What is the fear of spiders (phobia) and treatment methods?

Fear of spiders is present in many people, but pathological fear is called arachnophobia disease. The disease develops for no reason or has an investigative relationship. Sometimes a panic attack is caused not by a living being, but by its image. According to numerous studies, women experience fear to a greater extent; they can’t explain their condition in any way.

Causes of the disease

Fear of spiders and insects is found in people around the world, regardless of whether they come into contact with arthropods in everyday life or see them only in the picture. Spider disease is called arachnophobia. Most arachnophobes cannot explain the nature of their pathological condition, just as experts do not find an explanation.

• Fear of spiders appears unexpectedly for humans. At the sight of an arthropod, the heartbeat quickens, casts into a fever. Unpleasant sensations intensify with the accumulation of arachnids in one place.
• The cause of phobia of spiders is an event that has occurred in human life. Most often this happens in childhood, leaves vivid sensations, specific emotions in the memory. Scared once big spider, a man will be afraid of even small spiders all his life. Always at the sight of an arthropod, experienced events, experiences, sensations float in memory.
• Squeamishness and fear of spiders are completely different concepts. The first feeling arises in more than half of humanity, is associated with the habitat of arthropods, a way of life. Predators live in the wild, as well as abandoned buildings, in attics, in caves. Weave a huge amount of web, thereby intensifying fear. Intensify their activities in the dark.
• The disease fear of spiders sometimes appears at the sight of large specimens. Normal home spider it doesn’t cause such emotions, but a huge creature with an unusual look catches up with fear.
• Often not arthropods themselves are afraid, but their bite. All representatives of arachnids have poisonous glands, they bite painfully. Collision with some of them can lead to death. People at the sight of a large spider begin to fear an attack on his part. Justified is the fear of colliding with an unknown species.
• Why are children afraid of spiders - because this stereotype of behavior is imposed on them by adults. The characteristic of an arthropod from adults is vile, scary, unpleasant, dangerous. Young children who do not yet understand the meaning of these concepts calmly take spiders in their hands, stroke, play with them. With age, all immediacy, carelessness disappears, fear for one’s life appears.

It is difficult to explain the cause of the phobia when there are no large poisonous specimens, the person does not even know that a small creature can bite, but panic fear is present. Something happens on a subconscious level, which is very difficult to get rid of.

Interesting!

Most people are afraid of arachnids only when they appear indoors, in the wild, a pathological condition does not occur. In undeveloped tribes, there is no arachnophobia. Every day, Aborigines come in contact with spiders of different sizes, eat them, and children play instead of toys.

Symptoms of the disease

Phobia is called fear of spiders, but often occurs when insects are seen. In most cases, arachnophobia is false, associated with emotional upheaval or an imposed stereotype of behavior from adults. The causes of true arachnophobia cannot be determined; a person is afraid not only of large spiders, but also of small ones, as well as images. The main symptom is a panic attack. The condition is not amenable to control, occurs with lightning speed, passes only when the spider disappears from the field of view.

Manifestations of the disease:

• uncontrollable intense fear;
• heart palpitations, pulse;
• dizziness up to fainting;
• inhibition of reaction - a stopper, or excessive activity - a desire to run;
• a voice disappears, a person cannot say anything, only “mumbles” or screams loudly hysterically;
• trembling in the body;
• pallor of the skin;
• excessive sweating;
• desire to kill a vile creature.

On a note!

It is not so easy to get rid of fear, because the reason lies in the psychological state, the reaction of the nervous system. Taking sedatives will help normalize the condition, but does not prevent relapse in a similar situation.

How to get rid of fear of spiders

If a person is afraid of only large specimens, the correct way out is to exclude contact with them, not to consider pictures with the image of arachnids. It should be understood that the disease is not treated then, but only the provoking factors are eliminated.

What to do when you are afraid of spiders:

• You need to study your “enemy” in order to know more about his behavior, lifestyle, and possible danger. Fear often arises before the unknown, when the picture clears up, pathological feelings disappear.
• When you see a spider in the corner of your own apartment or in nature, do not run in different directions, but try to calm down, watch a living creature for some time. Even the largest spiders do not attack people if they are not in danger. The presence of a person nearby is not perceived as aggression.
• Spiders themselves help get rid of arachnophobia. Psychologists recommend having an arthropod as a pet. Often held for therapeutic purposes tarantulas. Quite large specimens, but not seemingly nasty, with a bright interesting color, fluffy. When properly handled, they do not bite, and if this happens, the consequences are not harder than from a wasp, bee, hornet.
• A modern method of therapy that gives very good results is visualization using computer technology. A person gets into virtual reality, where he will be in contact with spidersfight with them, kill. In the brain, information is fixed that the spider is much weaker, it can be killed, does not pose any danger. In reality, a person ceases to be afraid.

Each method, method is selected individually in each situation.