Dorothy FarrarArachnophobie
The physician uses the term arachnophobia to describe the pathological fear of spiders. Arachnophobia is derived from the ancient Greek words arachne (spider) and phobos (fear). Fear of spiders is a widespread phenomenon in Europe. Arachnophobia is unknown among primitive peoples.
What is arachnophobia?
People who suffer from arachnophobia end up being afraid of being bitten by spiders. However, not only the fear of spiders is worrying, but also the extent of the resulting injury. However, mere visual contact with the spider is often enough to make the affected person nervous or hysterical.
The fear of spiders can go so far that those affected even recognize small spiders as a danger. At the latest when the restriction in everyday life is reached, it is advisable for those affected to seek therapy.
causes
Arachnophobia has many causes and is complex – like almost every mental illness . Doctors are of the opinion that children in the early childhood stage copy the behavioral patterns of their parents and thus the fear of spiders is “bred”. Those affected rarely report a traumatic event with a spider, so that the fear of spiders is justified or understandable.Another aspect is the anchoring of the fear of spiders in European culture. Spiders are negative animals; in the Middle Ages the spider with the rat was considered the carrier of the plague. Another cause is the spider’s appearance. Many doctors believe that the more an animal deviates from human appearances, the more frightening it is.
When to the doctor?
In the case of fear of spiders, a doctor should always be consulted if the person concerned wants to work on this topic and wants their condition to change. A phobia can normally only be successfully treated in cooperation with the person concerned. If sweating or hyperventilation occurs through visual contact with spiders, the signs of an anxiety disorder or phobia are present and can be treated.
If the sufferer experiences a panic attack , a state of shock or tachycardia, he is well advised to see a doctor or therapist to work on the phobia and achieve symptom relief. If there is an impairment in coping with everyday life or other fears, therapy is helpful. In the event of emotional suffering, withdrawal behavior and social isolation, a doctor should be consulted.
If the profession can no longer be practiced or if other mental illnesses occur, a doctor should be consulted. Jumpy behavior, personality changes, mood swings, and trouble sleeping are signs that should be evaluated and treated by a doctor. If the affected person is no longer able to leave their home or to open the window due to fear of spiders, a visit to the doctor is highly recommended.
symptoms and course
Typical symptoms of arachnophobia:
The symptoms are individual. Ultimately, the symptoms depend on how severe the arachnophobia is in the person affected. Fear of spiders ranges from disgust at the sight of a spider to flight reactions. Extreme sweating, tachycardia and hyperventilation are also possible with a pronounced fear of spiders.
Basically, the symptoms are equated with the symptoms of the specific fear. The difference with arachnophobia is that the symptoms are individual. Not everyone affected reacts the same way when they see a spider. The symptoms and their intensity are also the decisive factors for the treatment and its duration.
If the patient suffers from a severe fear of spiders, this can limit social life. People often search rooms for spiders before entering them, refuse to touch toys that are shaped like spiders, and refuse to go for walks in the woods or gardens.
Diagnose
The doctor usually diagnoses arachnophobia by talking to the patient. The so-called clinical interview provides information about the phobia the patient suffers from. Many patients know themselves that their fear of spiders is already pathological. The doctor tries to find out the limits of the patient through the interview.
The doctor asks about the classic symptoms and when they occur or how the patient reacts when he thinks of a spider. The doctor finally makes his diagnosis with questionnaires and specific questions. When diagnosing arachnophobia, the process of elimination is often used. This means that the doctor basically rules out other phobias – similarly related – before he is sure that the patient suffers from the fear of spiders.
complications
Arachnophobia is an understandable form of fear and is anything but unhealthy in the event of a confrontation with a poisonous spider. However, as understandable as the fear and disgust of spiders are, in the case of a phobia the problem can go further.
The arachnophobia in these cases is not an isolated strong dislike for spiders, but part of a larger accumulation of phobias in a person. Once a real phobia has developed, other phobias can develop quite quickly – and these may no longer be as unproblematic and understandable as an arachnophobia.
If a person’s fears extend to areas of life in which there is no comprehensible reason for such a fear, this can be accompanied by psychosocial problems, since phobias can hinder a person’s normal everyday life and cause distress. It is also conceivable that arachnophobia is not about the spider at all, but that it is a so-called postponed phobia.
Patients actually have an excessive fear of something else that they don’t want to confront and deal with – so they project the existing phobia onto something else entirely. Finally, with arachnophobia of any degree, exposure to a spider can go so far as to result in a panic attack – and once it occurs, it can recur.
treatment and therapy
Treatment for arachnophobia varies. If the patient suffers from a mild form of fear of spiders, they ultimately do not need treatment. Treatments are given when the fear is so severe that everyday social life is impaired. This means – if the affected person experiences a restriction in everyday life, it is advisable if the disease is treated.
The doctor tries to alleviate the symptoms for the first time by means of behavioral therapy. The goal is that those affected see a spider and no longer have symptoms – so that normal behavior takes place. Ultimately, behavior therapy brings the greatest success in the fight against the phobia. Doctors also recommend exposure therapy again and again. In this form of therapy, the person concerned is directly confronted with their fear. This means that he does deal with the spider. However, this phase can last and is often characterized by failure.The duration of treatment for arachnophobia varies; however, depending on the symptoms and severity of the disease, it may take several months to return to normal. However, the person concerned must assess in advance whether their fear is so great that they need treatment or therapy.
prevention
Ultimately, arachnophobia cannot be prevented. The fact that the pattern of behavior is copied from the parents means that one can only advise them not to feed children with fear. Many parents tell the child along the way that the spider is dangerous or evil and show the child that one has to be afraid. This is not the right way and ultimately ensures that there is an increased potential for fear – in the end of harmless little spiders.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.