Arachnophobia - what is it? Causes and treatment of arachnophobia

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Have you ever flinched just thinking about spiders? Are you afraid of these animals more than anything in the world? Perhaps you have even heard the word "arachnophobia"? In this article, we will talk in detail about what this fear is and how to deal with it.

What is arachnophobia

If we translate this term from the ancient Greek language, it will mean fear of arthropods. In other words, arachnophobia is the fear of spiders. This phobia was singled out in a separate category due to its wide distribution. This disease has already spread so much among people that scientists have to constantly look for new methods to overcome the disease. People who are subject to such fear are called arachnophobes. But many of them are not even aware of their illness, because they consider the fear of spiders to be a manifestation of the usual self-preservation instinct. However, in ahranophobes, this fear manifests itself much more acutely, accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure,excessive sweating, sometimes even trembling.

Stars suffering from arachnophobia

This is a disease that even the inhabitants of the Hollywood Olympus are familiar with. Rupert Green (one of the heroes of the Harry Potter film), Johnny Depp, Ronald Reagan (40th US President), Johann Friedrich von Schiller (German poet) knew firsthand that arachnophobia is a rather unpleasant disease … These stars, like many other famous (and not quite) personalities were afraid of spiders more than anything else. Despite the mental and physical superiority of a person over a spider, more and more people get acquainted with this phobia every year.

What are the causes of arachnophobia

Arachnophobia is a disease. And, like any other disease, it has its causes. The main one is that a person tends to fear that he is different from himself. There is no doubt about the external and internal differences between a person and a spider. The ability of these animals to absolutely silently and completely suddenly appear in the most unexpected places adds even more fuel to the fire. People are also frightened by the fact that the behavior of spiders is completely unpredictable. The speed with which these animals are able to move is also terrifying, especially considering the ratio of this speed to the size of their body.

The main causes of arachnophobia are as follows:

1. Predisposition at the genetic level. In this case, a person gets fear, so to speak, by inheritance from distantancestors. Even a person who has never encountered spiders can suffer from this kind of phobia.

2. Influence of parents. If a child grows up in a family where parents are inherently afraid of arthropods, he himself begins to be afraid of them. Indeed, in most life situations, the child in decision-making is guided by the opinion of his parents. Arachnophobia is a fear that can be inherited.

3. Personal experience. If at least once a person has experienced the stress of meeting a spider, there is a high probability that this fear will remain with him for life.

Is it really worth being afraid of spiders?

According to medical statistics, about five thousand people die every year from the bites of these arthropods. And we are talking only about registered cases. Based on such statistics, anyone, even the most he althy person, will feel fear in relation to these animals. But, nevertheless, it should be noted that in our country, most spiders are absolutely harmless. But even those who are able to harm a person will never do it first. And they attack only in case of a direct threat.

Can arachnophobia be cured

A lot of people have a fear of spiders in their lives. This phobia is, fortunately, curable. Psychotherapists successfully deal with this fear. There are several basic methods to help get rid of the disease. We will talk about them now.

At the moment, the most effective way to treat arachnophobia is the method of substituting unwanted behavioralmodels with useful skills. It's no secret that in order to get rid of any fear, you need to face it face to face. This is what specialists help to do when working with a person prone to phobias. This does not pose any threat to the patient, because the doctor conducts therapy only with the consent of the patient, he does it gradually, while ensuring maximum safety.

Over time, people get used to the fact that spiders can be in close proximity to them and do no harm. Realizing this, a person, as a rule, says goodbye to his phobia. And after such therapy, many even have spiders as pets.

There is another technique, namely the use of computer programs that simulate the approach of a spider to a person. This method is less effective than the previous one, but more affordable. After all, to use it, you do not need to have a living spider available, just a computer is enough.

How to get rid of this disease yourself

Modern people live in conditions of constant stress, and because of this, many of them are familiar with arachnophobia. Treatment can be carried out independently if it is not possible to visit a specialist. There is one simple exercise in which a person will have to kill his fear.

To begin with, a phobia must, so to speak, be materialized. You can mold a plasticine spider figurine, buy a ready-made toy, or just draw it.

Then for a few minutes to study the createdthe embodiment of a phobia, to feel the whole gamut of negative emotions that a person experiences from meeting an animal, and to fully realize his fear.

Next, this fear must be transferred to a spider figure or drawing.

After a person has completely coped with the previous tasks, you can safely proceed to reprisal against your weakness. You can do whatever you want - break the figure, cut or tear the picture. The main thing is to feel control, and in the future, victory over fear.

Fear of spiders is a phobia, though strong, but curable. You just need to have a great desire to get rid of the disease and show firm perseverance. We must also not forget that people who are prone to various kinds of phobias are more likely than others to suffer from nervous or heart diseases. Therefore, if you notice this kind of fear in yourself, you should not endure torment - you need to urgently fight it.