It is normal for some people to experience an unjustified sense of panic when faced with certain stimuli. Be it an object, a person, a situation, action, context, sensation or any other point of origin that generates fear in the person. This experience is usually called by the name of phobia, I will be is a word that designates any type of fear.
Usually it describes situations in which the person is perceiving a real or imagined danger . In some cases it is possible to justify it, however the perception of it is exaggerated and therefore a defensive behavior is shown that is not adapted to the circumstances. In other cases, the danger is non-existent and therefore or only the person who seems to have the phobia is the one who reacts to himself.
Considering the wide variety of phobias that have so far been identified, it can be assumed that more will eventually be added. Some of the most common zero triggers specifically with different species of animals , in this way people say they feel little confidence and the possibility of suffering serious consequences when coming into contact with a particular animal.
In this category of phobias is the fear of spiders. It is called arachnophobia and, as in other types, it manifests exaggerated and uncontrollable fear that these animals will do. It is very common to find insects in different environments such as the home itself or in outdoor spaces. While it is true that some species can become dangerous, this does not justify that humans try to eliminate these living beings. However, those who suffer from this phobia usually avoid or stay away from spiders.
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What is arachnophobia?
Arachnophobia is defined as fear, repulsion and extreme rejection of any type of spider species. It is considered to be a common disorder because a considerable part of the world population present symptoms associated with this condition. It is classified as a type of disorder and it is also one of the specific phobias that tend to occur more in women than in men.
Being a phobia is characterized by manifesting intense fear and disproportionate reactions, with respect to the perception of a threat from contact or observation of a spider . People who have been diagnosed with this condition feel that they are not in control of themselves, the behavior is exaggerated compared to the real threat.
While it is true that there are some varieties of spiders classified as dangerous, it is generally considered that arachnids are zero is alive that they do not pose a threat to humans. Some individuals when being in the presence of a scratch will begin to feel high levels of anxiety , the behavior shown could be to avoid or flee.
Each person shows particular reactions and sensations, but most of the cases it is possible to detect symptoms in common. For example, some of these symptoms are nausea, increased sweating, rapid heart rate, anxiety as well as paralysis or panic attack. In other cases there are escape and avoidance behaviors.
What are the characteristics of arachnophobia?
All are the symptoms and the changes in the behavior of the person who seems of arachnophobia will be directly related to the spiders. It is not only about expressing anxiety, but also behavior is noticeably altered, compromising daily performance. Being difficult to confront a spider, people often manifest physiological changes such as dilated pupils, increased breathing rate, sweating, hyperventilation, and drastic change in heart rate.
These people are not able to control the symptoms as well as their own behavior. The perception of danger can be justified, however most cases are totally unrealistic. Some people might react by avoiding these situations, others will simply try to run away, they might become paralyzed by getting a panic attack .
A phobia is the manifestation of excessive panic regarding something that generates this feeling. In people experiencing different levels of stress in these cases, some could present more ex-themes reactions compared to others. Some others could present severe difficulties to lead or a normal life, this is because this fear completely changes people’s behavior . Even in the single evocation in the imagination of a spider can generate anguish.
What are your causes?
As with other types of phobias, different theories are handled that try to find the origin of this condition. Some of these hypotheses link specific responses to specific stimuli that originate from genetic transmission . This means that some individuals are more likely to develop tendencies in their behavior that are the result of exaggeration of self-protection.
In the same way, other possibilities based on traumatic experiences are handled. People usually learn to protect themselves based on experiences where particular results or consequences were observed. As a consequence, it could be said that the phobia arises from the need to improve the perception of potential dangers , this is a natural tendency of the human being but sometimes it can develop not in the most appropriate way.
On the other hand, some consider that the origin is in the learning of an acquired response, we would be talking about conditioning . This works by associating a stimulus, which in this case is a spider, with a specific danger or negative outcome. In this way, avoidance is generated as an escape mechanism, in the same way, people can learn from other people’s experiences when they learn of a person who was bitten by a poisonous species.
What is your treatment?
In these cases it is always advisable to have the assistance of a trained medical professional . After conducting a formal psychological evaluation, you can continue with the process to determine the most appropriate treatment. Usually the first choice is to use exposure therapy, this consists of gradually exposing the patient to stimuli that are linked to growing fear, in this case spiders.
For this type of therapy to have effective results, the important thing is to support and not force the patient. At first, visual stimuli such as photographs or videos can be used , the mere sight of spiders can make a difference by making the person able to improve their behavior eventually.
Later it can be exposed directly with an example of this living being. This means that the patient can be instructed to try to touch or get as close as possible. In this way, you will learn to control anxiety and it will even serve as an introductory resource for you to understand that they are animals that are not necessarily dangerous.
Some psychologists are using new technologies that allow the use of virtual reality , also called augmented reality . In this way you can create a much safer environment for the patient, the exposure will be done through images and sounds.
Finally, it is always important to provide them with tools to help them be in a calmer state of mind. There are various relaxation techniques that prepare the person to have greater control over breathing and muscle relaxation progressively. In this way, anxiety levels are significantly reduced, it will also have a positive impact on other aspects of the patient’s life.
Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.