Extremely severe arachnophobia -- worried that its becoming OCD and quite worried

[newnamesamegame]

This probably sounds very trivial in the scheme of things but I have a very very severe phobia of spiders and its beginning to take over my life. Have got to the point where I actually fear going home because I'm worried my house will be full of them, have to work on my computer at home with my feet up for fear of having run underneath my feet, scared to go to the loo on my own etc. Have started filling baths up and leaving them full for hours as in my mind it makes it less likely I'll have one in the bath. I have seriously considered selling my house in order to move somewhere with fewer spiders.

I've always been scared of spiders but its got a lot worse since my marriage broke down and my mum died about 6 months ago. Generally my mental health post the split is holding up pretty well, have had a few recent wobbles and feeling a bit vulnerable but I worry that I'm channelling a lot of stuff into this.

When you are an arachnophobe with a partner its one thing. If you live on your own with a small child its another matter and I am quite scared that I'll have a situation that I won't be able to deal with.

I've been to the GP to ask for support with this and have been told I'm on a waiting list and it will be several weeks until someone gets back to me (by which time spider season will be over probably and it will be a case of dealing with it for next year). I'm also seeing a counsellor privately to deal with the various other sh* I'm dealing with.

Does this sound normal for a phobia or am I in OCD/anxiety territory? And does anyone have any short-term advice for coping with the fear in the absence of anything more serious?

Ha PuppyMonkey! Or "It'll run away eventually." Yes, and then I'll spend the whole evening worrying it's gone up my trouser leg

justtheonethen Good luck, I hope you find it useful.

I have got better over the years. I used to go into the living room and duck down to look under the sofas, it has always been the unexpected nature of a huge spider watlzing across the floor that has made me have palpitations.

I hoover them if there is no-one else about to get them out!! I can do that from a distance (generally whilst squealing at the same time).

I also spray round the outside windows with crawling insect spray - it soaks into the bricks or sits on wood, and it just kills on contact - so you may have plenty of dead creatures outside - but they tend not to make it far inside. ( I spray round the inside of my fireplace as well- as they seem to appear from there ).

I've been there, exactly as you describe and it became an obsession with me when I left home and lived in a house share.
I had a lovely friend who eventually took me to see the GP when it got to the point that I couldn't be in the house alone. The GP referred me for an assessment. I was then referred for CBT and it changed my life. I'm still not keen on spiders but I can cope with them and be brave in front of DD.
It is worth you waiting for the NHS help to come through. They won't have any nasty surprises at the appointment and everything goes at your pace. If you would like to know more please PM me. I hope things get better for you a phobia can be very debilitating.

I make sure everyone picks up clothes from the floor at this time of year as well - it minimizes the sudden appearances that I find most stressful...if I am looking for a spider and see one, it is not so bad as one suddenly appearing for some reason.

BrieAndChilli you see I wouldn't be able to deal with that situation and that's what's freaking me out.... I wouldn't be able even to get as far as getting a glass over one. I know if confronted with something like that I would be physically incapable of dealing with it and would panic my DD. That's the bit that really frightens me.

Pointlessfan thanks, that's really reassuring and is exactly what I need to hear. I'm hoping the GP will come through with some CBT. Just need to get through the next fortnight or so :(

newnamesamegame, 1) Yes, it sounds like your arachnaphobia is something you should get treated - it??s affecting your quality of life.

2. CBT treatment for phobias like arachnophobia is astonishingly effective. Many people are cured after a single session. I bet the London Zoo thing would work for you too, if you gave it a shot. If you can??t get on that course then go to your GP & ask for a referral to a phobia specialist. You have a really good chance of being able to overcome your phobia for good.

Has any of your neighbours got a teenage son (or daughter) who is unafraid of spiders? Could you ask whether they would be willing to remove any spiders you might find for a small fee? Then at least you would know there was someone you could ask if there was one, and that they would actually be pleased to do it as they would get paid.

(DS1 doesn't like spiders very much but will humanely remove them from the house for me and I often think I should hire him out.)

Yes I agree the next couple of weeks are the worst time of year - hiring out a local teenager as a spider-catcher is a brilliant idea!

Not a teenager as such my neighbour would probably do it for free within reason, i.e. if it were at a reasonable hour his wife is also an arachnophobe and we have swapped stories about it so he's fairly used to it. I don't think I could haul him out at 2am.

My STBXH will do it quite happily for me when he's doing drop-offs but unsurprisingly is not wild about being dragged out of his house. The fact that I've tried this on given that we're about to get divorced is a measure of how bad it is.

I am hopeful about CBT/hypno. I've been told that arachnophobia is surprisingly easy to cure via hypno. Let's hope :)

The seeing the spider/touching the spider is optional. You're in control, they can't make you stay so if at any time during the course at the zoo you feel uncomfortable, you can simply up and leave.

I did the course, I didn't touch it in the end as I didn't want to. The course got me over the worst of my phobia and now, whilst I still hate them, I can cope a lot better and they don't pop into my mind like they used to.

Give it a try, honestly, you can always leave and you do not have to touch a spider if you don't want to.

RachelZoe Thanks. I'm going to wait to see what the NHS come up with I specified a preference for either CBT or hypno on the form and as long as its not an absurdly long waiting list I'll go with whatever they offer me.

If all else fails I'll try London Zoo.

Thanks all

PuppyMonkey I know its so irritating when people say that. Or the other classic one someone tried on me the other day: "Spiders are an indication that you have a healthy home."

The woman who told me that claimed to have got over a phobia by repeating that to herself like a mantra. She obviously didn't have a phobia at all if that was all it took.