Clem Fandango Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 So I've got pretty crippling arachnophobia and I've just moved back into my parents place which is a low-rise apartment complex with a garden running through it, so it's huntsman city. I am terrified of these things, I just saw one while I was out for a cigarette and I am really wound-up just from looking at it. Have any of you ever successfully dealt with arachnophobia? I hear moving up an exposure hierarchy (basically, playing with increasingly realistic toy spiders) works pretty well. Any advice or experience is appreciated. Jolly Slagman, Tyler, Arrows to Athens and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sombra Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 i too f*cking hate spiders usually i just run at them with a shoe and start swinging like an epileptic baseball player at the dutch thunderdome Arrows to Athens, ten-a-penny and Star-Lord 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ten-a-penny Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 usually i just run at them with a shoe and start swinging like an epileptic baseball player at the dutch thunderdome Me While I don't "fear" Spiders per se (I won't go nuts if I see one), I still remain on my toes when I know that these sh*theels are sharing the same room as I. Also: what Blaze said when I try to kill one. f*ckoff. Jolly Slagman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOUGL4S1 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 (edited) Just think spiders are furry and have big eyes, like a cute kitten. See? Look how cute they are! Edited February 10, 2018 by DOUGL4S1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voodoo Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 Spiderbro just wants to be your friend. He even got you a fly for Valentine's Day. ten-a-penny, Mister Pink, Jolly Slagman and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clem Fandango Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 ^ you guys know I'm Australian right? That's not a spider, this is a spider! Arrows to Athens 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voodoo Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 ^ you guys know I'm Australian right? That's not a spider, this is a spider! I dunno man, that guy is still pretty cute. I do understand your phobia but unless you go poking at him, he's not going out of his way to harm you. I've always found them fascinating. Clem Fandango 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clem Fandango Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 ^ you guys know I'm Australian right? That's not a spider, this is a spider! I dunno man, that guy is still pretty cute. I do understand your phobia but unless you go poking at him, he's not going out of his way to harm you. I've always found them fascinating. I mean, I could go poking one and it would just run away. They aren't going to fight something 100x their size, they only bite if they're trapped by your hand or feet and that's only so they can escape. They aren't venomous either. Totally and utterly harmless. It's not really about the threat they pose (which is non-existent), it's the legs and the way they move. It's a really irrational phobia which is why I think it would be easy to cure. Arrows to Athens and ten-a-penny 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOUGL4S1 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 ^ you guys know I'm Australian right? That's not a spider, this is a spider! I dunno man, that guy is still pretty cute. I do understand your phobia but unless you go poking at him, he's not going out of his way to harm you. I've always found them fascinating. I mean, I could go poking one and it would just run away. They aren't going to fight something 100x their size, they only bite if they're trapped by your hand or feet and that's only so they can escape. They aren't venomous either. Totally and utterly harmless. All spiders are venomous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voodoo Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 True, but the vast majority are no danger to humans. Have a look around online, Melc. There are a few sources available for dealing with your phobia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chronic lumbago Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 (edited) I'm not scared of spiders. Even held a big, hairy one at a zoo years ago. It wasn't venomous but the zoo insisted that I should wear a glove. No clue how it's called though. Spiders just annoy me and are a tiny bit creepy but I'm not afraid of them. If I spot one close to the windows or doors then I just let them out, if I'm too lazy to carry them out then I just murder them or cook them for soup while they're still fresh and alive. Just stay the hell out of my house and we're good. The bigger ones are cute and interesting animals but the usual house spiders are just ugly. Not a fan of all black either but they're crunchy and tasty. No I don't actually eat spiders unless I'm asleep perhaps. Edited February 10, 2018 by fashion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdick Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 (edited) Just last night I planned to be brave and capture a spider for someone else to move, but in a panic, rather than covering the thing up with a bucket, I accidently chopped it in half with it instead. I mean, it's the thought that counts, right? I'm not a gymnast, but I would backflip of a sofa if one was crawling near me. Edited February 10, 2018 by Murdick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Time Ranger Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 (edited) I don't mind spiders too much as they keep the fly population down, and I hate flies, and wasps. f*ck wasps too. E- Don't take any shít from spiders op. Edited February 10, 2018 by Neon_Dreaming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanches Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 I remember my time in one far away eastern village. I was a little kiddo back then and every nigh there was a big spider crawling on the arch (right above my daily route). I don't know if that's my memory playing with me or is it because i was a littile, but i remember this spider was huge. Everyday i prayed that this thing wont hop on me while i was passing that arch by. I got a friend who's actually loves spiders. He has some as house pets.also he masturbates on anime spider tiddies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zello Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 (edited) Does this mean you're afraid of Spider-Man? I used to be afraid of spiders as a kid but I got over it as I got older though an up close picture of a spider might still freak me out. Edited February 10, 2018 by Zello Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodytears1666 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 (edited) I guess the fear is normal reaction, it is not rational to not scare potential threat. Just deal with it, I actually like to watch them and feel adrenaline gain, but to be honest I live in northen country and I never saw real spider bigger than matches box and here they all die for at least 6 months. Edited February 10, 2018 by Bloodytears1666 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nico Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 To be honest, all kinds of insects are disgusting to me. Not to long ago we had a pretty big dragon-fly inside our apartment and I was very nervous until we managed to kill it with regular insecticide. It took a bit longer, but it died eventually. When I was a little kid -let's say, 6 years old- I saw a really big, black dragon-fly which landed on the table we were eating ice-cream on and I freaked out like crazy. I still remember that sh*t to this day, and probably always will. Pictures of spiders do not cause me to freak out, but I have never seen a big spider in real life. Plenty of little ones, which are very annoying at times, but I never had to deal with a big one. My dad claims he killed a huge, green one when he was a teenager. Did you see the frightened ones? Did you hear the falling bombs? Did you ever wonder... ...why we had to run for shelter when the promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue sky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 It was one fateful afternoon 14 years ago. I had just come home from fourth grade tired and ready for my pre-dinner nap. I threw my backpack on my room floor and made an exaggerated jump for my bed, only to realize midway through and already airborne that there was, in fact, a giant f*cking spider on my pillow--the exact spot where my head was... headed. In that moment I knew only the most primal sort of devastation--the kind of feeling that hits you deep in the gut when you hear a wolf howl while you're alone in the woods or see the fresh markings of a bear outside of your home. That weight hit my gut like a bullet, and before I knew it I was face first in a spider that was about the size of my fully adult hand (sidenote: I have abnormally large hands). You would think this is the worst part of the story, ie that I could, in that moment, feel the hairs off of this monstrous bastard tingling my cheeks for that precious moment of clarity where I understood that humanity was never at the top of the food chain, really, and that all of our chest-thumping and self-congratulation was nothing in the face of real nature, like the kind that happens to perch up on your pillow while you're not paying attention. But anyway, this wasn't even the start. The spider on my bed was actually a mother, and in my landing I had managed to awaken true horror on her back--the nested horde of offspring she was carrying along with her. As the spiders crawled over my face and head, I was froze. Nothing bit me, but I felt the tingling tips of a hundred baby spiders all over me, and their mother simply moved out from under me and went somewhere else. This is where it got a little weird; the mother started whispering something to me. It was a language I'd never heard, but I understood what she wanted all the same. As her children violated me in their movement, she spoke in the clearest voice I'd ever heard. After a few moments, her babies were back on her back, and she was gone. I laid face-down on my pillow contemplating the universal truth I'd just learned. That spider's name was Umphrrryxl, and to this day I will never forget what she told me. It has affected every major action I've taken since that day--from my enrollment in government studies to my winning the mayoral election. Soon I will have gathered enough power to really begin enacting her truth. Until then, I just let people know that spiders are nothing to be afraid of mr quick, Menstrual Deranged, Mister Kay and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr quick Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 I've gotten from a point of paralyzing fearto just being like "oh dear a spider I'll have to get a cup", but get this: When I was living in my old flat, I was slightly conflicted and didn't know if I should move back to my folks or not to save for a -big- move. One night, I heard some rustling in the shower - it was the biggest, most awful spider I have ever laid eyes on. I could hear its tiny legs desperately tapping on the floor in its vain attempt at gaining traction. I froze completely in terror as I gazed upon this ungodly beast. I must have stood for about two or three minutes before I shut off the light, backed out of the bathroom and into bed, and tucked myself in, fully clothed. The next day,I emptied the bathroom cabinets from outside the bathroom while tip-toeing compulsively. Afterwards, I emptied out the whole flat, and spider night would be the last night I ever spent there. (note: I'd been spooked by a few spiders the month before that) Also, I frequently have lucid and horrifying nightmares where I can sense, see, and feel grotesque arachnid monsters, or sometimes just regular ol' spiders. I can almost always feel them or their webs should they come close enough to touch. I usually bolt up out of bed, drenched in sweat and feeling completely panicked. It's only after I get a solid grasp of what's real and tangible that this panic winds down and the sensation of a horrible presence fades. I wonder what gives. I hadn't had it for about six months or so, but last week I woke up with a tarantula in my bed which I could feel crawling on my chest Jolly Slagman and Tyler 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhoda Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Spiders are a weird one for me because the initial response I usually experience "woah, that's a lot of legs" but now I think the same thing whenever I see that video clip of Usain Bolt tripping over a cameraman. I think if I saw one the size of a dinner plate I'd take a fair few steps in the opposite direction but that's only because I don't know how far they can jump and whether or not it wants my wallet. I don't know much a conservatory or loft conversion for a cobweb is but I don't think that money grows on trees. If I see one at home I usually just wait until one of my cats spots it and gets it confused for the red dot I've recently unleashed in the living room. It'll either be swallowed whole or brought to me with half as many legs which you'd think would help, but I think I'd rather it be alive and eating the other pests that my house seems to be free of. I don't know what to tell you. Either quit smoking and get all your groceries delivered by drone or invest in a vape pen so you can blow the smoke down the toilet... unless you find one of those stubborn brutes that likes to nap under the seat waiting for the ripe fruit of your anus. Tyler, Quadro and Jolly Slagman 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JON22 Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 I don't hate spiders. Just don't like them touching me. I'm fine with tiny spiders (always manage to get one or two really small ones crawling out of my afro around Autumn because of the wind, or because of long strands of spider web brushing my face). Woke up with one on my elbow once in the first flat I moved into when living on my own for the first time. And there were tiny spiders everywhere. That place was spider hotel. If I see a biggish spider I just put it in an empty cereal box and throw it outside. Only thing I don't like about spiders is how they eat. sh*t looks nasty sucking the juices out of a fly, or taking nibbles out of one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straypuft Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 ive only seen tiny spiders in my apartment, and maybe only a few of them in the 9 years ive been in here. Luckily nothing dangerous in the area I live in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algonquin Assassin Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 I have a strong fear of spiders also. It's pretty messed up when you experience sleep paralysis looking up at your ceiling and imagining it's covered in 1000s of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 (edited) [deleted] Edited February 12, 2018 by paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sombra Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 I've gotten from a point of paralyzing fearto just being like "oh dear a spider I'll have to get a cup", but get this: When I was living in my old flat, I was slightly conflicted and didn't know if I should move back to my folks or not to save for a -big- move. One night, I heard some rustling in the shower - it was the biggest, most awful spider I have ever laid eyes on. I could hear its tiny legs desperately tapping on the floor in its vain attempt at gaining traction. I froze completely in terror as I gazed upon this ungodly beast. I must have stood for about two or three minutes before I shut off the light, backed out of the bathroom and into bed, and tucked myself in, fully clothed. The next day,I emptied the bathroom cabinets from outside the bathroom while tip-toeing compulsively. Afterwards, I emptied out the whole flat, and spider night would be the last night I ever spent there. (note: I'd been spooked by a few spiders the month before that) Also, I frequently have lucid and horrifying nightmares where I can sense, see, and feel grotesque arachnid monsters, or sometimes just regular ol' spiders. I can almost always feel them or their webs should they come close enough to touch. I usually bolt up out of bed, drenched in sweat and feeling completely panicked. It's only after I get a solid grasp of what's real and tangible that this panic winds down and the sensation of a horrible presence fades. I wonder what gives. I hadn't had it for about six months or so, but last week I woke up with a tarantula in my bed which I could feel crawling on my chest remind me to stay the f*ck out of norway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coin Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Huntsmans are the worst. Especially hate the big f*ck off ones that can jump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadx23 Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 (edited) Aww this one has a water drop on it's head Edited February 12, 2018 by deadx23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr quick Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 remind me to stay the f*ck out of norway the tarantula on my chest was obviously imaginary tho although the big one in the bathroom was all too real Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quadro Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 Nearly had a vomit trying to bypass the photos. Even photos of spider do my head in. Mates used to send photos for me to awake to and I would just make it to the toilet for a spew. Its quite restricting having arachnophobia in Australia. Even at work, I scream like a schoolgirl. Redbacks, White tails, Huntsmans are all a part of daily life here. I can trace my fear back to a time my dad ran out of the room when a huntsman landed in his lap. Or perhaps it was the Baby Brown Snake that was killed by a redback and wound up in his web when I lived in Kalgoorlie. Or getting bitten by a redback twice in 15 minutes. Pain rushing through the left side of my body - you could feel the venom pumping around. Didn't take anti-venom (save that for when your old) and sweated it out for a week from the knees down. Or when my mate got bitten my a white tail and his flesh started to eat itself over time and had to get it cut out before it spread further. (FYI - only a small percentage of people react like that with a white tail - something to do with Genes) I know that majority of spiders can't do a human harm. But in my mind - they are a tight knit community, plotting to take over my home and my life. If you don't kill them, they will come back with their friends, to take residence where they please. They slowly encroach on your territory, with the main goal at the end - to take over the world. Pinky and the brain better shape up before these filthy suckers do it before them. They will come for you, your family and friends. We must fight them with force. And by WE I mean everyone else. I totally understand that my fear is irrational. but it still doesn't stop the fear of them Jolly Slagman and Coin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
