Overcoming Your Fear of Spiders

The most common simple (specific) phobias are those of the insects (arachnophobia in your case), mice, reptiles and other animals. These phobias usually begin in childhood and often disappear without treatment.

 

While technically we can call anything a phobia, the actual definition – you will remember – involves having an irrational fear of something that can cause no physical harm or trauma.  For example, to have a fear of cotton balls (yes, some people do) would technically be classified as a true phobia since cotton balls cannot cause harm.

Technically called arachnophobia, the fear of spiders is real, but is it irrational?  Perhaps.  After all, we, as humans are slightly bigger than our arachnid neighbors, so can they cause us harm?  Yes, but only if we are unaware of their presence.  Well, unless it’s the spider in that episode of “Gilligan’s Island” that was the size of a hippopotamus.