I have arachnophobia and (TW photos!)

[SpideyMam]

Just bought a tarantula 🙈

Trying to get over my fear s/he(?) just arrived this morning and has already eaten.

Only about 2" right now.

Very cute but am scared of it getting out 😂

I need a name too!

Tliltocatl kahlenbergi. New Mexican

I had a snake called Fluffy once. Maybe you should call spider that. Works for a boy or girl

I also really want a Brazilian jewel tarantula. Something I’m going to get in the future.

Next spider I’m fretting though is going to be a female. Not for breeding though

This is the jewel tarantula I want

He has lovely little paws! Congrats OP.

So cute!!

This was my Lilith. She's passed now.

I chose him because I held one in a pet shop last week and fell in love.

Not sure I will hold this one just because I don't have enough experience and in the petshop someone else was there to take over the situation if anything went wrong.

As much as I would like to hold him I don't think I will.

😂

Pretty girl! I really want a girl next time. They do seem to be bigger and more interactive. Artie is a shy spider and doesn’t really like to interact with us

How wonderful it would be if it could Hunt out and eat house / wolf spiders.

My house is full of cellar spiders as I heard they eat the house spiders. Your braver than me and Im not particularly bovered ( studied entomology as part of my degree) house spider in the garden I can pick up. House spider in my bed? Nope not touching it without a glass.

Congratulations op!

I went through a similar thing with my pet snake. Felt totally confident holding him in the shop, but when we got home and it was just me and him I freaked out! I joined Facebook groups for python enthusiasts and got some brilliant advice. I started off with gloves and a snake hook until I was confident enough to handle him with my bare hands. We're best mates now and he'll slither straight up my dressing gown sleeve and curl up next to my body to watch Netflix!

Aww I live snakes. I wouldn't have any fear.

I'm feeling a bit on edge, I think it's because it's such new territory.

A new pet usually means cuddles and playing but he's just sat in a box and I'm checking he is still in the box regularly 😂

Not regret, just 'why is this thing in my house' 😂

I totally get why you've done this! I have a phobia of house spiders, but I think I would be ok with a jumping spider (that head-tilt! 💙) and then a tarantula.

I think you should call him(?) something quite banal, like Dave, or John, Keith, Clive ...

I can understand being terrified of spiders (now down to the bastard that is the T. Gigantea enormous house spider that wander around this time of year looking for a shag) but loving tarantulas. They’re like light furry hamsters with double the number of legs.

I keep our home filled with spindly cellar spiders; watch one take down one of those giant bugger, it’s like a lion pouncing on the lonely gazelle at a watering hole. It’s epic.

Cute?! Its the most disgusting thing I've seen for days!
You can't have arachonaphobia as I know it if you've find something like that "cute"
Ugh

I was so shocked to read that the exposure therapy you're doing with your daughter is for emetophobia! I was thinking as I read your first post that it couldn't possibly be for emetophobia as it just seems like unnecessary trauma to me. I am terrified of vomit. I can't hold my children when they are I'll, I can't go to cinemas or on public transport...
Would you mind telling me how old she is and how you starting exposing her to it? I can't think of a reasonable place to start. Just the thought of it makes me feel funny

Don't have any mirrors up then?

That's a big fat nope from me. I hope you don't live next door to me.

I don't see how having a pet Tarantula will make you any less scared of having a common (no offense) big fag hairy spider crawling up your wall/across the floor. I get scared to the point of shaking/crying/screaming if I get trapped by one. I certainly couldn't entertain having a pet spider, far bigger (hopefully) than any I'm ever to encounter.
I've heard about exposure therapy but he/she will be your pet and kept in the appropriate housing, not roaming freely.

I'd highly recommend Ken Goodman's book, he is a world expert and his book is so compassionate and explains the whole process.

DD was very, very bad and couldn't even say the word vomit. So we started there. You then gradually build up, looking at cartoon pictures, then real pictures, then videos. Then you start practicing pretending to be sick, first with water in a sink, building up to 'throwing up' soup in a toilet. Then there are other things you can do using fake vomit recipes to desensitise to the smell etc. But you never, EVER actually make yourself sick as part of exposure therapy for emet.

At the same time you tackle your avoidance/safety behaviours, for example, eating food that is slightly past its use by date, putting yourself in situations you might be avoiding (such as crowds or hospitals.)

Sorry, forgot to say, DD was 11 when we started. Ken Goodman's book quite literally saved her life.

It's definitely working.

Since getting my jumping spider I've had house spiders in my bedroom that DH has taken out and I've been able to stay in the room. Previously they would have gotten a big boot and I couldn't have slept in the same room for days! I would have to keep the light on for 2 or 3 nights.

Last week a house spider ran across the BED. DH expected a full week long meltdown but he removed it and after a few mins of composing myself I got back in bed. Lights off and all.
.
I have moved several smaller spiders out of the house myself. 2 years ago I would have been in literal tears and be sleeping downstairs if I even saw a spider upstairs, never in a million years would I have moved a small house spider alone!

That's amazing OP, well done!

So the jumping spider definitely helped with house spiders.

I started to do the same thing with tarantulas that I did with jumping spiders.

Looking at photos. Then videos.
Lots of YouTube.

I then went in a pet shop and went into the tarantula section. Making myself look at them. Several times.

Then I went to an open day at the pet shop and they just happened to have the spider out. I watched several kids holding it and just made myself do it.

Then I ordered my own.

It's gone from fear to morbid curiosity. If I see a house spider now I don't run. I'm more interested, still scared. And if it ran at me, fuck that

But I'm definitely in a better place.

Because they hide behind mirrors? God I hope there are none like that behind mine 😬

You're a braver woman than me! Glad it's working for you.