Has anyone done The Friendly Spider Programme at London Zoo?

[Oneearringlost]

I'm booked on to it next Saturday. Travelling from Dorset.

This is such a disabling phobia, I'm interested in anyone who has found it helpful, "cured" it, or not found it useful at all.

My phobia trespasses into everyday life, to the extent that I get an "electric shock" type response at simply seeing the sequence of letters, written down, eg. Sp-r, "t-a".
I see smudges on walls that frightened me.
I have to look up at the ceiling as I take off tomato stalks...I can't deal with TV/photos...Even my Good Food magazine had a picture of one in the October/Halloween issue. I have to tear out the page.

I have had it for as long as I can remember, ( I'm 60 now).
I'd love to hear from anyone who has had some/total success at, at least, ameliorating, the fear, to the extent that they can stay in a room where one has been seen or reported.

I did have CBT 30 years ago, which got me to the stage of having a small plastic one stuck on the phone and pictures stuck up on kitchen cupboards.

I had hypnotherapy 20 years ago which was worse than useless.

Tell me, too, what has worked for you.

Thank you.

I’m jumping on this thread because I also have a phobia and have considered it. I’m dreading August-November due to the probability of finding at least once an absolutely massive giant house spider in my flat. And if this happens, I am shaking whenever I’m in my flat for days, I can’t even sit on the sofa anymore because I keep imagining that one will crawl up any second.

Have you talked to them about the level of your phobia? Are they happy for you to go ahead?

It’s probably changed over the years but they considered my phobia too severe, although it’s not as bad as yours. They did let me take part, and I did hold the spiders in the end, but it didn’t help with the phobia. I’m a bit more relaxed around caged tarantulas, but still very scared of spiders in my house.

I know someone who did it and it cured them.

Yes, about 15 years ago. It was brilliant, I came out of it able to deal with spiders in the house (either by ignoring them or covering with a glass and putting outside). Before I was terrified and it affected my life, especially if DH was at work and I was stuck unable to move with a spider in the house. There were people with varying levels of fear, but obviously all enough to have booked on the course. The majority (all except 1 or 2 I think) held the tarantula at the end. The hardest part for me was practising removing a spider with a glass, but you're very well supported and they really understood it. When we had the hypnotherapy session, there was a tiny spider in the corner of the room, which was very funny (it wasn't meant to be there!). They quickly removed it and we got on with the session.

I did it about 10 years ago and it definitely changed my life for the better. My top tip would be to get yourself into a headspace where you're fully committed to it working.

I went with my daughter and we had to travel a long way so it was quite a big undertaking, which meant I was absolutely determined it would work! My daughter was a bit too young really (12 or 13?) and I think she thought it would be a case of turning up and they'd do something that would cure you. She did hold the huge spider at the end but for her it hasn't been the lasting mind-shift it has for me and she's thinking of doing it again now she's an adult.

I knew it had to come from me and I had to force myself to consciously reject those old, deeply embedded patterns of thinking, even though it was bloody hard! But the way they tackle it is a pretty thorough mix of science and psychology and I decided to completely suspend any cynicism I had about it working and go along with it 100%. Ten years later I still feel uneasy in spider season but it doesn't dominate my life or limit my choices like it used to, because I know for certain I can feel that jump scare when I see a spider, recognise it as a moment of surprise rather than an existential threat, and deal with the little eight-legged visitor calmly once it's passed.

Good luck, OP. You CAN do it, honestly you can. It requires a big leap of faith and trust and courage but you're halfway there in just booking it. Once I'd re-written my thinking about that it made me realise all sorts of other things were possible too!

THANK YOU ALL, so much for your replies.
@NaranjaDreams I hadn't considered that my phobia would be too severe. I really thought that a programme designed to treat phobias would not reject someone with the very phobia they are treating! They've happily taken my £195.00 for the 4.5 hour session, so I would be very unimpressed if they refused to have me.

I CANNOT imagine, in my wildest dreams, being able to handle one.

My other consideration is whether it will have a lasting impact on my ability to, even partially, accept and deal with this overwhelming fear.

I will totally go with the assumption it will help, completely useless to carry the assumption/ cynicism that its not going to be helpful, I agree.

Many thanks, again for all your answers.

I may come back after next Saturday and let you know how it went.

Yes I have done it. I am not completely cured but it’s made a MASSIVE difference to how I deal with spiders now. I haven’t encountered a huge one that I have been brave enough to catch and release, the only big ones we have had have been awkwardly positioned so I delegated to DH rather than risking ruining any progress. When they are small to medium, I can happily catch and release. I’m working up to a big one, but it has to be on the floor or lower half of the wall before I can do it for now. The huge improvement for me is mainly in not being terrified and checking the corner of each room constantly. I can catch and release and get on with my day. I highly recommend the course, although if you have any disabilities please make it absolutely clear to them if you need any help. I was trailing behind with my very obvious mobility struggles and walking stick as the whole group, including helpers just took off at speed to go to the spiders in the zoo from the building we did the course in. It made me feel really anxious and struggling to breathe due to trying to catch up. At least one of the helpers should be tailing the group and nothing should start in the spider enclosure until everyone is there. Aside from that it was absolutely worth every penny.

I'm so pleased to hear that @weericky .
I cannot express how much even a little relief would feel, but you have described just that.

I'm sorry that you found yourself struggling to keep up; that sounds like poor over-seeing.
They did ask me if I had any disabilities, as it happens.

To those of you who have done it, roughly how many attendees were there?
Is it possible to "get lost/forgotton" if there are lots of people?