Fear of SPIDERS Arachnophobia
Even the word strikes fear into many of population, as this is one of the most common of the many hundreds of listed fears. Big ones, black ones, hairy ones, even a photo can cause panic if you are that way affected! Imagine the scenario, you are going into the bathroom to clean the gleaming white bath, and there it is, seemingly monstrous, this cute little fellow who is far more terrified of you, than you are of it. It’s all down to perception, some of us would help the creature out of the bath and out of the window, gently, imagining it to have a family waiting, quietly for its homecoming. Others reaching out for a towel to annihilate the beast before it could devour the family.
Even the smallest of the creatures can disrupt family life, cause one to check the bed every time to see that there are no unwelcome visitors therein, or the bathroom as mentioned above, not to mention the odd shoe left on the floor.
So, how did it start and what can I do to dispel the program? After all we are all born with only two natural fears, that of falling and of loud unexpected noise. It often goes back to childhood when someone showed an exaggerated negative response to seeing a spider, implanting a fear in the younger mind, locked in each time they see a similar reaction. And reinforced with each repetition. Even when they see a photograph of one. This is a learned response as per Pavlov and his dogs, conditioning! Learned habits can, of course, be unlearned.
The sufferer knows it is a “silly” response, irrational in the extreme, but seems defenceless by their inability to remove it. They know most spiders in this country are harmless and that they tower over the tiny pet, but the subconscious mind is reluctant to let go of the old learned pattern, that’s where Hypnotherapy is invaluable.
With the advent of Skype or Zoom you can relax in your own home uninterrupted, safe and secure and be coaxed out of this fear, reconditioned, reprogrammed! Able to look at pictures in a magazine, nature films on T.V., a spider on the wall. No need to leave home, relaxing in your favourite chair or on your bed, happily letting go of that controlling phobia a new freedom and a more positive attitude to spiders and even, possibly, life. Taking control of a phobia can be very rewarding and lead to an upsurge of general confidence using techniques gained during the experience of hypnosis, used by a fully trained and experienced therapist with many years of practice working for your well being.