Arachnophobia: Overcoming Your Fear of Spiders
Spiders are scary: arachnophobia is one of the most common fears on the planet, and it's one that many of us are born with. It is estimated that somewhere between 3% and 15% of the population is arachnophobic, and many more have some level of fear of spiders or discomfort around the eight-legged creepy crawlies. This fear can be problematic due to how frequently spiders can be found around your home and outside, but if you're one of the many individuals who suffer from the fear, it can seem hopeless. Fortunately, this isn't the case: many treatments exist for dealing with arachnophobia, some of which you can try within your home. Learn about how you can overcome your fear of spiders with MosquitoNix®.
What is Arachnophobia?
So what exactly is arachnophobia? Arachnophobia is defined as an intense fear of spiders and other arachnids, such as scorpions and ticks. Like the fear of heights or the fear of snakes, this ancient fear has been passed down - likely due to the potential for some spiders to be quite harmful in certain circumstances. Fortunately, with medical advances, a spider bite from even the most dangerous of spiders isn't as life-threatening as it once was, and even a black widow bite is treatable when managed correctly. Knowing this, however, doesn't usually help alleviate the fear of spiders, as the origins can be quite irrational. Those who suffer from arachnophobia can be afraid of even the most harmless of spiders, and the mere sight of one is enough to provoke a fear response.
Managing Fear of Spiders
So what can be done about a fear of spiders? While an individual may not encounter spiders constantly throughout their day, we'll inevitably run into a spider or two now and then. Spiders are extremely common, and avoiding them can interfere with one's ability to have fun outdoors or go about their daily life. Even with a mild fear of spiders, it's good to work on that fear to slowly reduce your inability to confront them. After all, the more comfortable you are around spiders, the easier it will be to remove them from your home or encounter them in the wild. You might also learn a thing or two about which can cause harmful bites and which can actually benefit your home.
Learn About the Positive Aspects of Spiders
It might sound ridiculous, but spiders can offer many positive aspects when they're found in and around your home. Most know that spiders reduce the populations of harmful pests, but did you know that spiders can help aerate the soil and enrich it with nutrients? Spiders might seem scary, but they're usually a better friend to you than other insects you might find in your home. For example, spiders will eat pests like ants, mosquitoes, flies, roaches, fruit flies and more, helping to reduce the pests that enter your home.
This also helps to reduce the presence of disease-carrying insects. Flies, fleas and cockroaches can carry cholera, typhoid, plague and more, while mosquitoes can carry malaria and other diseases. Spiders kill those insects and keep you from getting sick. Of course, you might think that a spider bite itself is harmful, however, so perhaps it's best to just remove them in addition to the other pests. It is a common misconception that spiders will bite unprovoked. Like insects and bugs, most spiders will do their best to avoid you and will only bite if they feel threatened. There are rare exceptions to this rule, but those types of spiders are not frequently found dwelling in homes. As the saying goes, spiders are much more afraid of you than you are of them.
Expose Yourself to Spiders
So how can you put this information into practice? Fortunately, you're already doing it. By exposing yourself to spiders and information about them, you can slowly familiarize yourself with what they look like and how they behave - helping you to gradually overcome your fear. A great way to begin exposing yourself to spiders is by looking up information. In the process, you'll learn that they aren't so scary and will even see a few pictures in the process - pictures that may frighten you, but can be closely examined as they pose no threat. Find spiders that you're more comfortable observing or reading about. This might include jumping spiders - a type of spider that has a disarming look and is completely harmless to humans.
Beyond reading about spiders, you can work to identify the spiders you see in your home, and try to leave them alone if they aren't bothering you. If there's a spider in the corner of your basement, try to leave it be and observe how that makes you feel. Knowing the spider cannot harm you and will mind its own business can slowly help you acclimate to its presence. There's no need to get up close and personal.
Seek Treatment and Exposure Therapy
To completely eliminate your fear of spiders, you'll need to undergo a type of exposure therapy. This can include the methods listed above, but can also include interacting with harmless types of spiders in a controlled environment. Many types of tarantulas might seem scary but are completely harmless and are a favorite method of exposure therapy - they're even kept as pets by some. These shy spiders would much rather run away than bite you and won't waste their venom on anything that isn't prey. For advanced exposure therapy, seeking treatment will help you align a course best suited to your needs.
Consult Professional Pest Services
Of course, just because spiders can be beneficial doesn't mean they can't still be pests. Spiders can populate an area quickly, and even if you've become accustomed to their presence, you might not want them in your home. That's where MosquitoNix® comes in. We can eliminate excessive spider populations so you don't need to worry or think about them. Call us today to find out more.
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