Please help me understand aracniphobia. Trigger warning .

[bizzey]

I really do mot know how to word this without causing any one problems ...
But i really need to understand it more .

It is for ds age 16 .
He hates them .
Calls me when he sees ine
To be fair we have had some lovely big ones that i have "caught" with a toilet roll and card ..
But he would not come near me till it went out the door .

I know this is not making much sense but how can i help him overcome this issue ?

Thanks

Just don't bring them anywhere near him. It's a genuine fear. It's not easily fixed. If at all. Just respect his fear.

Sorry I should have said , I realise this is a genuine phobia and never once mocked him or told him to "man up".

There really isn't a lot you can do personally except continue to model calm behaviour around them and reinforce that it is an irrational fear. I'm terrified of them. I've held a tarantula and am fine with them and can handle cellar spiders. Don't like them but I can deal with them without killing them. House spiders terrify me and I can't get near enough even to kill them. Even with a Hoover pipe. Aren't you scared of anything, OP? Heights or something? It's this paralyzing terror that makes you feel sick and shaky. I think it's something to do with the legs or the scuttling movements. He can't help it, he knows in his head that they won't harm him but that doesn't help when faced with one.

@MadeForThis thank you for replying.
I think we were typing at the same time .
Oh i do respect his fear just need to know how i can help him with his fear .

London zoo run a very good course to help overcome the phobia of spiders.

Up North there's a chap called Jay who I met at an event with his tarantula Maria. Meeting Maria was the start of me overcoming my arachnophobia (despite me not doing the actual course!).

He needs to want to get over it, otherwise nothing will help.

It is actually fairly easy to fix, but only if he wants to. Graded exposure is very effective, but you have to be willing to put up with some uncomfortable feelings. You can do it yourself at home, you don't have to go on a course.

@thesnapandfartisinfallible thank you .
Yes it is the skuttle and how quick they move is what he has said.

@INeedNewShoes thank you .
I will look into that.

@Stompythedinosaur thank you.