Still Waters Posted September 17, 2013 #1 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Next time you see a huge spider crawling towards you, you may have reason to call for help. Scientists in Sweden believe that watching someone else safely deal with your phobia could help you overcome it. They also believe that seeing how other individuals handle the very thing you’re terrified of will prevent the phobia from returning for good. http://www.dailymail...rrified-of.html 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keel M. Posted September 17, 2013 #2 Share Posted September 17, 2013 If I see someone kill a spider, I cheer, but that doesn't make me any less afraid of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. K. Posted September 17, 2013 #3 Share Posted September 17, 2013 There's a lot of difference between apprehension of painful stimuli and an actual phobia. I see no phobia involved in this study. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bavarian Raven Posted September 17, 2013 #4 Share Posted September 17, 2013 The best way to deal with a phobia (in my own experience) is to tackle it and face it and get over it (even if you need someone there to help you doing that). But if you face it enough times you can usually beat it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatFromHell Posted September 17, 2013 #5 Share Posted September 17, 2013 (edited) You don't, You just become very good at throwing heavy books at spiders, Then running away in case the spiders family seek vengeance. Edited September 17, 2013 by SheWomanCatTypeThing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritWriter Posted September 17, 2013 #6 Share Posted September 17, 2013 (edited) I had two great fears, one was Bloody Mary and one was bees. I am allergic to honey bees and I was a very adventerous child so I got stung quite often. I used to freeze and act like I would literally die if I was near a bee and I would want him dead, if I did get stung, oh lord... smh, and I am rarely dramatic. I heard the story of the bee and my heart felt sad and then I loved and respected the bee, for as you probably know, without the honey bee we would all be dead. As you also know, don't bother the bee and you won't get stung. Now I got over my fear of Bloody Mary after joining this site and reading the thread on, and then practising the looking into the mirror activity. I understand now where the bloody mary story comes from and though I am still uneasy about it I am no longer afraid. Edited September 17, 2013 by SpiritWriter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritWriter Posted September 17, 2013 #7 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Spiders eat other, nastier bugs. The more spiders the better, just escort them outside. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritWriter Posted September 17, 2013 #8 Share Posted September 17, 2013 (edited) Unless they're going to eat or kill you. In that case I'd say run or try to kill it. You can't let them have your home. Luckily I live in a mild climate. Edited September 17, 2013 by SpiritWriter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s33ker Posted September 17, 2013 #9 Share Posted September 17, 2013 After many years of getting someone else to kill every spider I saw, inside or out, I have recently started too feel pity for them. I have started trapping them in plastic containers (large)leaving them for hours , until I work up courage, then slide a flat bit of plastic under them and release them outside. Their only little spiders but I'm getting better because there is so many threads on UM with a wealth of info on fear of spiders and how to get over "it"..Pity helps also. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s33ker Posted September 17, 2013 #10 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I had two great fears, one was Bloody Mary and one was bees. I am allergic to honey bees and I was a very adventerous child so I got stung quite often. I used to freeze and act like I would literally die if I was near a bee and I would want him dead, if I did get stung, oh lord... smh, and I am rarely dramatic. I heard the story of the bee and my heart felt sad and then I loved and respected the bee, for as you probably know, without the honey bee we would all be dead. As you also know, don't bother the bee and you won't get stung. Now I got over my fear of Bloody Mary after joining this site and reading the thread on, and then practising the looking into the mirror activity. I understand now where the bloody mary story comes from and though I am still uneasy about it I am no longer afraid. What is bloody mary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritWriter Posted September 18, 2013 #11 Share Posted September 18, 2013 (edited) What is bloody mary? You can look up the legend online. I was afraid of mirrors in the dark especially in the bathroom, I would freak out. Edited September 18, 2013 by SpiritWriter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan max2 Posted September 18, 2013 #12 Share Posted September 18, 2013 " If you act as if your not afraid then eventually you will not be afraid". This always worked for me anyways. For example with the spider instead of being afraid and killing it(animals lash out when we are afraid) just peacefully coexist with it. Do what you would do if you were not afraid of it. Then after a while you actually become not afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah_444 Posted September 18, 2013 #13 Share Posted September 18, 2013 I had two great fears, one was Bloody Mary and one was bees. I am allergic to honey bees and I was a very adventerous child so I got stung quite often. I used to freeze and act like I would literally die if I was near a bee and I would want him dead, if I did get stung, oh lord... smh, and I am rarely dramatic. I heard the story of the bee and my heart felt sad and then I loved and respected the bee, for as you probably know, without the honey bee we would all be dead. As you also know, don't bother the bee and you won't get stung. Now I got over my fear of Bloody Mary after joining this site and reading the thread on, and then practising the looking into the mirror activity. I understand now where the bloody mary story comes from and though I am still uneasy about it I am no longer afraid. This was the case with me too, being afraid (not a full blown out phobia though) of bees (and spiders) until I started getting interested in macro photography and reading more about them. The more knowledge I gained, the more understanding and respect I had - which lead to more little bug lives saved. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Crane Feather Posted September 18, 2013 #14 Share Posted September 18, 2013 My kids have been afraid of yellow jackets because their mother freaks when she sees them, and one time I accidentally stuck my hand in a nest and got stung about 20 times on my arm and face. I nearly blackout and fell to my rear end all while they were watching from the car. This last trip I took them to mt. Lassen. The yellow jackets were fierce. They swarmed any hint of food. I let them surround me and eat off my plate with me. They then started leaving food out for them, at one point I showed them that you can actually pet one while he is eating. I explained as long as you don't threaten their babies, don't swat them, and keep your hands and mouth clean so they are not trying to eat you, they are completely and utterly docile. They soon started to pet them and feed them off their hands. By the end of the trip they were friends with yellow jackets and will forever be so while other people run to their rvs and tents to eat. They are very proud of this. I was also very close to getting the kids to feed their first deer by hand. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still Waters Posted September 18, 2013 Author #15 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Just looking at the picture in the article was enough to make me shiver. I doubt if I'll ever get over my phobia of spiders, although the smaller ones I don't mind at all. What is bloody mary? http://en.wikipedia....Mary_(folklore) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asadora Posted September 18, 2013 #16 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Spiders eat other, nastier bugs. The more spiders the better, just escort them outside. I don't fear spiders nor does my husband. We often have big spiders (non-poisonous, as there are no poisonous spiders or snakes in this country) in our house. We let them do their thing, as they aren't causing us any harm. I was raised in the belief that killing a spider in one's house is bad luck, so that is another reason as to why we don't kill them. Though, there have been some occasions were we have had to rescue a spider from our Lab. He doesn't have a fear of spiders either. But small children fear him. I guess it's the black mass of rapid tail movement that scares them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-C Posted September 18, 2013 #17 Share Posted September 18, 2013 I've come a long way with my spider phobia. Letting most of them live in my home unmolested is a big accomplishment for me. I still get freaked by some, but not across the board like I used to. And what changed me (as the article said) was watching my son handle his spiders and tarantulas. I actually felt a couple T's were like pets. Beautiful and graceful, calm and gentle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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