All of us are afraid of something, whether it is due to trauma or a negative idea formulated about what we fear. However, what do we do when it starts to cause us an incapacitating and extremely uncomfortable discomfort to the point of paralyzing us?

In today's text, you will learn more about the meaning of phobia, in particular, the fear of spiders ( arachnophobia ), some common symptoms, and how to work it into treatment.

What is arachnophobia?

The root of the word is arachno, which comes from the Greek word for spider, while "phobia" comes from Phobos, the Greek goddess of fear, and can be defined as a persistent, irrational fear that results in a conscious avoidance of the specific feared activity, situation, or object.

So, if you combine the two words, you get " Arachnophobia "which is the Fear of Spider In an excessive and irrational way, the arachnophobia is the most common type of animal phobia in our culture.

The Phobia

A phobia is not always a disease in itself. It can be a symptom of another underlying cause - usually a mental disorder. In any case, the fear felt by people who have a phobia is completely different from ordinary anxiety.

Thus, fear, in itself, is a psychological and physiological reaction that arises in response to a possible threat or dangerous situation, while phobia does not follow a logic and, in these cases, is incoherent with the real danger it represents.

Finally, there are several types of phobias, ranging from an intense fear of social situations (social phobia), of places full of people (agoraphobia), to a fear of animals, objects, or specific situations (simple phobia).

Fear of Spiders (Arachnophobia) and the Historical Reference

The scientists who studied this fear of spiders explain that it may be a result of evolutionary selection. This means that Arachnophobia is an evolutionary response, since spiders have long been associated with infection and disease.

Furthermore, a UK study of 261 adults showed that about 32 percent of the women and 18 percent of the men in the group felt anxious, nervous, or extremely frightened when confronted with a spider.

On the other hand, the fear of spiders It can stem from a family or cultural trait: many people in Africa are known to fear large spiders, while in South Africa many people eat spiders.

Symptoms of spider phobia

Feeling of uncontrollable panic, terror, or fear over a situation of little or no real danger. Feeling that you should do everything possible to avoid a situation when faced with the appearance of a spider.

There may also be some physical and psychological reactions, such as sweating, tachycardia, difficulty breathing, feelings of intense panic and anxiety, etc.

Knowing that the fear you feel is irrational and exaggerated, but still not having the ability to control it.

Age, Heredity and Temperament

Some types of phobia develop early, usually in childhood. Others may occur during adolescence, and there are those that can also arise in early adulthood, up to around the age of 35.

So it may be a hereditary tendency, but experts suspect that children are able to learn and acquire a phobia just by observing the reactions of a close person in a situation of little or no danger.

However, the risk of developing a specific phobia may increase if you have a difficult temperament, are sensitive, and have more inhibited and withdrawn behavior than usual.

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Sum of the factors or "body of work

Researchers cite several reasons, such as the appearance, the fear of being bitten and dying, the agony of imagining the bug on your skin, among others, but certainly the threat of being bitten by a spider is one of the most cogitated.

For other researchers, it is not so much the fear of being stung, but the erratic movements of the spiders and that bunch of legs - even if imaginary - walking on your skin that causes great dread.

Thus, we can consider the sum of all the factors presented so far to get closer to the reality of the cause of this fear of spiders ( arachnophobia ).

Psychoanalytical Perspective

The phobia derives from a deep anguish that constitutes an important concept to approach this theme and, for this purpose, refers to traumas located in the human maturing process.

Thus, when there is a traumatic event, defenses are organized in order to avoid the occurrence of the same experience and it is with this purpose that the affection is directed to a new representation, culminating in the production of the symptom.

It is also impossible to dissociate the physiological aspects from the conceptualization of phobia. Therefore, it originates through varying levels of the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in combination with conditioning events.

ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases)

The phobia, for this view, is defined in terms of the nature of the anxiety about a particular object or situation; a specific and localized nature, different from what occurs in panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

For this reason, "an inappropriate separation of the cognitive and emotional aspects of psychological functioning" is observed in phobic disorders.

Another important feature of this approach is that the individual is aware of the irrationality of his fear, and it is therefore essential to distinguish an individual with a phobia from one who is experiencing a delirium.

Treatments (fear of spider)

To be diagnosed with a phobia, a person must fit certain criteria present in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association.

In sequence, there are three different types of approach that can be followed by specialists and patients: psychotherapy, the use of specific medications, or even a combination of both, all after proper consultation with a professional.

Finally, treatment for phobia aims to reduce the anxiety and fear provoked by illogical, irrational, and exaggerated motives, helping to manage the physical and psychological reactions resulting from this fear.

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Treatments (pharmacotherapy) for fear of spiders

Pharmacotherapy is also suggested as a form of treatment for phobia, through the administration of tricyclic antidepressants, Serotoninergic Reuptake Selectives (SSRIs), atypical antidepressants, or benzodiazepines.

However, it is important to point out that there are objections to drug therapy in combination with psychological therapy, under the allegation that the medication can mask the symptoms of the disease, impairing the evaluation and progress of psychotherapy.

Finally, supportive therapy and family therapy are also recommended.

Possible complications of spider fear

If not properly treated, phobias can severely compromise people's lives and lead them into extreme situations such as social isolation, depression, substance abuse, and, as a last resort, suicide.

Furthermore, since the causes of phobias are unknown to doctors and specialists, there are unfortunately no known ways of prevention. Therefore, seeking medical help is always the best way for people who already have symptoms.

It is worth emphasizing that phobia transforms common fears into real monsters in everyday life. We must be empathetic to those who have this kind of problem, not reducing their existence or ignoring their difficulties.

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