How To Get Over A Fear Of Spiders

How To Get Over A Fear Of Spiders

The fear of spiders is one of the most common phobias in the world. In Western countries, arachnophobia is something that more than 55% of respondents in a recent survey said they have. While it is a mild issue for some people, for others the fear of spiders can be extremely hard to deal with and affect daily activities.

If you are someone that has a fear of spiders, there are ways that you can overcome your fear and no longer have the feelings of anxiety or stress when around spiders. No matter how severe your fear of spiders are, here is what you need to know about getting over arachnophobia:

The Importance Of Progressive Exposure

When you are afraid of spiders, one of the most effective ways of overcoming your fear is through progressive exposure. The concept of progressive exposure is simple: you begin by becoming exposed to your fear slowly over time. The way this works for the fear of spiders is you start out with basic exposure. This can be as simple as looking at pictures of spiders.

Over time, you increase this amount of exposure. From looking at pictures of spiders, you move to watching a video of spiders. The next step in a classic exposure hierarchy will be to hold a toy spider.

A Simple Way To Get Close To A Real Spider

Once you have had simple exposure to spiders, it is very important that you are exposed to the real thing in some capacity. While picking up any type of spider may still be a long ways away, there is a very simple way to get close to a real spider without any risk: acrylic preserved spiders.

You can purchase spiders that are preserved in acrylic that are used as paperweights so you may handle a spider that is not alive but looks completely realistic. By become more familiar with spiders and handling a real (but dead) spider, it is a very important step in overcoming your fear of spiders.

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