The person may even have no guts to see a picture of spider in severe cases of arachnophobia. Does touching or holding a … Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Anyway off he went in his 8 yellow boots. A related problem, social phobia/anxiety, affects about 11% of the population. This view suggests that arachnophobia was a survival technique for our ancestors. In other words, being afraid of wild or unknown beings released enough adrenaline that allowed humans to escape. While it’s not uncommon for people to dislike arachnids or insects, phobias of … If spiders have been reappearing at home, the person may even avoid home t… John E. Cother tells their story with elaborate description and rich dialogue, giving readers a generous view into the lives of two brave young people. If you fear spiders, you will begin by simply thinking of spiders or situations where you may encounter one. The fear may reach to the extent that the person avoids any place or activity where he/she anticipates seeing spiders. Arachnophobia is an extreme fear of spiders. The response to spiders shown by an arachnophobic individual may seem irrational to others and often to the sufferer himself. In terms of arachnophobia, a person experiences an incredibly immense amount of fear in the presence of a spider or even after hearing about an encounter with a spider. If you have had a traumatic experience involving a spider, like a spider bite, chances are that you will be more likely to develop arachnophobia. How Are the Most Common Phobias or Fears Treated? You may even dread visiting the zoo or participating in sports that involve being outside in a field. Also, you should be aware that while there are more than 63,000 species of spiders in the world, just 2% of them are dangerous. In certain areas of Africa, large spiders are feared, for instance, but in South Africa, where spiders are eaten, people may be unafraid of them. If you are alone, you may actually leave the house rather than deal with the spider. Although almost everyone is startled at the sight of a spider, in people with spider phobia it goes further than that. This extreme fear of spiders and other eight-legged arachnids (like scorpions) may actually be an evolutionary response: spiders, specifically poisonous ones, have long been linked to illness and infections. Ever wonder what your personality type means? As with other phobias, arachnophobia can be treated with exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). © 2021 Remedy Health Media, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Arachnophobia: Fear of Spiders and How to Overcome It, Tell Me Everything I Need to Know About Anxiety. Arachnophobia is a word derived from Greek word arachno which means spider. Arachnophobia is signified by irrelevant and irrational fear of spiders. ‘What Does a Panic Attack Feel Like?’ How to Explain a Panic Attack to a Loved One, Do I Have Test Anxiety? Agoraphobia: The Fear of Entering Open or Crowded Places, Astraphobia: The Fear of Thunder and Lightning, Tell Me Everything I Need to Know about Postpartum Depression, 5 Things You Need to Stop Telling Yourself if You Want to Improve Your Mental Health, The Mindfulness Guide for People Too Busy to Meditate, How to Improve Sleep: 5 Ways to Find a Sleep Strategy That Works, Work Anxiety: 10 Tips to Manage Anxiety at Work, What You Need To Know About Cocaine and Crack, Nausea or other gastrointestinal distress. Humans innately fear animals that are different and spiders and tarantulas are a far departure from humans in terms of looks. The body then reacts as if there is a great danger. Fear of spiders, snakes and heights is not widely reported in infants or pre-schoolers. In some cases, antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications may also be used to treat arachnophobia. The typical symptoms are: Often, a combination of counseling and medication may be used to treat arachnophobia. Ruth Schuster. If you find a spider in your home, you may react in one of two ways: either screaming and running away or freezing in place. / A man brings some water to his unusual son. This information is not designed to replace a physician's independent judgment about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure for a given patient. The fear of animals, of spiders more specifically (arachnophobia), is one of the most common. But while bites from some spiders like the venomous black widow and the brown recluse spider can be dangerous, most spider bites are harmless. Not many people like spiders. Since spiders can never be avoided with certainty in everyday life, a spider phobia can be very hindering. Fear of spiders is common. There a few theories, though. Remedy Health Media & PsyCom do not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. With cognitive reframing, a person can learn to change the way she looks at spiders so that she no longer perceives them as disgusting and dangerous. Try to figure out why you're afraid of spiders or what it is about them that makes them scary to you. "Similar to primates, mechanisms in our brains enable us to identify objects as 'spider' or 'snake' … Few of us care much for spiders, and most of us would be inclined to squirm with fright if we discovered one crawling up our leg. As with other phobias, arachnophobia can develop in a person because she sees the reaction to spiders of others with the phobia. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. The person with a phobia has a persistent and excessive fear that interferes with her functioning. / Jeff Holston checks out a military academy for his wayward son. Many people of the Dark Ages believed that spiders contaminated food and water. When many people see one, they have a reaction from trying to kill the spider to running from it. Different people suffer to different degrees and to those who do not suffer them, phobias seem irrational. FEAR OF SPIDERS: (arachnephobia, fear of spiders, and fear of arachnids) 1: fear of spiders: a persistent, abnormal, and unwarranted fear of spiders, despite conscious understanding by the phobic individual and reassurance by others that there is no danger.2: fear of spiders: an extreme unwarranted fear and/or physical aversion to spiders. ∙Make sure there are no rocks or lumber right outside your house since spiders like hanging out in these areas. Eventually, a person can change her physical reaction to seeing a spider. Symptoms of arachnophobia can appear initially during childhood or adolescence. 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