Phobias

[-Jade-]

Ok, I think I have the most terrible case of arachnophobia. I can deal with most things that I don't like, I just ignore them but spiders are something else. I totally freak out if I see one.

Just now, my brother (who's also got it) shouted out to me 'There's a spider outside my bedroom'. And immediately I started panicking. There's no one else in the house but us so I was the one who needed to get down the stairs to get the hoover (since he was effectively trapped inside him bedroom). Since it was on the landing I kinda climbed over the banisters instead of going around the stairs and then got to the phone and started calling everyone near me, who could possibly get the spider for me, but no one could or would. So I really started to freak out and my brother was shouting at me that it was moving into his bedroom. Anyways I got the hoover, plugged it at the bottom of the stairs and then kinda cautiously approached the landing. My brother said that it was actually in his bedroom so I got on the landing, furthest away from his door.

I could see it but I was kinda paralysed with fear. Anyways, so basically both me and my brother are crying, whilst I try to get the courage to get it with the hoover - I couldn't even approach it, and I was trying so hard because I knew that if I let it go then I wouldn't be able to go to sleep and I'd trap myself in the room at the top of the house. In the end I managed it but I'm still shaking and the hoover's been going for half an hour now to make sure that the spider doesn't come crawling back out.

I know it's totally ridiculous - it's like 1000 times smaller than me but it results me to tears every time. I can't even look at pictures of them. In fact, the other day my friend brought up some pics on google and put them up large. The moment they were up I was at the other end of the room, crying. It's pathetic but I really can't help it. I don't know how to beat it because I can't even find the courage to kill them.

[jackandmarthaforever!!]

I hate spiders too. I know its silly but I don't know there's just something about them. I also saw one climbing on my bedroom ceiling today but I just left it alone. Sometimes the only way to get over your phobias is by comfronting them. I know this might sound riduculous but now you've got rid of that spider how do you feel? Don't you feel proud of yourself that you did that and doesn't it seem easier to do the next time now you've already proved to yourself that you can get rid of them. Like you pointed out yourself they're are a lot smaller than you and they can't hurt you. The more times I've got rid of spiders (baby ones at the moment) the less frightened I am. Not sure whether or not I could get rid of a daddly long legs (probably not) my fear of them is decreasing.

You can get rid of your phobia, take deep breaths and remember that they're midgets compared to you and they can't hurt you. But don't kill them. Good Luck Jade!!

[MarMar]

I've got arachnophobia as well - I used to have to call my mom at work if there ever was one inside when I was a kid, so that she could come home and remove them. These days I have a boyfriend and a cat that are both masters at killing the small bastards and/or take them out.

[Pierced Musie]

I don't like them. I tidied the bedroom last week and that night I went to bed to find a big spider crawling along the floor.

Must have disturbed it when I cleaned under the bed.

[-Jade-]

I hate spiders too. I know its silly but I don't know there's just something about them. I also saw one climbing on my bedroom ceiling today but I just left it alone. Sometimes the only way to get over your phobias is by comfronting them. I know this might sound riduculous but now you've got rid of that spider how do you feel? Don't you feel proud of yourself that you did that and doesn't it seem easier to do the next time now you've already proved to yourself that you can get rid of them. Like you pointed out yourself they're are a lot smaller than you and they can't hurt you. The more times I've got rid of spiders (baby ones at the moment) the less frightened I am. Not sure whether or not I could get rid of a daddly long legs (probably not) my fear of them is decreasing.

You can get rid of your phobia, take deep breaths and remember that they're midgets compared to you and they can't hurt you. But don't kill them. Good Luck Jade!!

I'd love to say that I feel proud, but I don't. This was a massive spider and I'm still crying. If anything I feel ten times as scared now as I did before, and I'm totally paranoid that another one's gonna come out now. I start thinking that there must be a family, so there must be more.

Fortunately though, the one place in my house where no one has ever come across a spider is my room. Having said that we've found ones in every other room on the same floor.

And I couldn't not kill them. (Although I've only ever killed two now - usually my mum gets them). The one thing that would be worse than killing it with the hoover would be to leave it. Because then it escapes and I know it's there. The last time that happened I packed some of my stuff and stayed at friend's house until my mum 'apparently' got it. That's how bad my phobia is. It's so stupid, but that's what it is. I've tried to confront the fear, but as soon as I see one I just freeze.

[MarMar]

My mom bought a few of those things you can plug into the power outlets that will send out a noise to keep mice and insects away. Might be worth a shot?

[-Jade-]

Yea I might try those. Anything is worth it if it keeps a few away.

Well I'm feeling calmer now, although I'm still feel like there are spiders crawling on me.

I do wonder though, how I came to be so scared of them. Maybe it's because of something that happened when I was small, or maybe it was influenced by my mum being terrified of them. Because apparently when I was small I used to pick them up no problem. And considering my brother is terrified too, it probably was growing up with my mum's fear of them. (Although she's much better now, since she can actually get rid of them and be relatively calm. She can also touch small ones... )

But also there's this theory that it might have been to do with evolution, isn't there? Because I mean, so many of us are scared of them or don't like them, although in varying degrees. And apparently monkeys are scared of them too... Which is interesting because monkeys are some of the creatures most genetically like us from the animal kingdom. To me that kinda suggests that it might be a natural ingrown fear, or at least, one that can be activated very easily if you, say, have a bad experience in your childhood.

[-Andrew-]

I'm terrified of canals and germs. Canals have scared me since i was nine because I saw a dead dog in the locks And germs, I dunno but I Run away or move far away whenever somebody sneezes near me, my room is full of Dettol anti- germ cans

Also wasps and spiders, especially wasps because when I was ten, at night i felt a bubbling in my wrist and I looked and there was this wasp continuouslty stabbing me! There was a nest on the wall of our house, which was right next to my bedroom window, I would wake up every morning and I could see them flying behind the curtains

[-Jade-]

The wasps flying behind the curtains does sound horrible. Poor you.

[claire_louise]

Bees and wasps bother me a lot more than spiders. Spiders are creepy but they can't actually hurt you. I don't like things that fly in general actually. *shudders*