Has anyone successfully cured their aracnaphobia?

[Idliketothankyouforajobwelldone]

I'd love to not be terrified of spiders! Anything larger than a one penny coin I can't deal with, so things like giant house spiders are my worst nightmare. It's also something that puts me off going to tropical countries which is a shame!
I know that September is commonly 'spider season' and I'm dreading it. Luckily, we live in a very high up, new flat with few cracks and holes etc so we've never really had more than 1 or 2 in 6 months, and they were small.
I hate spiders that much, I frequently dream about them!
I tried therapy once to cure it but the lady requested £100 per session! Surely there's got to be something much cheaper.
I remember as a child, I pulled back the shower curtain and there were TWO giant house spiders in the bath at the same time. The memory still haunts me today!
Looking for any advice or successful strategies.
I know it's 'just a spider' most of them won't harm me etc. But phobias aren't always rational.

My parents used to have quite a lot in their old house and thankfully my family were happy to deal with them and remove them from the house for me, my current partner is also happy to, but there will be times when I'm alone and I'll need to be confident in dealing with them. The fact that Australia has spiders the size of dinner plates just makes me shudder.

Your fear is not irrational, you got a fright as a child and that has grown and perhaps been reinforced every time you see a spider. I was very afraid of them. I then at some point in my life thought that the spider could not harm me and would actually be more scared of me and more in danger from me than I could ever be from the spider. This fact seemed to be a lightbulb moment for me. It is ok to be a bit scared of them but now if I see one I feel nothing. If a big one is on the bed then yes I am a bit scared but nothing compared to what I was before. It is normal and natural not to want to be crept on by a crawling insect and this is a really important survival instinct to have. I am quite happy to put them out with a glass and paper now. My toddler has no fear of them as I did not when I was a toddler. The fear is learned and can grip us and be very powerful a and irrational and we have to try to rationalise our way out of it. CBT may help you op.

Yes, In fact I was thinking about what a miracle it was this evening while calmly collecting an enormous one and putting outside.

EMDR is your answer. It cured me in one session but even if it takes longer for you it will be worth it. Far more effective than CBT for arachnophobia because the fear is also bound up in disgust and other deep rooted human fears (whereas CBT is very effective for claustrophobia for example).

Look up EMDR and see an accredited practitioner.

Ps £100 per session is actually quite cheap for a qualified therapist or psychologist. If you are serious about sorting this then save up and pay it, people train for years and years to do this kind of work. You can't short cut it by spending £40 and hoping to get the same effect.

I saw a dead one at work years ago and decided to pick it up. My heart pounded and it was horrible but I did it. Held it in my hand and looked at it.
Since then I'm not afraid and rather fond of them.
I did feel being afraid was pathetic and desperately wanted to be braver so that helped.

With my fear of snakes I watched educational YouTube videos.

With my fear of spiders? Absof'inglutely no way in hell will I take any steps that involve making progress.

So I'm actually getting more hysterical as I get older.

Ps I used to feel like this. I didn't even want to address it and I was utterly convinced nothing would help. I had EMDR for another reason and basically tagged the spider phobia on at the end and it changed my life

I was phobic about spiders. Would literally leave the house if one had been sighted, hyperventilate if I thought there was one on me, get nightmares etc.
Eventually I found myself living somewhere where there were lots of spiders and it was exhausting to be so terrified so often.
I guess it forced a form of natural aversion therapy, and now I am reasonably unbothered by spiders.

I'm keen too. I remember not being scared of them up to age 8ish.

Then, randomly became scared of them, probably after witnessing my sister scream at one or my Dad (who is from a hot tropical country full of tarantulas. But he cannot abide UK house spiders!)

I believe my phobia is "learnt" from one of them. It's so bad I can't even cope with the lego Harry Potter spiders that came in a kit. Or any cartoony Halloween decoration resembling one.

Oh and I did also at one point completely challenge myself to hold a tarantula.
It was almost impossible but I did it!

Me!

I got a jumping spider!

I was absolutely terrified of them. Now I have a morbid curiosity.

If a house spider ran at me I would still scream and run a mile but I wouldn't kill it.

And rather than running passed the arachnid section at the pet shop I will visit them first to look.

Google jumping spiders on YouTube. They're so cute.

Just keep watching videos. Exposure therapy works!

A few years ago a spider ran across DH in bed. He killed it and I slept downstairs for 3 nights. I couldn't even get back in the bed.

The same damn thing happened last week... I had a good 2 mins of 'omgggg noooo' then got back in bed and went to sleep.

I wouldn't say it is cured, but mine has improved loads since I've had my children, because I've been desperately trying not to show a reaction to them in order not to pass that fear on to my children. I can now tolerate small spiders and those skinny ones that sit in the corners of the room ok. And even with a medium size spider I don't like it but I don't have that irrational panic, I can calmly walk away and get my DP to deal with it rather than jumping/screaming etc! I still wouldn't be happy with one of those massive fuckers at all, but luckily we get very few big ones in our house!

I did the Friendly Spider Programme at London Zoo and i can whole heartedly say it changed my life. I used to just not use my garage (where loads of things are, inc my washing machine!) For months on end, i was so scared of the big ones and i can genuinely say im fine with them now.

It is only an afternoon but it reframes your thinking and you get to handle the giant ones and realise they are just keeping the house free from nasty bugs.

It costs £150 but all the reviews are so positive (inc all the ones on MN), some people on the course were staying in london overnight to do it so if you can afford the money/time you wont regret it.

Following because I'm exactly the same with moths and butterflies. They literally make me feel sick, I'm so frightened of them, even though I know they're totally harmless.

My daughter was so terrified of them she couldn't look at a picture, barely could live alone as she was totally unable to deal with the things. She did the Friendly Spider Course at London Zoo which was about 5 hours I think. (there are NO spider pictures on that link.)

I won't say she is cured as she will never be totally comfortable with them but it had the most dramatic effect on her in that she can now catch them and put them outside and doesn't turn into a trembling wreck frozen to the spot if she sees one in the room. It was some of the best money (£150 or £105 for those on income support) we've ever spent to be honest - life-changing for her.

Continued exposure is vital so she keeps familiarising herself with them and wouldn't ask anyone else to catch one for her nowadays.

My fear is rats so every now and then I do spend some time watching YT on 'clever rats' or 'my cute ratties) and it really does help. (I'm still no good seeing one in the house though - as i did a couple of years ago.)

X-post with Buttons! 🤗

I cured it.

But it took several months abroad living with cockroaches that fell out the ceiling fans all the bloody time. Including into my bed at night.

By the time I came back to the UK the spiders didn't seem so bad

Yes, I did finally after calling them George it made it easier to rescue them. X

Mine is improving since lockdown. Living alone and facing spiders when isolating I had to learn to deal with them, I've found a way to kill them and now manage to pick up the dead spiders in a dustpan whereas before I couldn't cope with a dead one being in a bin or if someone left a 'leg' on the floor when picking one up.

I still don't like them running or near me and I would never touch one but I am getting better.

Like pp I did the friendly spider program at London zoo and it has completely changed my life
I was worried about the cost to me that is a lot of money but I can honestly say it was worth every penny to live the rest of my life without being terrified of spiders