# Arachnophobia and spiders



## JamieHoldham (May 13, 2016)

Theres 2 large spiders in my kitchen right now, cant go in there, cant turn the light on, I am paranoid as all hell, I cant sleep, I flinch at the slightest thing, it's like being paralyzed, I cant do anything not even compose any music and theres nothing I can do about it, just want to talk to someone or something while I am up all night being extremely paranoid, double checking everything


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

This may not help, but… The British Isles are poor in nasty spider species. Even in the US, which has the highly toxic black widow and brown recluse, plus many others, you’re about ten times more likely to die from bee stings than spider bites.

Chances are your kitchen spiders are more interested in gobbling a fruit fly or two than in biting you. In my house we mostly leave spiders alone because they’re considered beneficial.


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## JamieHoldham (May 13, 2016)

KenOC said:


> This may not help, but… The British Isles are poor in nasty spider species. Even in the US, which has the highly toxic black widow and brown recluse, plus many others, you're about ten times more likely to die from bee stings than spider bites.
> 
> Chances are your kitchen spiders are more interested in gobbling a fruit fly or two than in biting you. In my house we mostly leave spiders alone because they're considered beneficial.


I wish the facts would stop me from hating spiders, if I was god I would let every single species of spider burn in hell, I would rather live around flys than spiders any day.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

As I live in Michigan, I don't see some of the worst spiders the world has to offer, but I once saw a black widow in southern Illinois and it was really creepy. If I never saw another spider it would be fine with me.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

KenOC said:


> This may not help, but… The British Isles are poor in nasty spider species. Even in the US, which has the highly toxic black widow and brown recluse, plus many others, you're about ten times more likely to die from bee stings than spider bites.
> 
> Chances are your kitchen spiders are more interested in gobbling a fruit fly or two than in biting you. In my house we mostly leave spiders alone because they're considered beneficial.


Go to the chemist and buy some destroyer if they ruining your life.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Here are the ten most venomous spiders. None, it seems, are found in the British Isles. But they are still sufficiently scary.

http://10-most.com/the-top-10-most-venomous-spiders/


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

mmmm let's commiserate on our spider experiences. When I was a baby, my mom said I would whine if there was a black speck on the floor, even if it was just lint. That's how in-grained my hatred of spiders are, particularly dark ones. I've had some horrible ones in the past 5 years, almost traumatic. Getting them in my room, in my bed, in my _hair_... _they're after me..._ after all, I've been killing their brethren lol

I killed a huge wolf spider in a practice room last week, was walking towards me on the carpet. I won't show picture cuz I know that would be traumatic for you. They just love music, you know?


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## znapschatz (Feb 28, 2016)

Although I have never been phobic about spiders, I had negative feelings about them when much younger until in my early teens I came across a book entitled *The Life of the Spider*, by John Crompton. It changed my entire attitude, and I began seeing them differently. Crompton essentially channeled the great French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre in his empathetic attitude about the creepy crawlies, insects and spiders. Fabre, considered the father of modern entymology, not only studied them scientifically, but wrote about them with warmth and a compassionate attitude very rare in any science. It turned me. Crompton was clearly a disciple. I recommend the book, if you can find it. If not, seek out Fabre. No guarantees, but you might get cured of arachnophobia.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

I don't suffer from arachnophobia but I do sympathise as I have this irrational fear of wasps. I can feel my heart rate increase just at the sound of their buzzing. There was an enormous one in my lounge once and I doused it so heavily in fly spray, after it fell to the floor you couldn't even tell what it was. I put a glass jar over it thinking I'd dispose of it once it had died. However several days later I still couldn't bring my self to remove the jar as I was convinced as soon as I did, it would revive. In the end I got the longest attachment of my vacuum cleaner and sucked up the remains from several feet away. I've been stung a few times so I know I'm not allergic, I'm just terrified of them.

I can't help you with your spider phobia as I love spiders. I had a huge one in my bath once but before I could scoop him up and put him outside, he hid in the plughole. I was about to have a bath and I couldn't postpone it and I tried everything to lure him out. I don't know what they eat apart from flies which I didn't have so I tried with a few pieces of raw meat but he wouldn't budge. In the end I had to have my bath and I remember feeling mortified as I pulled the plug out and consigned him to a watery grave.


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## znapschatz (Feb 28, 2016)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> mmmm let's commiserate on our spider experiences. When I was a baby, my mom said I would whine if there was a black speck on the floor, even if it was just lint. That's how in-grained my hatred of spiders are, particularly dark ones. I've had some horrible ones in the past 5 years, almost traumatic. Getting them in my room, in my bed, in my _hair_... _they're after me..._ after all, I've been killing their brethren lol
> 
> I killed a huge wolf spider in a practice room last week, was walking towards me on the carpet. I won't show picture cuz I know that would be traumatic for you. *They just love music, you know? :roll eyes:*


My experiences indicate that some of them just might. Once I watched as a spider made its way across the top of a piano being played by my mother-in-law, stopping in its tracks at a certain passage and swaying in time to the tune. When Fran stopped playing, the spider stopped swaying and continued on. We earthian creatures are all bound together in so many ways, perhaps by music as well.


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## znapschatz (Feb 28, 2016)

sospiro said:


> I don't suffer from arachnophobia but I do sympathise as I have this irrational fear of wasps. I can feel my heart rate increase just at the sound of their buzzing. There was an enormous one in my lounge once and I doused it so heavily in fly spray, after it fell to the floor you couldn't even tell what it was. I put a glass jar over it thinking I'd dispose of it once it had died. However several days later I still couldn't bring my self to remove the jar as I was convinced as soon as I did, it would revive. In the end I got the longest attachment of my vacuum cleaner and sucked up the remains from several feet away. I've been stung a few times so I know I'm not allergic, I'm just terrified of them.
> 
> I can't help you with your spider phobia as I love spiders. *I had a huge one in my bath once but before I could scoop him up and put him outside, he hid in the plughole. I was about to have a bath and I couldn't postpone it and I tried everything to lure him out. I don't know what they eat apart from flies which I didn't have so I tried with a few pieces of raw meat but he wouldn't budge. In the end I had to have my bath and I remember feeling mortified as I pulled the plug out and consigned him to a watery grave.*


Similar experience. It was at a car wash rinsing off my car when a spider dropped from under a fender and got caught in the swirl of soapy water heading for the drain. I extended the nozzle to the spider, who grabbed hold of it, but couldn't hang on and went down the drain. That was decades ago, but the memory still saddens me.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

znapschatz said:


> Similar experience. It was at a car wash rinsing off my car when a spider dropped from under a fender and got caught in the swirl of soapy water heading for the drain. I extended the nozzle to the spider, who grabbed hold of it, but couldn't hang on and went down the drain. That was decades ago, but the memory still saddens me.












I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like this!!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

sospiro said:


> I don't suffer from arachnophobia but I do sympathise as I have this irrational fear of wasps.


Yep, wasps can be nasty, especially the bald faced hornet, which is very aggressive. And that they fly makes it worse in my view than spiders.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

I know this doesn't help, but spiders are friends! They kill other pests that will multiply in large numbers, eat your food, your clothes, etc.

I guess the only real solution is to get spider traps - or a cat.


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## znapschatz (Feb 28, 2016)

isorhythm said:


> I know this doesn't help, but spiders are friends! They kill other pests that will multiply in large numbers, eat your food, your clothes, etc.


Good point!



> I guess the only real solution is to get spider traps - or a cat.


AFAIK, our cat has never exhibited a significant interest in bugs. Occasionally I'll catch him staring at one, but never making a move. My solution for spiders in inappropriate places (a spun web across a toilet seat won't do) is to catch them and relocate to either outside or a basement corner. I don't mind if there are some in the house for the reasons you posted. Besides, I find them interesting, and in their way, not unattractive.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Because I was brought up to regard them as 'good', I don't mind spiders - except very big ones, which I can't kill (taught not to) but have to catch in a jar and put outside. 

But I do mind insects, even flies, but especially wasps, moths, daddy longlegs & other things that fly and flother around. I can't be in an enclosed space with them. It has nothing to do with reason and everything to do with fear and horror. 

So I totally understand how horrible it must be to have the object of your phobia nearby. Poor you! Hope the problem gets sorted soon.


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## JamieHoldham (May 13, 2016)

isorhythm said:


> I know this doesn't help, but spiders are friends! They kill other pests that will multiply in large numbers, eat your food, your clothes, etc.
> 
> I guess the only real solution is to get spider traps - or a cat.


I showed my cats the 2 spiders last night, they just play with them and knock them around, eventually they got bored and went off, it was hard enough trying to get them to notice the spiders, cats are a bit dopey ;P


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2016)

Cognitive behaviour therapy supposedly works for this sort of phobia, if you want to try to diminish it.


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2016)

JamieHoldham said:


> I showed my cats the 2 spiders last night, they just play with them and knock them around, eventually they got bored and went off, it was hard enough trying to get them to notice the spiders, cats are a bit dopey ;P


One of my cats would indeed splat the spiders but I try not to encourage them.


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## Gordontrek (Jun 22, 2012)

If you have a close buddy you can count on, get him or her to remove them for you. I am just like you; can't stand spiders. Don't get them near me, don't show me a picture of one. I don't mind a little one crawling up the wall, but if it's big, or if I accidentally look at a blown-up photo, I will be absolutely petrified for several minutes, and for a while every little dark spot I see, every little prick I feel freaks me out. Talk about high blood pressure and hypertension! Needless to say, biology in high school was a nightmare for a while. 
Seriously though, there's no shame in asking for help. I've done it before.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

For the Feline / arachnid fan:


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

The other day there were two spiders in my bath, a big one and a little one. I didn't have the time to scoop them up and deposit them outside so I put the plug in to save me from another "spider getting washed down the drain" trauma and thought I'd rescue them when I got home.

You can see where this is leading ...

Yep, when I got home only the big one was there and I could see several little piles of spider poo.


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## znapschatz (Feb 28, 2016)

sospiro said:


> The other day there were two spiders in my bath, a big one and a little one. I didn't have the time to scoop them up and deposit them outside so I put the plug in to save me from another "spider getting washed down the drain" trauma and thought I'd rescue them when I got home.
> 
> You can see where this is leading ...
> 
> Yep, when I got home only the big one was there and I could see several little piles of spider poo.


Spiders are not fussy eaters. Some of them eat their lovers (true!) But people have been known to do much worse.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

I too was taught that spiders are welcome house guests who control pests. But if you absolutely can't abide them, here is an instructional video showing how to deal with them:


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

EdwardBast said:


> I too was taught that spiders are welcome house guests who control pests. But if you absolutely can't abide them, here is an instructional video showing how to deal with them:


Noooooooooooooooo!!!


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