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AIBU?

To think a true arachnophobic...

48 replies

BuggersMuddle · 24/09/2015 22:12

...doesn't post close of shots of the massive spiders that have terrified them on Facebook. Furthermore, if you are truly arachnophobic, you don't talk about how you had to 'pick it up and get it out'.

My FB is currently full of 'arachnophobes' posting pictures of giant spiders; discussing the removal of spiders and 'shuddering'.

I am arachnophobic. I don't like to see spiders on a page without warning. I sure as shit can't approach wolf spiders 2-3" across (inc legs) and kill them, so I certainly can't pick them up, nor move them.

AIBU to think the 'eek look at the huge spider' people are not arachnophobes to any meaningful level.

OP posts:

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PushAPushPop · 26/09/2015 19:26

I agree with previous posters about degrees of phobias.
I, and all the people who know me, would call me arachnophobic. They rule my f*ing life.

I do the waking up in the night thing as a pp said; put the light on my phone and scan the bedroom It really isn't nice.

My day consists of rooms being checked, shoes being checked, arms waving through a door before
I walk through it to destroy any webs, cushions checked, kitchen sink....

It's never ending, but at 32 yrs old I have spent 17 years doing this so, rather sadly, it has become the norm.

And bollocks that spiders are like ladybirds. I would move a rat with my bare hands if I had to ok I'd probably put marigolds on first but would I hell shift a spider (house spider mainly).

for genuine spider haters at this time of year.

Fratelli · 26/09/2015 17:41

I get it, yanbu. I have a problem with people posting photos of them. I hyperventilate and feel nauseous when I see them. I check my room for them before going to sleep, I have nightmares about them at least 3 times a week and if one has touched me I've been sick.
I avoid using Facebook unless it's to message my friends in other countries.

UncertainSmile · 26/09/2015 16:21

can't see any issue with them at all. It's like saying you don't like ladybirds.

Oh fuck off

maddening · 25/09/2015 23:02

Surely there are shades of grey in everything - from the pure and most severe phobic reaction to feeling anxiety when faced with a spider - and the fact that phobias can be treated so that the anxiety, adrenaline reaction is decreased shows that different people can have varying responses - just because the mere thought of a spider doesn't bring on the reaction it doesn't mean that person doesn't feel anxiety when faced with a massive spider.

customercare · 25/09/2015 22:40

I dont care whether or not I would be considered to be arachnophobic. All I know is that they frighten the life out of me

Girlwithsilversocks · 25/09/2015 22:35

None of you are arachnophobic- my DM wouldn't be able to hold a piece of paper with the word spider written on it. She starts to panic of you even talk about phobias in general. As a child my DF had to check newspapers in case there was a picture and cut it out. I've recently started saying the word in front of her instead of 'thing' as I actually think we've all pandered to it and made her worse.

janethegirl2 · 25/09/2015 22:29

Spiders eat flies and I hate flies (dirty fucking things)!so anything that clears my area of flies is good.
They cant hurt you, so I can't see any issue with them at all. It's like saying you don't like ladybirds.

customercare · 25/09/2015 22:23

I have a phobia of spiders and dont even want any treatment for it as it will involve confronting them. I prefer to hoover up any I come across. if I see any on my bedroom I will sleep with a sheet over my head in case they crawl over me.

Thelushinthepub · 25/09/2015 22:23

I agree with you in one sense as a lot of people seem to be phobics of all sorts (Emetophobia seems to be popular ATM) when in reality only a tiny number of people will be truly phobic.
But that said I also fed up of the amount of people who think you shouldn't post what you want on social media in case it scares someone who follows you. Just deal with it in a adult way

janethegirl2 · 25/09/2015 22:22

I've been known to stop on motorway to remove a wasp from my car and it's not always been on the hard shoulder.
I now never have the windows open so they can't get in.
Spiders however I don't care about, don't even take them outside. I have free range spiders!

MrsGentlyBenevolent · 25/09/2015 22:18

My partner is really phobic, pictures on FB have him shouting and swearing. I 'don't like' the huge ones, but I'm also one of those wishy-washies that won't have them killed. If a big one gets in the house, I'll put it outside (in a big jug of course!).

My compromise with my partner is, he doesn't kill spiders, I put up with horrible, nasty bare feet in the house instead of insisting he wears socks at all times.

annatha · 25/09/2015 22:10

See I'm scared of wasps pretty much all insects really but I can compose myself and act rationally if there's one in the house etc, yet spiders I just go into a panic. A wasp could actually hurt me but a spider couldn't, I don't know what it is that makes them so horrible for me.

janethegirl2 · 25/09/2015 21:54

However I'm seriously freaky about wasps

janethegirl2 · 25/09/2015 21:53

Ds is dsis, ds doesn't care.

janethegirl2 · 25/09/2015 21:52

My dd and ds are totally phobic. If there is a spider around and they see it, I try to catch it and put it outside, but if it escapes I pretend I have caught it and got rid of it
If it reappears I say there's a family of them and go through the routine again...and again....

annatha · 25/09/2015 21:31

There's a fucking huge one on the bottom stair right now. Dh doesn't finish work until 10 so it took me half an hour to psyche myself up to jump over it to get dd upstairs to bed. I darent go back down now.

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 25/09/2015 13:37

some people can not even utter the word and would prefer to describe what a spider is than actually say the word

I was not able to say the word rat, I would describe it that was bad enough the word made me feel sick seeing pictures of them I would feel faint actually seeing one tearful (and never been that close thankfully)

but that does not mean my fear of them was any less than someone who could look at pictures and it is better now :)

peoples phobias often mask other anxieties and will change throughout their life

competition of phobia's, ocd, depression, anxiety is interesting too what is that about I wonder

OldHarvingtonian · 25/09/2015 13:19

I agree about a true arachnaphobe not wanting to see pictures of spiders. The other day I was chatting on an internet forum, and up at the side of the page popped a photo of two cooked tarantulas on a plate with some salad. I can't get that image out of my head, it was horrific and keeps me awake at night worrying about whether there might be spiders in my room.

vaticancameos · 25/09/2015 13:11

I don't buy bananas for that reason either. And I check grapes carefully. This time of the year I move my bed away from the wall, make sure the bedding doesn't the floor and if I wake during the night I use my torch to check the walls. Something I also learned was always use the torch to check the light switch to make sure they aren't on there either - experienced.

A few months back we had a huge funnel web in one room. I couldn't go in there. I had the upstairs neighbour come in and try to hunt it down to move it. In the end, I shut the door and honestly didn't open it for weeks. That room was dead to me.

I know in being illogical but I cannot help it. The fear is too much. But it's the real thing that causes screaming and palpitations and irrational behaviour, not the pictures.

WannabeLaraCroft · 25/09/2015 10:51

I don't know if I'm arachnophobic really. I am shit scared of the big ones, hate seeing pictures of them on the tv or magazines or anything. I can't even touch a piece of paper if it has a picture of one on! But when it comes to the small ones they don't really bother me as much. I still get a fright initially when I see one unexpectedly, but I'm not too scared to get a glass and bit of paper and throw it out the window.

Reading BrieAndChilli's post, my reactions are extremely similar when there's a biggy wandering about. The fear, the shakes, feeling sick. Hate spider webs anywhere near me too. And yes - the adrenaline can sometimes be the only thing that gets me close enough to hoover it up or trap it. There was one in the house the other night, and I swear after just a few seconds of seeing it, trapping it, hoovering it, I was absolutely sweating. And I absolutely CANNOT cope if one goes missing and I don't know where it is.

I would have said I was arachnophobic, but then why don't I get the same reaction with the small teeny weeny spiders? They give me the creeps, but nothing like when I encounter a big one. I like to think it's because I'm getting braver around my DS!

I'm amazed that some twat hasn't been here yet and told everyone that they are more scared of you/are fab because they eat flies/ killing them is tantamount to murder/ stop making a fuss. They usually post on threads about spiders.

Oh someone will be along soon....

ThoseAwfulCurtains · 25/09/2015 10:37

Arachnophobic

ThoseAwfulCurtains · 25/09/2015 10:37

What bing said ??? about ocd. No. They are not arachophobic. I hate this time of year because I dream of spiders loads more than usual. Last night's was particularly revolting and distressing. It seems the better I learn to cope with them irl, the worse they get in my dreams. Sigh.

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BrieAndChilli · 25/09/2015 10:30

I'm arachnophobic but if DH is not home I will either Hoover up a spider (and put the Hoover outside) or put a big cup over and weight it down with books until DH can get home as take it away (right down the road so less likely to find its way back) I don't kill it of kids around as don't want them to think it's OK to kill things intentionally even though I would burn them all.
We had a big egg sized monster a couple of weeks ago, just me and the kids at home, kids screaming, me trying to trap it but every time I got closer than 2 Mtrs and it moved I would scream and run away, it took all my adrenaline to make me get close enough to put down thing over it, I wouldn't have been able to do anything knowing it was running around the house. I got shaky and sick after I trapped it.
I hate looking at pictures and if i walk into a spider web I totally freak out.
To make it worse a few months ago I was driving to work and a tiny spider bit me and my whole hand swelled up and I had to have antibiotics so even more scared!!

UncertainSmile · 25/09/2015 10:16

I'm amazed that some twat hasn't been here yet and told everyone that they are more scared of you/are fab because they eat flies/ killing them is tantamount to murder/ stop making a fuss. They usually post on threads about spiders.

ProudAS · 25/09/2015 10:01

Phobias do vary in severity but there is also a difference between a fear and a phobia

Some people can't even look at a picture of a spider whilst others may be able to steel themselves to look at a live one.

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