to be really fed up with being arachnaphobic?

[imonthefone]

Grrrrr...... I LOVE gardening; was just having a end(ish) of summer sort out...painting fences, moving sheds, getting rid of all the crap etc etc...

Im 40 years old...Ive always been frightened of spiders. i think Ive got better over the years. I can mostly deal with the harvestmen spindly things and the wolf type spiders if they dont touch me and I dont look directly at them. But what I really really cant abide are the BIG black ones that hang out in sheds....yeuck yeuck yeuck......Just come across 2...fighting, or maybe MATING (shudder) and thats the end of it....Had to come in, lost my breakfast in the kitchen sink. There are 5 bags of rubbish in the garden which I will not now be able to carry to the front of the house, put in my car and take to the tip..I will have to wait for a spider-hardy friend to come and do it for me

I am FED UP with it...I am otherwise normal, strong, independant, self sufficient kind of gal. Spiders reduce me to a hyperventilating shell......so humiliating....

what can i do?

I have a friend who moved into a house with a big garden and couldn't go out in it because of the spiders. She couldn't even touch a spider picture in a book and had to look away when one appeared on TV.
She was referred for treatment by her GP and it was so successful that she started keeping tarantulas as pets and loves to look for interesting spiders in the garden.
Now she's a member of this www.thebts.co.uk/

Children pick up on parents' fears so easily and I think it's really sad that they are taught by example to be frightened of such beneficial creatures.

ooo yes, i completely relate to that 'dont want to be cured' because the thought of not being scared of them is terrifying in itself...hadnt realised that about myself, until i read your replies ques and ala

Am in bristol dilly so am going to contact bristol zoo i think

will definitely be looking for some dethlac tapir does it really work?

I had hypnotherapy for my arachnophobia as I didn't want to pass my fear onto my son.

I wouldn't say I love spiders or would ever want a tarantula as a pet, but I can cope with them a lot better (I used to jump & scream if I even saw a picture of them in a book or on the television). I now don't react to pictures so it was money well spent in my opinion.

I normally hide threads with spider references in the title. I have taken all afternoon to pluck up courage to open this one.

I can cope with spiders in the garden (by cope I mean I don't run screaming/sobbing/have such an adrenaline rush that I feel faint). Spiders in the house..... :(

It's that time of year when I'm scanning rooms, putting my feet up on the sofa and feeling imaginary sensations requiring slapping of my legs, brushing off the (non existent) offender etc

I've bought a spray in France - am hoping. Googling dethlac in another window...

I couldn't click on the link that Sally posted. My pulse quickened even thinking what shock might await me. It does rule your life.

Treatment? I had some but tbh it was the therapists first attempt at conducting desensitising re spiders and it was mildly helpful but I have slipped since

I talked to someone on MN who had been to the London Zoo session, and raved about it. I'm so scared though.

I live not too far from the Blue Planet aquarium and it was a favourite trip out for the family, we even had season tickets. Then they put a tarantula tower in there. Can't even go now I mean, what do spiders even have to do with fish?

I'd love to be cured, but am not brave enough. Would really really love to do the course. I think

A few of us ought to book into together.

I was thinking that Toothbrush . Even something to suggest to MN Academy?

i would definitely go with a few of yous...but I couldnt do it in london

Could get DH to google courses. Can't do it myself because the first thing most of them do is throw up a big pic of a spid

He can see Bristol, Dudley, Hull, or London. Anything from £20 to £75. I'm in, and would travel!

Bristol is preferable for me (thinking again.....i would travel to London for this actually)

does depend on price though...am a bit skint

I deal with lizards, frogs, toads, birds, mice, rats wasps and various creepy crawlies; I'd even have a go at a grass snake if I had to

But Spiders? DH has to rescue me

I am slightly allergic to spider bites tho' & I use that as an excuse

www.bristolzoo.org.uk/phobia-courses-0

katy yep! i'm the same-i've moved a scorpion out of a hotel room for someone. It is JUST spiders

Bristol for me too !

Isn't Bristol South West? Isn't that where those big bastards are?? No way I'm NW. Any northern arachnophobes?

I'll do one in or around London if anyone wants to join me.

Just moved house and have two foliage-filled gardens; it's awful. Spiders in the house daily (two massive ones in the last couple of days plus all the others), I just want to move back to my old house with the basic garden. DH filled the car with garden waste to take to recycling, had to get him to remove 3 spiders from the car. This is mad.

It would be wonderful if you ladies could do this. I'd join you myself but I'm not frightened of them. I have another phobia though so I know how terrifying it is.

You needn't be frightened of the courses - they certainly do NOT throw you in with spiders right away. It's very very gentle and they never force you to do anything you're not ready for.

You'll be proud to have achieved control over your feelings, and you can avoid bringing your children up to have the same fear. Think of it as doing it for them if not for yourself.

I have a terrible phobia- I can't look at pictures, won't go into pet shops (just in case) and struggle to say the 'T' word (my family know to call them 'T' as the actual word makes me feel ill). Reading it on here has scared me so much I've made my husband sit next to me and hold my hand!!

It just makes me weep. I am sick of being like this. I'm really tempted by getting some help- I'm west midlands if there are any others around!

I may be proud, I may be scary..but I am fucking TERRIFIED of spiders.

I totally relate to all the posts on here especially the 'I don't want to be cured because then I might be ok enough to hold the bastards'

I would consider a group MN course I think...!

Bristol is closish to me. Money though. Wonder if we could negotiate a group discount...?

I never used to want to be cured either. I do now though. I have improved a little recently, just forced myself to be a little braver & removing smallish spiders myself. I have actually held a tarantula. Hasn't really helped though. I just hate been snuck up on by the buggers

The tapping thing is called Emotional Freedom Technique.

I have to admit to being really confused by this.

I thought I was a phobic but I wouldn't be able to do a course to eradicate that feeling. I detest the feeling, but I detest the creatures more. I don't want to be able to handle them, they gross me out so much.

I am scared of them, yes, but it's the jumpy thing. I can manage to get one under a glass with deep breathing and bravery, but I still just plainly detest the hideous things. Gardening involves things like me picking up an empty plastic pot, hurling it 10ft away, then if nothing comes out then it's safe. Touching ivy or a wall climber, touching under a garden table, small gap, hand in a compost bag that's been left out....no way. Wellies or shoes that have been unworn for any time have to be checked by someone else.

I don't want to ever be in a position when I find a whacking great big mouse-on-eight-legs in my wellie and be 'fine' about it/not hyperventilate/give it a name.

How comes I feel so different to everyone else?

is that me, raspberry and toothbrush for Bristol then?

Ill do a bit of research to compare with the course offered at Bristol Zoo and be back....