush and destroy the artificial insect.

For how to treat arachnophobia, see the next video.