Irrational fear of spiders

I'm sitting at the computer table (which happens to be under a staircase) and it's 5am.. it's monday morning and I glance over and see this massive (well massive by your average UK spider standards) spider crawling up the stair case.

I recover from the initial shock and pick myself up off the floor... Go get a bowl and tray and manage to cajole it into the bowl (it makes a thud as it enters.. well I might be exagerating here but you get the idea) - and place the tray over the top.

I then move out and one handed unlock the back door throw it (literally) onto the ground via the bowl - which typicaly lands face down so it's trapped. I've thrown it because I didn't want to run the risk of placing it down and it jumping up my arm or something... Anyway I flip the bowl over and it's not there so must have fell out when I threw the bowl in the first place.

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/image/s_spider.jpg

So I sit back at the comptuer and think to myself I'm a big guy what the hell is with this irrational fear of spiders. What is it instincitively in some of us that creates this illogical phobia! Anyone else like this with these things?I don't mind the piddly ones but this one was half the size of my hand!!!

well i fucking hate spiders, specially if they resemble the one in the picture.

the answer is simple.

its a reaction developed on the genetic level. you know how prey is frightened of its predators? well they're frightened because through their evolution the genetic mutation that provoked that response was selected for via natural selection. the same reason for why this response was selected for applies to humans being frightened of spiders. only its not nearly as strong for us because we havent been killed by spiders nearly as often as prey is killed by predators. this seems to have manifested itself in mild caution in some and severe fright in others and everything in between in most.

if spiders and like creatures were not venomous to humans we would think entirely differently of them.

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Originally Posted by ATOTHEC101

well i fucking hate spiders, specially if they are anywhere near me, regardless of size or appearance.

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fyp

I am afraid of heights even though I'm really tall. Hope that makes u feel better.

omg, i was so going to make this same thread yesterday and never got around to it. When i opened my front door yesterday this huge ass spider came running in and i wasnt as nice as you. i smashed that bitch up real good. its body must have been 1/2" wide. so disgusting.

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Originally Posted by wufwugy

if spiders and like creatures were not venomous to humans we would think entirely differently of them.

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i am terrified of moths - so it obviously not just down to something being venomous or having the ability to harm.

also wasps and bees.

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Originally Posted by chardrian

I am afraid of heights even though I'm really tall. Hope that makes u feel better.

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haha same here, I'm 6ft 5 and crumble at the most insignificant of heights.

The most dangerous spider is not the infamous Tarantula. Its the Brown Recluse Spider, which happens to be very small. Probably about 1" with legs and all.

Its effects are disatrous: it petrifies the flesh wherever it bites, which means the flesh will die off. Its bite will result 95% in a horrible death. But this is not the most petrifying: it draws its name because its always hidden, in dark corners and places, and victims do not know they have been bitten until after the signs of the venom occur because its bite is painless.

Oh, the big and hairy ones scare you by their mere appearance. In Australia, there are even spiders with a 2ft. diameter. But its this specific little one you have to be really afraid of.


And yes, I fear the living shit out of every spider, since these fuckers bite. And centipedes. And snakes.

Spiders nope, snakes you betcha.
I can step on a spider. Snakes move, dodge and bite back.

its weird, im really not worried about snakes at all, though obv id stay well away if i knew the one near me was poisonous. Also i dont mind tarantuals and other big lumbering spiders that much, probably because their movement is alot different to the fast spiders. And jack, what spider do you know of thats 2 ft in diameter, I think you must of watched the movie 8 legged freaks too recently. the biggest spiders in the world are definitely not in australia, but in the tropics and rainforests around the equator i.e. golliath bird eating spider and size wise that reaches the size of a dinner plate in extreme circumstances.

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Originally Posted by Jack Sawyer

The most dangerous spider is not the infamous Tarantula. Its the Brown Recluse Spider, which happens to be very small. Probably about 1" with legs and all.

Its effects are disatrous: it petrifies the flesh wherever it bites, which means the flesh will die off. Its bite will result 95% in a horrible death. But this is not the most petrifying: it draws its name because its always hidden, in dark corners and places, and victims do not know they have been bitten until after the signs of the venom occur because its bite is painless.

Oh, the big and hairy ones scare you by their mere appearance. In Australia, there are even spiders with a 2ft. diameter. But its this specific little one you have to be really afraid of.


And yes, I fear the living shit out of every spider, since these fuckers bite. And centipedes. And snakes.

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i had a friend that got bitten by one of these things. theres a huge dent in her leg where the flesh had to be removed.

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Originally Posted by ATOTHEC101

its weird, im really not worried about snakes at all, though obv id stay well away if i knew the one near me was poisonous. Also i dont mind tarantuals and other big lumbering spiders that much, probably because their movement is alot different to the fast spiders. And jack, what spider do you know of thats 2 ft in diameter, I think you must of watched the movie 8 legged freaks too recently. the biggest spiders in the world are definitely not in australia, but in the tropics and rainforests around the equator i.e. golliath bird eating spider and size wise that reaches the size of a dinner plate in extreme circumstances.

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it was 1 foot, sorry


but this big and scary mother-fucker right here

and I guarantee you that when you meet one face to face, it will look at least 4x larger than that

wtf is up with catching it and releasing it outside? are you Buddhist or something? smash that fucker into twitchy spider goo pls.

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Originally Posted by Warpe

wtf is up with catching it and releasing it outside? are you Buddhist or something? smash that fucker into twitchy spider goo pls.

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+1 spiders die with extreme prejudice so that hopefully their ghosts will warn other spiders. I worry some about getting on the spider killer list but it's too late now.

yeah id shit a brick if i saw a huntsman, sort of glad i live in a country where spiders are so small.

So what you're saying is, I'm not a huge pussy like I thought I was, and being afraid of spiders is genetic and embedded in my DNA? Damn I feel better about myself.

I make my wife kill and remove all spiders in our house when I see them. If she's not around I will man-up, kill the fucker and discard it myself, but dammit if I don't hate every minute of it.

I've been known to use my shoe and magazines to kill spiders. The best ways are sucking them up with a vacuum or spraying them with household cleaners so I don't have to touch the damn things.

Stupid fucking spiders.

'They are able to travel extremely fast, and walk on walls and even on ceilings. They also tend to exhibit a "cling" reflex if picked up, making them difficult to shake off and much more likely to bite.'

WTF, MA, GET THE GUN!

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Originally Posted by UG

I make my wife kill and remove all spiders in our house when I see them.

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"EEEEEK! KILL IT! KILL IT! EEEEEEK!"

ya, ur still a pussy.

Though i find spiders scarier, the venom administered by this sname is ridiculous with an almost 100 % mortality rate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_mamba

lol I also make my wife kill them and I take mui shit for it from my "friends". often they say unfunny things like "hey did we remember to kill the spider under the couch?" when they are out of the room but know I can hear them (from the COUCH!!!). They are hippie spider lovers so you never know

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Originally Posted by sil693

i am terrified of moths - so it obviously not just down to something being venomous or having the ability to harm..

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i added 'and like creatures'. moths can easily fall into this category.

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Originally Posted by UG

I've been known to use my shoe and magazines to kill spiders

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if by magazines you mean gun magazines then you retrieve some of your pussitude

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Originally Posted by jack

The most dangerous spider is not the infamous Tarantula. Its the Brown Recluse Spider

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dont forget the six-eyed sand spider.

http://www.afpmb.org/pubs/Field_Guid.../Fig.%2022.jpg

this is the only other necrotoxic spider along with the recluse. i believe its bite is 100% fatal and we have no anti-venom, but it so seldom comes in contact with humans that in this way its not as dangerous as others.

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Originally Posted by LuckySlevin

What is it instincitively in some of us that creates this illogical phobia!

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There's nothing instinctive about it. Wufwugy gave a credible sounding explanation but it's not correct. All phobias are a learned response. A defence mechanism that the body has developed. Same goes for most allergies, including hayfever.

All phobias can be removed in 5 - 20 minutes.

It's not hard wired into our brains or part of our genetic make up.

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Originally Posted by Thunder

All phobias can be removed in 5 - 20 minutes.

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Ridiculous generalization and completely wrong. People with even moderate phobias often need multiple sessions of therapy to get over them. But then again, most phobias arise to rarely that they don't interfere with one's life enough to warrant getting therapy for them.

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It's not hard wired into our brains or part of our genetic make up.

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I agree, but that depends on who you ask. I'm much more into the learning theory psychology of things as opposed to the genetics/biology side.

first, i was in no way referring to phobias

second, dont make the egregious mistake of ever thinking that behavior doesn't have very strong roots in genes.

The last thing I did lastnight before I fell asleep, was watch the movie Arachnophobia... because of this thread.

Our minds have adapted through evolution to be afraid of venomous things in the same way that they've adapted to be afraid of large animals with pointy teeth or being on a tall cliff. The fact that not all spiders and snakes are venomuos doesn't change that basic disposition any more than the fact that not every lion you meet will try to eat you or that you won't always fall off a tall cliff. It's just safer (i.e., improves your chances of reproductive success) to be afraid of all of those things.

Some other insects/creepy crawlies are potentially deadly (e.g., bees) and others carry disease or are parasitic, so we have evolved a general dislike of insects/creepy crawlies as well. Fear Factor always has a stunt based on this natural fear.

We're not slaves to our genetics, however, and if we realise that a particular species of spider is not poisonous we can overcome this basic fear for that species. The innate fear is just so strong that most people don't manage to do this.

A phobia is a fear that is irrational. Fearing spiders and snakes is not in itself irrational, but if you are 100% sure the particular species you are confronting at the moment is not venomous then being afraid of it is irrational.

Treatments of phobias come in many shapes and sizes, but most involve desensitizing the person to the object of their fear, so that they eventually learn through repeated exposure that the object will not harm them.

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Originally Posted by KoRnholio

Ridiculous generalization and completely wrong. People with even moderate phobias often need multiple sessions of therapy to get over them. But then again, most phobias arise to rarely that they don't interfere with one's life enough to warrant getting therapy for them.

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Actually, it's not a generalisation, and am speaking from a position of intimate knowledge on the matter.

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second, dont make the egregious mistake of ever thinking that behavior doesn't have very strong roots in genes.

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Very true. But fear of a very real threat - is one thing and hard wired. This is why cows will leave you in peace when you wlak through a field alone yet will attack you if you walk with a dog, as they perceive it as a predator and a risk to their young.

Phobias though are not genetically linked. Nor are they hard wired for our own safety. We are pre disposed to fear lions, sharks and even human rejection, because they are naturally occuring threats to our survival. But this fear is not the same as a phobia. Consequently, we are not predisposed to be phobic about something. As said, a phobia is a learned response - an overreaction by the body's defense mechanism.

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Treatments of phobias come in many shapes and sizes, but most involve desensitizing the person to the object of their fear, so that they eventually learn through repeated exposure that the object will not harm them.

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Old school immersion therapy follows this route. Most successful interventions address the subconscious's reasons for creating the phobia in the first place. As a result, no desensitising is required. All that is needed is for that "switch" to be flicked back off. Mentally.

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Originally Posted by Thunder

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Originally Posted by KoRnholio

Ridiculous generalization and completely wrong. People with even moderate phobias often need multiple sessions of therapy to get over them. But then again, most phobias arise to rarely that they don't interfere with one's life enough to warrant getting therapy for them.

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1) Actually, it's not a generalisation, and am speaking from a position of intimate knowledge on the matter.

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second, dont make the egregious mistake of ever thinking that behavior doesn't have very strong roots in genes.

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Very true. But fear of a very real threat - is one thing and hard wired. This is why cows will leave you in peace when you wlak through a field alone yet will attack you if you walk with a dog, as they perceive it as a predator and a risk to their young.

2) Phobias though are not genetically linked. Nor are they hard wired for our own safety. We are pre disposed to fear lions, sharks and even human rejection, because they are naturally occuring threats to our survival. But this fear is not the same as a phobia. Consequently, we are not predisposed to be phobic about something. As said, a phobia is a learned response - an overreaction by the body's defense mechanism.

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Treatments of phobias come in many shapes and sizes, but most involve desensitizing the person to the object of their fear, so that they eventually learn through repeated exposure that the object will not harm them.

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3) Old school immersion therapy follows this route. Most successful interventions address the subconscious's reasons for creating the phobia in the first place. As a result, no desensitising is required. All that is needed is for that "switch" to be flicked back off. Mentally.

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1) Intimate knowledge as a therapist or as a patient? If the former, you are a rare member of your profession. If the latter, you might know more than an intro psych student, but you should probably open your mind to some other views.

I'm not a therapist or a patient, but i do have a PhD in psychology, so I think I can speak intelligently on the subject.

2) Read my post above. Fear of spiders is a positive genetic adaptation. These help us propogate the species. That's why a lot more people have a phobia about spiders than a phobia about baked beans (a phobia which has been documented, btw). It makes a difference whether there is a predisposition or not. By definition, a phobia exists when a fear is irrational. In the case of spiders, the natural, adaptive fear that exists overrides the knowledge that the particular species you see crawling around in your bathtub is harmless.

3) The most successful modern therapy is behavioural. One of the steps is desensitization. This means exposing the sufferer to a gradually increasing level of anxiety-provoking stimuli so they eventually learn it is not harmful. No-one does immersion (e.g., throwing the sufferer in a room full of snakes) anymore not because it doesn't work, but because it's fucking cruel. What you're describing when you talk about the unconscious switch sounds like a Freudian approach, which is about as 'old school' and outdated as it gets. If it worked for you, great, but it's not as effective as more modern methods.

And yes, Kornholio is right. Many phobics take longer than 5-20 minutes to cure.

All I will say is that it's well documented, and I have the knowledge and proof of this, of most phobias being removed in under 20 minutes. Most under an hour.

I do have my eyes very open. Maybe other people haven't?

And yes, you do speak intelligently - hence my intelligent replies back.

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Fear of spiders is a positive genetic adaptation. These help us propogate the species.

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In my, and other peoples opinion, this is poorly theorised. And is far from fact. In fact, it's very tenuous. Just like theories on Deja Vu. There is a difference between natural fear (as I touched upon) and a phobia. The latter being an irrational fear of xxx.

The counter argument to your baked bean/spider example is that, due to a phobia being a learned response, an event has to happen (or even picked up from someone who is phobic - more learned behaviour). As a result, it's harder to be in such a predicament with a tin of beans. Especially as other tins are being handled without incident.

As some people believe phobias to be learned responses, it's far easier for them to learn from other people - thus removing the need for the individual to be traumatised themselves by way of a S.E.E.

And this belief is backed up by the number of people who are being turned around in less than half an hour. Leaving behind months & years of alternate therapies, such as psychiatry. All of which backs up the belief I stated. In my circle, I don't know anyone who needed more than one session to remove a phobia. And that's spanning decades and thousands of case studies.

At the end of the day though, there are numerous therapies available and people will go to those they believe in and those they don't. Some will get fixed quicker than others. Some never will. But there's room for more than one approach.

So yeah, I am open and am fine for people to disbelieve or disagree. Naturally, I have more "time" for professionals to be in disagreement than some random guy off the street who has no idea (much like they have no idea on just how much Darwinism has been proved, validated and is far more than just a theory) but I am still accepting of all. :D

All I know is that any right-thinking person should be terrified to come home and see this:

http://www.fazed.org/blog/images/clockspider.jpg

Odds that I would've grabbed a camera to take a picture of that: 1000-1. Odds that I would've grabbed a bat and gone to town on the clock and whatever was behind it: taken off the board.

I hope that was a very small clock.

if not, the "thing" looks like it should be in a Godzilla movie.

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Originally Posted by Thunder

All I will say is that it's well documented, and I have the knowledge and proof of this...

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...yet you present none of it.

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Originally Posted by Thunder

I hope that was a very small clock.

if not, the "thing" looks like it should be in a Godzilla movie.

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Here's the whole series, which also shows the spider sans clock. It's fuckin' WRONG, man.

im just afraid of the cracken

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Originally Posted by Thunder

All I will say is that it's well documented, and I have the knowledge and proof of this, of most phobias being removed in under 20 minutes. Most under an hour.

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What Warpe said.

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Originally Posted by Thunder

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Fear of spiders is a positive genetic adaptation. These help us propogate the species.

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In my, and other peoples opinion, this is poorly theorised. And is far from fact. In fact, it's very tenuous. Just like theories on Deja Vu. There is a difference between natural fear (as I touched upon) and a phobia. The latter being an irrational fear of xxx.

The counter argument to your baked bean/spider example is that, due to a phobia being a learned response, an event has to happen (or even picked up from someone who is phobic - more learned behaviour). As a result, it's harder to be in such a predicament with a tin of beans. Especially as other tins are being handled without incident.

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Well, no. Fear of spiders is an innate fear that exists in everyone and for that matter in monkeys and apes. And if you read the rest of what I said, i draw the distinction between natural fears and phobias. So I don't get what you or these 'other people' are saying.

I'm not arguing that phobias are genetic. There's no genetic predisposition that can explain the baked beans phobia. What I'm saying is that the emotion of fear itself is to at least some extent hardwired into the brain and when an object naturally evokes fear it is more likely for that fear to overcome reason and for a phobia to develop out of it.

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Originally Posted by Thunder

And this belief is backed up by the number of people who are being turned around in less than half an hour. Leaving behind months & years of alternate therapies, such as psychiatry. All of which backs up the belief I stated. In my circle, I don't know anyone who needed more than one session to remove a phobia. And that's spanning decades and thousands of case studies.

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Sorry, but you are starting to sound like part infomercial, part cult member. Lots of grandiose claims and lots of mystery and strange terminology but no clear description of what exactly this method is or what the evidence is that it works.

Certainly if this treatment alternative is so much better than what's in the textbooks, at least one of its practitioners would take the time to document it in a scientific journal subject to rigorous peer review. Can you point us to this article? A book? A website? Anything?

Like I said, I'm not an expert on phobias, but I'm surprised I've never heard of this miracle treatment. That doesn't mean it's not possible, but I'd like to see evidence that goes beyond the claims of a single person.

They're totally harmless, but if you see a 6-inch wolf spider in your shower when you're about to enter it, I can tell you from personal experience that the first thing you do is cover your balls.

you guys are spending WAAAAY too much damn energy discussing phobia's, etc. Try this instead:

In GENERAL

If you are afraid of an inanimate object or activity (such as heights, etc.), avoid situations that put you near that object or activity.

If you are afraid of a living thing that is larger than you or can hurt or kill you, stay away from that living thing.

If you are afraid of a living thing that you are larger than and/or can kill and are in sight of said living thing, then kill the mother fucker (or have your wife kill it if you are a pussy, hehe).

Nuff said. Now everyone get pack to posting in the important threads like the "ifmywifelookedlikethisament" and "Official SEXY thread" and "Pictures that make you :lol:" threads.

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Originally Posted by DrivingDog

Sorry, but you are starting to sound like part infomercial, part cult member.

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my money's on the latter.

SPIDERS

that's what this thread is about

people over-analyze the shit out of things sometimes, especially when trying to prove that they're right

goddamn this thread went to shit in a hurry

http://media.bigoo.ws/content/gif/bugs/bugs_140.gif

^seems to be getting way worse recently

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Originally Posted by UG

people over-analyze the shit out of things sometimes, especially when trying to prove that they're right

goddamn this thread went to shit in a hurry

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maybe you should use your magazines to fix this situation

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Originally Posted by UG

people over-analyze the shit out of things sometimes, especially when trying to prove that they're right

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No, seriously. I covered my balls.

HOW ABOUT THIS HUDGE MOTHERFUCKER

THE ASIAN GIANT HORNET

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/7...arinia2vy1.jpg

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The stinger of the Asian giant hornet is about 6 mm (¼ in) in length,[1] and injects an especially potent venom that contains, like many bee and wasp venoms, a cytolytic peptide (specifically, a mastoparan) that can damage tissue by stimulating phospholipase action,[2] in addition to its own intrinsic phospholipase.[3] Masato Ono, an entomologist at Tamagawa University near Tokyo, described the sensation as feeling "like a hot nail being driven into my leg."[1].

An allergic human stung by the giant hornet may die from an allergic reaction to the venom; but the venom contains a neurotoxin called mandaratoxin[4] which can be lethal to people who are not allergic if the dose is sufficient. Between 20 and 40 people die each year in Japan after being stung by giant hornets.[5]

A few interesting notes on Vespa mandarinia's venom and stinger:

* The venom contains at least eight distinct chemicals, some of which damage tissue, some of which cause pain, and at least one which has an odor that attracts more hornets to the victim.
* The venom contains 5% acetylcholine, a greater concentration than is present in bee or other wasp venoms. Acetylcholine stimulates the pain nerve fibres, intensifying the pain of the sting.
* Vespa mandarinia uses its large crushing mandibles, rather than its sting, to kill prey.
* The venom of the Asian giant hornet is more toxic than that of most other bees or wasps, giving this species one of the greatest lethal capacities per colony.
* The enzyme in the venom is so strong that it can dissolve human tissue. On some occasions, the sting may be compared to the effects of a spider bite.
* Like all hornets, V. mandarinia has a barbless stinger, allowing it to sting repeatedly.

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start a friggin hornet thread, ffs. (wasps and bees allowed, I guess)

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Originally Posted by drmcboy

SPIDERS

that's what this thread is about

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Originally Posted by dalecooper

All I know is that any right-thinking person should be terrified to come home and see this:

http://www.fazed.org/blog/images/clockspider.jpg

Odds that I would've grabbed a camera to take a picture of that: 1000-1. Odds that I would've grabbed a bat and gone to town on the clock and whatever was behind it: taken off the board.

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This is the sort of situation where i wouldnt immediately fuck up the clock and what ever was behind it, but just get something long to poke it with then yelp and run when the monster behind it shoots out. This would obviously all be filmed. It would be then that id go for the old arachnophobia movie routine and get a can of aersol plus a lighter and flame thrower that sonofabitch to kingdom come hoping my house wasnt set on fire in the process. cruel...maybe, unnecessary...yep, totally worthwhile....AMEN.