Fear of Spiders – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Spider season is now well and truly upon us here in the UK. Barely a day goes past at the moment where I’m not called upon to trap a spider in our house and then release it back out into the garden. And as well as the little house spiders, there have been some whoppers recently with dark, chunky bodies and long, thick legs.

If you have a fear of spiders then this can be one of the most challenging times of the year. During spider season, you’re more likely to encounter the little critters and they may well seem to be more active (I’m told it’s spider mating season so those male spiders are out and about looking for a mate). Sometimes they are just sitting there on the floor or ceiling, and other times you notice that bit of movement out of the corner of your eye and then turn and see one scuttling across the floor towards a dark space.

I’ve worked with many people to help them overcome their fear of spiders. Rather than feeling anxious, having to check everywhere you go, and struggling with panic when you encounter one, you can learn how to calmly and confidently handle, deal and cope with any spiders should you come across one.

Overcoming Your Fear of Spiders

If you have a fear of spiders, it may seem difficult to ever imagine being able to deal with them confidently and comfortably. And any signs of a spider possibly being present, such as a web, may be enough to set you on edge and make you tense. You may not even be able to look at pictures of spiders without some anxiety, and there can be some movies where you have to look away from the screen during a spider scene or which you have to avoid altogether.

And I’ve noticed how a lot of people with a spider phobia tend to scan the corners of a room when they go in, just to check whether any may be lurking in a corner somewhere.

There may have been a particular incident involving spiders that you remember and that seems to have been the cause of your ongoing fear. Yet it’s just as common for someone to have no idea what started it (it just seems to have always been a thing) or to tell me how other, close family members also have the same fear of spiders. And in terms of overcoming your fear and phobia, how it started is usually less relevant than how the anxiety keeps itself going (that anxiety persists even when you logically know, in the UK at least, that a spider is pretty harmless to you).

Dealing with Anxiety and Fear

Anxiety and fear can make us humans do all sorts of things that defy logic and clear thinking. When anxiety hits, every part of your body gets ready to tackle the threat and so you breathe faster, your heart rate increases and you prepare for action. In most cases, that action will involve escaping from the situation as quickly as possible.

With your fear of spiders you probably turn to whoever is close by and get them to go and deal with, or dispose of, the threat. Even after the spider is gone, you may still feel anxious, tense and on edge in case it comes back or another one appears. You can remain hyper-vigilant when you know that they are about the place.

You may be able to deal with the little ones and be just about able to get rid of them yourself. Yet the bigger ones, with chunkier bodies and thick, long legs may seem like the worst thing imaginable to have to do something about. I’ve helped clients who have told me stories about being trapped in a room when a spider is between them and the exit, with nothing to do but panic and keep their eyes locked onto the thing until help arrives.

Others have told me about throwing objects and shoes across a room to get at a spider, and one client had to then throw out any shoes that may have come into contact with a spider.  And I also remember a client who was petrified of all shapes and sizes of spiders and where, after a few sessions, we spent some time actively trying to find more spiders in the car park because she was so confident in her ability to look at them and be near them without feeling bothered.

Spider Anxiety Help and Support

We know that spiders can’t actually harm us, yet that doesn’t stop your fight or flight fear response from kicking in. Your heart races, adrenaline pumps through you and the threat of that spider seems all too real in the moment. At some point your mind learned to associate spiders with danger and that habitual pattern keeps repeating.

Yet we also know that isn’t the case for everyone. Some people absolutely love spiders! If you have a fear of spiders that may seem hard to comprehend, yet it just proves that your fear arises from your own current thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions. That’s good news because it means you can take charge of what goes on inside your head to change your habits and responses around spiders.

You may want to just be able to relax about the possibility of there being a spider in the vicinity, such as when you notice a web. You may want to stop freaking out if you see one, whether that’s in a picture, in a movie or in real life. And it may be that you want to be able to calmly and confidently deal with one whenever you need to, rather than having all that overwhelming fear and panic and then needing someone else to handle it for you. Once you feel calmer about spiders you won’t have to put up with little jokes from others about your fear, and you won’t have to worry about seeing one or about having a spider panic in front of others.

There really can be no more having to check rooms when you go into them, no more freaking out at the sight of a cobweb, and no more needing to flee from that little black thing when you notice it over there.

Whether you learn to love spiders is another matter. Yet you certainly can take back control and be calm, confident and comfortable as you maybe trap one under a glass and then remove it. And once you’ve confidently dealt with it, you can forget about those spiders and just calmly get on with the rest of your day.

To your health and happiness, 

Dan Regan

Award Winning Anxiety Hypnotherapist in Ely & Newmarket

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