To have a panic attack about spiders

[Pomegranatepompom]

I have not slept, I am irrationally petrified. I need help.

We recently moved to. a cottage, I am a complete idiot, I didn't consider the potential for a spider problem (although there were warning signs when we moved in and saw a couple of whoppers, but I was hoping to have a few more weeks before they were out in force, in which to perhaps have a plan).
We arrived back from a weekend away, I was trying to have a relaxing read before bed, when I saw a fast scuttle out of the corner of my eye. Two monsters had set up residence. I had to wake DH to move them. I am having palpitations already as DH is working until late tonight.

I know I'm an idiot, please can anyone tell me how I can spider proof the house a bit? I can't be in this constant state of being on edge for the next few months .

I'm so nuts, to give context to my fear; I'm avoiding the playroom (in the attic) as fear this could be rife? and don't want to open cupboards..... Also trying to hide fear from DC (have managed until now but will really struggle if see anymore big ones). I'm taking them out for the day to avoid any encounters but obviously we have to come back at some point.
I'm not as scared by little ones and can ignore those.

Move house is my advice. My sister has a cottage and it's rife.
Thing is I don't think you can do much about spiders. I would suggest you try to deal with your fear instead.
I had hypnotherapy for flying and it really helped. I don't love flying but I can do it now without losing sleep for 3 months before the holiday and don't feel panic anymore.

I was worried someone would say that !!!!

sorry posted too soon, I'll look into the course I've heard about at London zoo.
We moved in at the end of last year, so can't move unfortunately.

I get it OP, I grew up in an old cottage and there were always the big hunter spiders lurking in the shadows. Used to have hysterics when I saw one or they hid in my clothes and ran over me when I put on what they were hiding in 😱.

Also thought I was fine with small ones until a spider made a nest in my knicker drawer and I didn’t spot it until they hatched = hundreds of tiny spiders EVERYWHERE.

eek. Did anything help???

Have a Hoover nozzle on standby.

Also, we put conkers everywhere one autumn and it seemed to help quell the numbers

Hi OP. As another poster suggested, hypnotherapy can definitively help. It's a particular good treatment for phobias and it can work quite quickly. Do please look into it x

Oh dear ithought, not sure how reassuring that is for OP

OP I understand your resistance to having your phobia treated, but the truth is, that's even more irrational than the phobia is. What's the worst that can happen if you get CBT or similar? It doesn't work and you're exactly where you are now. But imagine being like your husband and, whilst probably not a tarantula-handling fan, just not troubled by this extreme anxiety. Just do it. If not for yourself, grit your teeth and tell yourself you're doing it for your children.

My friend did the arachnophobia course at the Natural History Museum and if nothing else, said it was really interesting and quite therapeutic just to actually address the fear rather than spinning into a blind panic at the subject.

Quim and all who have suggested, I am going to try and book something today. I feel quite resolved to addressing the fear. I really can't move house because of spiders and I have always been aware of not wanting DC to develop the phobia.

Sorry for posting like a child.

Nice for Ithought to share but I'm avoiding my drawers now

@Ithoughtyouwere 😱

I live in a cottage and recommend making lots of noise/moving furniture and having a hand held hoover to suck them up.
I don’t mind the ones with little bodies and skinny legs who hang about in the corners but the massive hairy black ones freak me right out

Get some help - I can't recommend it highly enough. I am now able to look at spiders totally dispassionately, put them under a glass with some card and usher them outdoors without a second thought.
I will admit that if I see one scuttle I won't happily rest until I've got it out but that doesn't happen often and I never kill them - that's bad bad bad for karma!
Good luck!

Indorex is your friend.

For fleas but kills all other bugs too, get some cans from amazon where it’s cheapest and spray the shit out of your house lol.

I’m petrified of spiders, like literally heart palpitations, sweating, shaky and dizzy and a couple of times hideously sick 😬 they just frighten me so much.

I spray this in every nook and cranny of my house once a month, I still get the odd one or two but nothing like it was before when it was near daily finding more than one 😷😷

This is one of the most ridiculous AIBU threads I have read (and there are a lot on here).

Spiders, in comparison to you, are fucking TINY.

Also, this might be difficult for you to get your head around, but they 100% don't give a shit about you or anyone else for that matter. They just want to get on their lives, however unsightly you might find them. They're literally doing you a favour, eating houseflies and other insects you probably find disgusting.

What exactly is your fear based on? Ever been bitten by one? No? Well I have, and it hurts a lot less than being stung by a wasp and itches less than a mosquito bite. They barely ever bite and would rather you left them alone. The old wives tale about eating them in your sleep is also utter shite - as if they'd want to go anywhere near your mouth!

Seriously, get some help, cause this is utterly ridiculous, and part of the reason why so many species of animals end up demonised and endangered due to irrational fear of them.

PPs are suggesting a hoover but can you do that OP? I have a spider phobia and generally have struggled to even get the hoover out onto one. I was too scared.

Having said that my DH thinks I’m ridiculous for being scared of spiders. He doesn’t get that phobias are irrational. Anyway I have got better over the years with his tough love rather than my mum screaming with me like she would have when I lived at home. Not sure how you get rid of them but we’ve just moved and have a few. I don’t like them but I’m not scared to open doors, go in the garage etc which feels like progress to me. One of those courses sounds great.

Spiders, in comparison to you, are fucking TINY.

Do you know what a phobia it is? It is an irrational fear. It doesn’t matter what size they are.

@Bbang well aren't you a lovely person. You should get some help too.

Bloody hell calm down Alien 😂

Thank you I am wonderful ☺️

@ReeReeR so get some fucking therapy, don't nuke your house!! Jesus

I am well aware I am being ridiculous alien I do however, disagree this is the most ridiculous AIBU thread, I've seen some absolute corkers on here!

I know it's not ideal but if you're suffering that badly, whenever I've treated the house with acclaim flea spray (we have dogs) I've not seen a spider for the whole next season. Can genuinely tell the difference on the years I've not had to use it. I believe it changes the ph level to one insects etc don't like (not sure on the science!).

Obviously it's a chemically solution so perhaps not ideal but definitely keeps them out and I also live in a very old house..

Look you can take posters advice here, everything from using a hoover to moving house, but that won’t stop you worrying about spiders!

You have to sort out the phobia. Please go and get help, it will change your life and mean you don’t inflict this phobia into your dc.

@Bbang so it's fine to just kill things that aren't pretty to you? These posts really piss me off - it's just lack of education, ignorance and selfishness. You don't need to nuke the shit out of insects in your house if they offend you - gently relocate them. How hard is that? Have a bit of compassion.

And please don’t start spraying strong chemicals all around your home.

That’s just not fair on your dc.