Please help my with my fear.

[diggy415]

i hate spiders, and bought myself a rosehair a year ago, and was bound and determined to hold it, did i??? NOPE did the next best thing, sold it. Now im looking to get more, i think they are fasinating but not brave enough to hold, my reaction with things crawling on me is instant death, even though i can see it i would have to be strapped down to hold one so my arm doesn't fling it into space. lol even feeling a lose hair on me freaks me out.

[momakat]

[quote=1. I want to hear others fear of spiders. Why are you afraid? I will start it off. I am afraid because I do not know much about which species each kind is and they have too many legs. I just really creeps me out that they are so fast and have a bunch of eyes.[/QUOTE]

When I was young I was not afraid of spiders - in fact my parents had a hard time getting me to stop playing with them. Of course we were in AK and no venomous spiders there. I guess they finally got through to me when I had a spider that covered the palm of my hand and they totally freaked out - so now I have this huge phobia about spiders. And it didn't help when my brothers and their friends would chase me with daddy longlegs. *shudder* It took me years to be able to see a spider and not freak (and it was funny to other people when I would scream and run in the other direction, hop on chairs or counters screaming for help, etc). I can walk by the tarantula display in the pet shop now and not cover my eyes or shudder. But hold one? No way - at least not yet. Perhaps some day before I leave this world but not in the near future. lol

I have also been bit by a brown recluse - not once but twice. Didn't even know I was bit until the venom started acting. Because widow bites are more common that was the initial treatment I was given. A day later I was back in the emergency room and was diagnosed with the correct bite. Some doctors consider this spider more dangerous than the widow - and yes, some of the examples the surgeons showed me were horrific - but all I have to show are small scars about the size of a cigarette burn since I got treatment within a couple days, and followed the suggested actions in addition to the medications prescribed. The second bite was about 1 year after the first - and I didn't go to the hospital as it did not seem to be as severe. So I just repeated the 'actions' and in about a month or so it was healed up.

My mother, who grew up in the oil fields around Bakersfield, CA, has held wild tarantulas. She said that they 'tickled' her but was never bitten. The reason my parents did not want me playing with spiders was because they were sure we would be transferred back to the 'states' where there are venomous spiders and it was a bad habit for a 2 yr old to have.

We all fear something, well - most of us do anyway. It may be irrational but never silly - it is a real feeling for those with the fear and could be the result of a traumatic incident (or a fear instilled by our parents/family). If we want to overcome it - it can be done with time, patience, and the help of someone gentle. Hope this is of some help.

[Roofeo]

im ok with most animals really. except insects. dont no y, but they freak me out. me mum was scared of me lizards and snake when i first gotthem now she loves them, she'll come in my room and start talking to them, im like HELLO I DO EXIST but nop she'd prefer to talk to reptiles. LOL

[HavocovaH]

Step 1. Stop being such a baby. - Step 2. Pick up the spider. - Step 3. Repeat step 1 as needed. lol, just playing. you could start by petting it as much as you're comfortable with and then have a safe zone like your wrist starting out, put the spider on your hand, keep it in the safe zone, count to 10, put it back...then as you become a bit more comfortable with it raise the time limit to 15, 20, etc. etc. and widen your safe zone. just a thought, hope you get comfortable around them.

[VoodooChile]

I am not big on spiders, but my daughter just got one at the Tunica show..
I looked around for her, couldnt find her, and when I did..This is what I saw:
Puppy Dog Eyes...

[HisssssyFit]

I keep tarantulas and as such I could only speak with slight authority on them. I have held my avics but really as mentioned before they are really not the cuddly type that enjoy being handled. I've never been bitten, if I ever decide to handle the P. cambridgei I'm sure I'll be bitten, that thought does not scare me, it actually fascinates me but I'm not going to go out of my way to be bitten. They have an impressive set of fangs but I know if and when I do get bitten it won't kill me. The old world tarantulas from Asia and Africa are bad tempered and their venom are said to pack a punch, I've read a few accounts of people being bitten by them, noone has died and the worse effects lasted three days tops. Now of course should a tarantula bite you on an area such as a joint, it would be reasonable to expect some motor damage for a few days, those fangs are really bigger than a bee sting as mentioned before, but that's it nothing serious.

Feeling a spider walk on you is actually quite a wonderful thing when they are a certain size. My big girl made her way up my arm and across my shoulders one day, my shoulders felt as if someone was lightly pressing velcro on me. She was quickly recaptured but it was a wonderful feeling (to me) They are soft and much more pleasant to feel that say a cockroach or a millipede who have hard lil legs.

Those tarantulas that possess urticulating hairs are a bit of a problem, the hairs can cause blindness if they get into your eyes and you don't wash them out properly, but of course that is the worse case scenario. Sinus problems and itching may be an issue and one should really find out if they are allergic to the hairs before getting themselves once of those happy go lucky flicking new world Tarantula types, the Brachypelmas being a case in point and also I belive Rosies although I am not sure about the latter.

Can anyone here help you with your fear? Nope not a soul, only you can help yourself. You will have to face your own fears in your own time. How? What way will be the best for you? can't say. Take it slow and don't let it stress you. Some spiders you should be afraid of, then again some dogs too. The chances of you actually coming face to face with a venomous one is scant, so just ignore those lil housespiders you have in your corners and get a good dust broom.

I must commend you however, for asking that this does not become a spider bash. Bully for you

[VoodooChile]

I should add here, I held it, it felt really cool

[ChristopherD]

My mom was scared of snakes, so we went to the pet store and I took out one of the baby corn snakes and had her learn on that. She at first would just look at it and then get closer and closer until she could touch its tail. Then she would pet it. Then she put her hand under its body. Did small steps like this until she was able to hold the snake. Now she is looking into getting her own corn. The whole ordeal at the pet store took about an hour and a half.

	Corn Snake The Corn Snake or Red Rat Snake (Elaphe guttata) is a species of Rat Snake.

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

I actually find smaller spiders more spooking to me than a larger trant. I've handled many large trants and I was very cool after I saw how interesting they were but I'f I'm walking around the house and see a little spider, I just and go the opposite direction!! lol

[seduisant_sang]

Spiders are just absolutely beautiful animals; I would suggest, as I do to my friends, who have the same problem, that you look at some pictures. There are beautiful coloration patterns, much more complex than you'd find on a cat or dog (Assuming, hopefully, that you're not afraid of them) They have a general laid back personality, just sort of hanging out in corners, for the most part, and eating the occasional fly or whatever it may be. Before you can conquer your fear, you need to understand what lovely animals there are.