How can I get over my HUGE fear of spiders, I'm getting tired of finding a spider on my leg when I'm out camping and start screaming and crying, I hate it. I want to get over it!!! My friends laugh at me when I see a spider somewhere because I start breathing really hard and just about run away. It's getting really old and I want to show everyone that I can handle spiders!!!

Gizzy,
I admit that I know how you feel because I am terrified by Bees. I am 36 years old and I am STILL terrified by bees, but I am not so paralyzed or screaming scared anymore (only because there are things I HAVE to do sometimes that takes me near them). Here is a web page that discusses how to conquer fear.
Good luck (By the way, next time, this question might get more answers in the Health Forum under "mental health" because really, not a lot of people read about spiders.. you can cut and paste it in a new Post if you want to). Good Luck.
Sherasi

I have known some people who claim to actually like spiders, but for most people they're pretty repulsive and a little bit frightening, too. This reaction is entirely natural.

I think that above anything else you need to see that your fear of spiders is in no way unusual. I think you probably know that you are many times more powerful than any spider, and that if they had any good sense (which they don't), they would be far more frightened of you than you are of them. I suggest that your fear of spiders is perhaps heightened more than the usual because, secretly, you don't think you should have any fear of them at all. Does this make any sense to you? It is perfectly natural for you to be afraid of spiders. So if your aim is to get rid of this fear altogether, you probably won't be able to manage. The trick is to learn to deal with a certain level of fear when dealing with things that you fear. The essence of bravery is not fearlessness, but being able to act in spite of the fear.

I almost want to suggest that it might help if you squashed a few spiders, just to prove to yourself how much more powerful you are than they are. But where I'd really hope to see you arrive at is the point where, instead of swatting the spider with a rolled-up newspaper, you coax it onto a single sheet and then carry it outdoors.

Just kill the damned thing!

I am male and have the same irrational fear of rodents. But I put out those glueboards and when one of those ******** gets their little mouse-paws glued to the board, I toss them in the trash. Good riddance!

But I don't like them, I know they want to run up my pant-leg and go crazy in my Levi's. But I rise to the challenge and deal with it because I will not be controlled by such a repugnant creature.

I recommend wounding them, exerting control over their power, their life and their death. To watch a mouse struggle against the glueboard puts me in a position of power. I can look at it and watch it squirm and struggle against the glue, and know that I have power over it.
I toss it in the garbage and I am done with it. If that little ******* can gnaw it's paws off and get loose, living off the garbage in the can, more power to it.

I don't know about catching a spider on a piece of paper and setting it free. What the hell is THAT going to do to give you control? I say flush that S.O.B. and watch it fight the flood.

Mr(survival of the fittest)Sensitive

[This message was edited by VivienneHa on 07-17-02 at 04:01 AM.]

[This message was edited by VivienneHa on 07-17-02 at 04:19 AM.]

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Perhaps it would help that you learn some more about these little creatures. Granted, I don't care about sharing my space with them either. But spiders do have an important function in the scheme of things. They do their part in helping keep down the rest of the insect population.

Years ago I used to date a girl that had of all things, a pet tatantula. She kept it in a fish aquarium, without water of course. For the most part, it was a low maintenance pet. Put a couple of crickets in it once in a while, and it was happy. Was pretty neat to watch it have a meal.

I tend to think the more you learn about spiders, the less you will be afraid of them.

Hi Gizzy,

I live by the water so I'm glad we have spiders. Spiders eat all the bugs. Spiders kill the mosquitoes, fishflies, and lots of other flying bugs. I would rather have a few spiders around than the fishflies and mosquitoes. Spiders are our friends. Of course, I wouldn't want one crawling up my leg either but they do serve a purpose.

P.S. I love your Mom.. she's great!

Hope to see ya around the pool.

~clare~

Gizzy - how great that you want to overcome a fear. Many of us live with fears all of our lives - I am terrified of snakes and I'm 38 and have never EVEN tried to get over that fear! The thing that works for some people is gradual exposure to the fearful object. Maybe you can start by looking at photos of spiders, then maybe watch a tv show on them, etc. Gradually expose yourself to them. The important thing to keep in mind is to NOT go overboard with this. Learn the facts about spiders. Sometimes it's a good thing to be scared of them because some are poisonous. So when it doubt....let out a SHOUT!

HI Gizzy
I'm like Georgia I fear SNAKES. I have learned about them and seen shows but I don't like them and I am paranoid about them when we go to the lake. I am afraid my children will get bit. I'm 39 and I have had this fear all my life. I don't think I will ever get over it. I just deal with. Good Luck!

Everyone has fears.....so this is very normal. The trouble is facing fears. FIrst sit down with a piece of paper and decide some things.... what is most frightening about spiders? you are bigger than they are, they don't have sharp teeth like tigers or dogs, they move fast, but you can move faster, they are ugly...but lots of animals are, worms and snakes especially.

What is the worse thing a spider can do to you? Can it tie you up? Will it kill you? (well there are a few poison spiders) It can bite you, but heck so do mosquitos.

I find that if I look at things from a "worse case senario" it helps me to put them in perspective. What is the worse thing a spider can do to you.......

After a while I hope you will see that, you have the power over this creature, just like you have the power and control over your life.......Let me know how you make out next time you see a spider Gizzy.

When you learn to face a fear, you get a little bonus - courage!

Remember, to a spider, you are about the size of a mountain.

By the way, I really like your name. It reminds me of one of my favorite Enthusiasts, who goes by the name of gizmogram.

Don't feel bad. I didn't like spiders either when I was a kid. But as I got older, I realized God had a purpose for them. They don't bother me now.

And what might that be? Spiders were created for no other reason than to give us the heebie-jeebies, I'm convinced. I say flatten the thing with the first thing you can grab (not your hand). Or your slipper (the mess is hard to get off). My husband once killed one in our living room after I had gone to bed. The mess it left was as big as a quarter. He saved it for me to see, knowing how I feel about spiders. Uggggggggh!

I know exactly how you feel.Spiders are the ugliest thing on this earth and I am so repulsed by them that if there is one on my steps I won't open the door. Of couse we know it's not rational. What phobia is? I cannot get close enough to one to swat it I have to spray it from a distance and vacuum it when it's all dried up. Check out www.angelfire.com/sc2/goodspiders and you can stomp on a few. Get one for me okay?

Coldfuse, the reason why my name reminds you of Gizmogram, is because I'm her daughter.......

But anyways, one of the reasons why I'm afraid of spiders, is becauseI saw a show, about a Texas spider, when it bit you, it started melting your skin, and eventually, you'd have to cut the part of your body that was bitten off, because it just kept on going, no cure! I know, it's all the way in Texas, but I don't know if I'll ever go to Texas!!!