Arachnophobia
 

Does anyone know the best way to overcome a massive fear of spiders that my girlfriend has ?

It isn't just a fear, she has a comlete panic attack if she even comes close to one / sees on on the TV etc

Has anyone had hypnotherapy for this ? Its one route shes thinking of taking...

Serious replies only thanks :)

Many thanks,

Matt

http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/dow...er_phobia.html

http://www.avonhypnotherapy.co.uk/phobias.htm


From the sounds of it, the trick is to get used to seeing them, so perhaps start with pictures of spiders in magazines / books, move onto films and then visit an arachnid centre in the zoo or something.

Occasionally zoos will have sessions on how to handle spiders, so it might be worth her eventually going along to one to see how close she can get.

She has to want to face her fear first... thing is everyone is a little scared of BIG spiders.

But can't you just get a little one to show her that it can't hurt her?? There must be loads around the house somewhere!

I just had a spider almost the size of a mouse run out from under the bed across to the TV!!!

Nothing that small should be able to move that fast

I think education is best. Explain their place in the food chain and how they eat all the nasty insects that bite you. And they in turn feed the birds everyone likes in their garden who in turn feed cats which most people have as pets.
Therefore no spiders= no cats

Ill get my coat.....:)

Yeah, would recommend going to one of the afternoon sessions at london zooHad a friend go and she is completely fine with spiders now, the difference is amazing! :thumb:

Check it out here:
http://www.londonzoo.com/news/n_0000000799.asp

I wanted to do the London Zoo thing too but I was too scared :rolleyes: Maybe your girlfriend would come with me?? I can't bear them either and I've really tried to deal with it, I'm getting a little bit better but I can't cope with the biggies yet.

Thanks for the replies :)

scoobychick were you being seroius ? If so I'll have a word with my girlfriend !Whereabouts are you from ?

scoobychick
Join Date: Apr 2001
: N. Yorks Division of The East Herts Scooby Massive...!!!

Well thats as clear as mud :rolleyes: ;)

rubbish....kids are affraid because their parents are- its as simple as that. kids arent affraid of butterflys are they.......and they can fly...ohhh!

my kids arent bothered by spiders at all.

T

All spiders should be lined up & shot, some big airy feker done the short sprint from under my computer the other night, had boots on, teeth and everything.

Even the dog would not back me up the little sh*t.

Cant remember having a problem with them as a young kid, but seemed to have a mahooosive problem from the age of about 10. Funny thing is I could probably get close to a tarantula or 1 of them big dog eating fekers in jungles, but them House/Garden spiders do me up like nothing else.
Even baught the Predators video about spiders which didn't help.

There are two schools of thought on this. Some believe we have an innate fear of things that harm us, or could potentially harm us, and some believe it is social conditioning such as parents, direct experiences etc.

Personally I agree with you, in so far as the larger percentage of "irrational" fear is through conditioning either via the experiences and behaviour of people around you, or incidents experienced by yourself.

As for how you deal with it, you need to fully understand the thing you are scared of, and preferably find out why you are scared of it. For some that may mean councilling or hypnosis, or for others it may mean desensitisation by looking at and touching lots of lovely spiders.

Personally I think they are delightful creatures! :D

hmmmm...iffy theory as spiders in the UK dont harm anyone and hamsters bite......more kids have pet hamsters though!


the ONLY reason ppl are affraid of spiders is because they are taught to be.

Its not my theory, but I assume this innate fear, if it exists, would predate human migration where spiders, snakes etc. could be a threat.

twaddle ;)

With comprehensive counter arguments like that I'm sure scientists will be dropping the innate fear theory forthwith! ;)

any scientist who belives such crap will have a mother/father that was scared of spiders......they are just pussys trying to pin the blame for their fear on some cave man 1000000000 years ago (who probably ate the bloody spiders!)

LOL :D

Read Robert Winstons book on Life on the Savannah - essentially relating all hunman behaviour back to the fact that we have spend 3 million years evolving to live on the savannah - if we had no fear of snakes, spiders, lions, crocs or anything else that would kill us, we wouldn't be here. The entire human race would have been wiped out by being eaten, stung, bitten or torn apart.

We have the benefit of knowledge and education to tell us that a house spider won't harm us, or that a mates pet dog isn't going to bite, but that goes against our in built reasoning to be naturally wary of danger.

There's a fcuking big house spider living in my bedroom at the moment, i see it on the wall or ceiling most days. I'm happy letting spiders live in my house as they eat any flies that come in.

Last night i was lying in bed just about to drop off to sleep. I felt the spider walk up and over my face starting near my left ear and finishing near my chin as it climbed onto the duvet.

Mmmmm, tickly! :D

Terzo, I live in North Yorkshire but am originally from East Herts and yes, I was being serious :)

Good post, but I get the distinct impression that Tiggs' mind is closed to the possiblity of innate fear! ;)

I havn't read his book, but there was a very good series on TV with Robert Winston that covered it. Having said that, my brother's girlfriend (psychology PhD) "pooh pooh's" the idea as well for various reasons. Its one of those things that requires further research I guess!