Arachnophobia: symptoms and remedies

Spiders chase people everywhere: in apartments, houses, on the street. Women, while cleaning, remove cobwebs from lamps and ceilings. Little spiders weave it. Even at the sight of them, many of the fair sex panic. What is the reason for fear of spiders?

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

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

The structure of the body of the arachnid is completely unlike that of a human. The insect has many legs, a large body and a small head. The variety of body structure, sizes and colors of this specimen is amazing. These blood-sucking creatures attack their fellows and kill, drawing out all the juices. And this fact means that spiders significantly stand out for their ruthlessness among other insects.

People are afraid of spiders for a reason, since many of them are poisonous. With the bite of the most harmless spider, big problems can arise. 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 at any time see a very large spider or an unusual image of it, and at the same moment he will start hysterical. All this happens because for many centuries, humanity has faced sad experiences.

Arachnophobia is often confused with disgust or rejection of something. Such feelings can develop over a period of time and suddenly wake up at some point. A panic attack for fear of spiders happens to almost every person. Nobody 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 the sad event will lead to constant fear. Then painful, obsessive states can begin. After which the subject will begin to fear various dark rooms (basements, attics) only because there may be spiders there.

And you can initially observe your well-being, and then draw conclusions. If you or your loved one has an unpleasant feeling at the sight of arthropods, then you need to at least be wary. The following signs will help you determine your phobia:

• heart rate and pulse increase;
• there is an inexplicable desire to immediately kill the insect;
• an increase in the feeling of fear, and it becomes uncontrollable;
• tremor of the arms and legs;
• fear develops into a panic attack;
• sweating;
• lethargy or sudden activity;
• the skin becomes purple 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 the floors throughout the house. Some go so far as to spray a poisonous aerosol in all rooms if they spot a cobweb. And she causes real panic in arachnophobes.

Individuals suffering from this phobia all the time talk about the danger of meeting with arthropods. Cases of spiders attacking people are described. In doing so, they show their overexcitement. And this suggests that you need to take measures that will relieve them of this phobia. And initially it is necessary to identify the reasons.

Research by scientists has shown that in most cases arachnophobes cannot explain the reason for their fears. Therefore, they practically do not have the strength to keep their phobias, which arise only at the thought of arthropods, under control. But here it is necessary to separate arachnophobia from hostility.

Some people are squeamish by nature. They are annoyed by the very 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 time immemorial. 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 the living creatures of the planet are associated with panic in people.The inhabitants of the seas and the depths do not cause such strong disgust due to the fact that they are at a considerable distance from human dwelling.

Nothing can stop them before entering the house. It is not uncommon for spiders to attack people while sleeping in bed. Scientists have found that spiders are fairly ancient inhabitants of the planet. Ever since the days of plague and other serious diseases, people were sure that insects are capable of carrying dangerous pathogens. And that's another hard-earned reason to be wary of arthropods.

Spiders are destroyed just 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. It is not for nothing that such contradictions exist among people.

Of course, it is arachnophobia that people with an unstable mental state can suffer from. Perhaps, in childhood, a person experienced more than one stressful situation. The negative experience remained in the subconscious and is now getting out. This individual may suffer from various phobias, but they are far enough from his vision. And the presence of a huge spider was able to awaken in his soul old fears, which immediately came together and embodied in arachnophobia.

People suffering from constant fatigue or 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 individuals, once faced with frightening information about spiders, can invent various stories for themselves that will scare them.... They are even able to believe in these fables themselves and convince other people of them.

Based on their own fantasies, arachnophobes can carefully consider each specific case associated with the life of spiders. As a result, this part of people will look for 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 are always guided by the behavior of adults. And if a child sees the fear of parents at the sight of an insect, he "repeats" their behavior. We can say that arachnophobia is transmitted according to the behavioral characteristics of close people, from generation to generation.

One caveat must be made here. A person with a stable psyche is not able to dwell on the problem for a long time. He can switch to positive emotions and temporarily forget about fear. When an individual is happy, he does not pay attention to the danger, especially when it is not so concretized by something in his mind.

And people with a tendency to obsessive states and neuroses can experience daily stress at the thought of the danger of spiders. It can only get worse every day and ultimately lead to a phobia. Arachnophobes are susceptible to neuroses. Some are sure that neuroses are inherited and cannot be eliminated. Is it so?

Experts say that if a child born in a family where there are people with neuroses 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 arise out of nowhere just like that, then we can say with precision that one can and should get rid of them.

People who are confronted with specific cases of spider bites involuntarily begin to think about this problem. Karakurt are found in Central Asia. The bite of these individuals in most cases is fatal to 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 people began to understand that this type of insect is dangerous. Various stories were passed from mouth to mouth related to the attack of this particular category of spiders on humans.

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

In your favorite exotic delicacy, you often find banana spiders. These critters live in palms and lay their eggs on banana skins. The poison of this reptile is ten times stronger than that of a karakurt or a black widow. There are many cases when people died from the bite of a banana spider far beyond its habitat only due to the fact that today bananas are widespread throughout the world.

Therefore, it is not surprising that people initially have a fear of a fatal bite... Fear also arises from the small-sized arthropod species. Theoretically, they can crawl into a person's dwelling at any moment and through any, the most scanty hole, and the consequences of the invasion will be unpredictable. The horror is caused by the so-called the effect of surprise. It is he who is able to lead to panic.

In addition, numerous films are shown on the wide screens of cinemas with the participation of various types of arthropods, which eat people in front of the crowd. 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. The sufferer is simply obliged to independently want to get rid of the phobia. Then the specialist will be able to help with all available methods.

It is possible to get rid of the fear of spiders with a drug method only as a last resort, precisely when the disease has already become neglected. 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. Let's list some techniques.

• The method of confrontation implies a collision of the patient with a phobia (with its embodiment). Pictures depicting spiders are placed in front of a person, but live specimens in special terrariums are best suited for this purpose. Together with the doctor, the arachnophobe examines arthropods and learns to manage his fear. As soon as the situation begins to level out, the patient is transferred to the tactile perception of these insects. So gradually comes the realization that the 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 will cease to be afraid.
• Approximately the same method has been developed in Russia. Only here a special virtual program is used. The arachnophobe is invited to go through the difficult path of fighting spiders in the virtual world. This technique has a good effect 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 weak points. As a result of severe stress, they may develop signs of a condition in which they begin to experience fear. These individuals can be counseled to overcome their fears with the following exercises.

• Refer to the practice of meditation. Continuous practice in silence will help you relax and then establish inner harmony.
• You 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 yourself, the less they will come to your head.
• Rest your nervous system. Stop reacting to unpleasant situations. Some people are specifically looking for information to tickle their nerves. Refuse negative news (at least temporarily). It is best to get away from home and be quiet.
• Understand one thing: Intrusive thoughts and intuition have nothing to do. You should know that nothing bad will happen to you, even if you stop thinking about your steps 10 days in advance and anticipating events.
• If you can't get rid of obsessive thoughts right away, then write them down on paper and re-read after a while. By rereading your fears, you will realize how absurd they are.
• Once you realize that thinking bad things is useless, start replacing your fears with sober and rational reasoning. Consider that your worst fears are very unlikely to be fulfilled.
• Always face your fears. You shouldn't run away from them and hide. If you are afraid of spiders, then force yourself to remove the cobwebs in the apartment or watch a small house insect. You will find that your worries were in vain.
• Relax actively. These methods include meditation, repetition of affirmations, physical training. These exercises will reduce the brain activity that leads to obsessive compulsions.

You must understand that there are a sufficient number of methods that help fight phobias. You can cure any of them with the help of dissociation. This word means a complete abstraction from the events taking place.

To overcome fear, you must completely mentally “break away” from the object of your phobia. To do this, try making your brain experience different emotions about the same event, depending on your surroundings. A huge spider with shaggy paws is much more frightening 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 deal with your phobia easily, don't exaggerate the reality. There are no places near you with large arachnids.... If your fear is playing out in the wintertime, then consider that any spider will freeze on the snowy road until it gets to your doorstep. And summer won't come soon. This means that you have nothing to fear before the onset of the warm season.

You always need to find such options that will help "push back" your obsessive states. Say to yourself: "I will think about it tomorrow, but today I feel good." This is how the event scaling method 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 watching him through the window. He gradually creeps away about his business and completely disappears from your sight.

Remember that your fear is immediate. Dissociate in time. Think about the fact that tomorrow at the same time you may not remember your phobia, since you will be at the concert. Arthropods are not found in large halls. Plus a whole orchestra will play for your enjoyment.

Just try to transfer the moment of fear to the time when the concert is going on. Tomorrow you will have no time for a phobia, and you probably will not remember that today your own thoughts scared you.

And also try to do the exercise "Destruction of an arthropod" on your own. Proceed as follows.

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

For information on how to be treated for arachnophobia, see the next video.