Rant/Discussion: Arachnophobia vs Fear

[basin79]

I used to work with a bloke who was arachnophobic. And we worked on building sites/refurbishing old houses etcetera. The other blokes where absolutely terrible with him.

I wasn't there but I was told by himself and others that 1 day someone had turned his cup upside down and trapped a large spider (large for a UK spider that is) under it. Come brew time he sat down and lifted up his cup. He was terrified.

One of my mates was scared of spiders. She wouldn't even come into my animal room if I had a T enclosure open. She'd watch from the door if I was feeding any. So although she was scared she also had an interest in them.

Over weeks/months she got more confident and was able to be in the room stood up to being comfortable sitting down with my Brachypelma hamorii's (bloody arse hats changing that) enclosure being open.

She went on to own a number of tarantulas herself.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Just to clarify on this topic...

"A phobia is an irrational fear, a kind of anxiety disorder in which the individual has a relentless dread of a situation, living creature, place, or thing. Individuals with a phobia go to great lengths to avoid a perceived danger which is much greater in their minds than in real life."

@sasker Being fearful of something does not make a phobic, a phobic would avoid it at all costs, the aversion would be so prevalent it could affect their day to day life. You can decide for yourself what you have/had.

 

[vespers]

It could be argued that having a true phobia of spiders...one where you have panic attacks and irrational responses to their presence...and keeping tarantulas while having said phobia could be considered irresponsible, and possibly compromises the safety of the animals in your care. At some points you will have to interact with your tarantulas, whether it be cage maintenance, feeding, etc. If the spider reacts or moves in an unpredictable way, it could trigger your own panic response which may cause you to react in an unpredictable/irrational way. This may potentially create a scenario that could cause the spider to be harmed or killed. In some ways, it almost seems unethical for a person with such a condition to keep them as pets.

 

[sasker]

@Nightstalker47 I see what you mean and I agree with you. I do not claim to be a 'self-cured phobic'. I am not a psychologist, but I don't think there is a black-and-white difference between an irrational fear and a phobia. One could argue that a phobia is an extreme fear, or, in my case, a fear is mild phobia. Some fears are actually healthy and will keep you alive. Other fears - the fears I meant in the post you disagreed with - are irrational and annoying really. I was reluctant to go out in the garden because there were harmless spiders everywhere and I avoided the garage where I knew there were harmless spiders.

People with irrational fears/phobias try to avoid situations that confront them with their fears. This is one way to go about one's fear, but I stick to my earlier statement that this is not a real solution to the problem. In case of a strong phobia, I think it would be best to seek professional help. But again, I am not a psychiatrist

 

[grimmjowls]

I posted this before I remembered how judgemental this forum has been since I joined over a year ago. I'd rather a staff member just lock or delete it, really. I'm not interested in discussing it anymore with people who don't know me and just want to tell me how much of a trash T keeper I am.

 

[D Sherlod]

This post is discussing degrees of a fear,,,, from slightly fearful to full blown phobia.

If you have ever seen someone react with a full blown phobia....you will never forget it.
can result in anxiety attacks, heart attacks and even death.

 

[cold blood]

I posted this before I remembered how judgemental this forum has been since I joined over a year ago. I'd rather a staff member just lock or delete it, really. I'm not interested in discussing it anymore with people who don't know me and just want to tell me how much of a trash T keeper I am.

I've noticed this forum to be a whole lot less judgemental in the past year...like its a way more friendly place. Not sure what the issue is here, it seems like a good discussion, I don't see any of what you describe in this particular thread.

 

[D Sherlod]

I posted this before I remembered how judgemental this forum has been since I joined over a year ago. I'd rather a staff member just lock or delete it, really. I'm not interested in discussing it anymore with people who don't know me and just want to tell me how much of a trash T keeper I am.

I really don't think anyone meant to make you feel that way.
if my comments have contributed to that feeling .....I am sorry

 

[grimmjowls]

I really don't think anyone meant to make you feel that way.
if my comments have contributed to that feeling .....I am sorry

You're good!

Err, I'm not going to explain myself. I'm just not interested in the topic anymore. People can discuss it, but I'd rather not have fingers pointed at me anymore.

 

[cold blood]

It could be argued that having a true phobia of spiders...one where you have panic attacks and irrational responses to their presence...and keeping tarantulas while having said phobia could be considered irresponsible, and possibly compromises the safety of the animals in your care. At some points you will have to interact with your tarantulas, whether it be cage maintenance, feeding, etc. If the spider reacts or moves in an unpredictable way, it could trigger your own panic response which may cause you to react in an unpredictable/irrational way. This may potentially create a scenario that could cause the spider to be harmed or killed. In some ways, it almost seems unethical for a person with such a condition to keep them as pets.

While I don't necessarily agree, I do see your point...and its valid that many species would not help anything...but for phobics trying to over-come, this is one place where I think the common rose hair can be a blessing. Their general lack of activity can (it did for me) really help to boost confidence and relax myself in its presence...in time I became less and less worried until I found myself doing things I never would have before.

But yeah, I think a phobe with a fast, bolty t would be a hot mess.

 

[Nightstalker47]

I posted this before I remembered how judgemental this forum has been since I joined over a year ago. I'd rather a staff member just lock or delete it, really. I'm not interested in discussing it anymore with people who don't know me and just want to tell me how much of a trash T keeper I am.

No one called you trash, but if your not prepared to have a discussion on this topic why did you start a thread?

I'm sorry if I offended you it was not my intent, I admit my first response was rather blunt. Lets look at things from a broader perspective...

I for one have had a bad experience with bears, my uncle had a dog that was killed over night when I was a child, when I saw the mangled corpse it stuck with me.

I have always had a rational fear of bears, as I know the danger they can represent. I would never loose control of my motor skills or temperance in the many encounters I have had since.

I think you may be in a similar boat, as you say you can handle your Ts without issue, and that you are a good keeper. I fear bears to a certain extent, and it gets my heart going when I see them. However I am not a phobic... have a good day.

 

[grimmjowls]

No one called you trash, but if your not prepared to have a discussion on this topic why did you start a thread?

I'm sorry if I offended you it was not my intent, I admit my first response was rather blunt. Lets look at things from a broader perspective...

I for one have had a bad experience with bears, my uncle had a dog that was killed over night when I was a child, when I saw the mangled corpse it stuck with me.

I have always had a rational fear of bears, as I know the danger they can represent. I would never loose control of my motor skills or temperance in the many encounters I have had since.

I think you may be in a similar boat, as you say you can take handle your Ts without issue, and that you are a good keeper. I fear bears to a certain extent, and it gets my heart going when I see them. However I am not a phobic... have a good day.

Because I didn't expect the "You must be an irresponsible T owner to have animals you're phobic of" and I forgot people are willing to be so forward and judgemental. Instead, an actual DISCUSSION would include you asking how I avoid being irresponsible. Assuming I can't take care of my animals without an inkling of who I am is rude.

Some days, it's easier than others. I'm not saying I will never have an accidental death on my hands, but calling me, or implying I am, irresponsible was just uncalled for.

 

[vespers]

While I don't necessarily agree, I do see your point...and its valid that many species would not help anything...but for phobics trying to over-come, this is one place where I think the common rose hair can be a blessing. Their general lack of activity can (it did for me) really help to boost confidence and relax myself in its presence...in time I became less and less worried until I found myself doing things I never would have before.

But yeah, I think a phobe with a fast, bolty t would be a hot mess.

I agree, a mid-size NW tarantula would likely be the best choice for an arachnophobic person. Not too big, not too small, possibly not as prone to bolting or defensiveness.

 

[grimmjowls]

I don't have baboons. I'm not an idiot, I can test my limits and give myself exposure safely while still providing for my animals. I don't handle them, and I don't open their enclosures wide like a lot of keepers can, but does that impair my ability to feed, water, and pick up after them? Not quite.

I'm pretty sure Cold Blood, whom I got my first Ts from, knew about my phobia prior to sending them to me. If he thought I was going to just smash them any time they moved and surprised me, I'm sure he wouldn't have.

 

[D Sherlod]

I use to have an extreme fear of needles .. to the point that I would avoid medical treatment if I thought needles would be required.

My fear was so bad I would pass out just seeing the nurse coming toward me with a needle. Came too once with them prepping a crash cart.
yet I could go to the dentist and get a needle in the mouth......see irational
The last few years i had to have several surgeries ....as a result of constant exposure my fear is managable.
not gone but managable.

 

[vespers]

Because I didn't expect the "You must be an irresponsible T owner to have animals you're phobic of" and I forgot people are willing to be so forward and judgemental. Instead, an actual DISCUSSION would include you asking how I avoid being irresponsible. Assuming I can't take care of my animals without an inkling of who I am is rude.

Some days, it's easier than others. I'm not saying I will never have an accidental death on my hands, but calling me, or implying I am, irresponsible was just uncalled for.

My post was discussing the more extreme side of arachnophobia. The keyword being discussing; I wasn't pointing my finger at you specifically or anyone else. If that were the case, I would've quoted you or addressed you directly. I have no idea where you personally would fall on the spectrum of fear of spiders vs. arachnophobia. That's not for me to judge or diagnose, of course. There's no need to point fingers at yourself if no one is pointing them at you.

 

[Kendricks]

Phobias aren't just fears. They're disorders. They're not rational. You can't educate someone to get over their phobia like a fear. If they get over it, it's likely they never had a phobia to begin with.

Phobias are still fears. Irrational fears, yes, but still: Fears.
You can very well treat someone to overcome this (or any) phobia, as countless cases have proven.
To claim these people were not phobic in the first place is, frankly, extremely disrespectful and ignorant, especially for someone who's trying to play the "people don't understand!!" card.
You complained in this thread that you were judged despite people "don't know you" - yet you judge thousands of people you never met about their psychological disorders?
That's a little rich...

Phobias are no on/off switch, they aren't black or white, they can vary extremely in level of severity and just because some people's disorder was treated successfully, doesn't mean they never had it in the first place. It's psychology, not binary code, it's different for everyone.

People use the term phobia so loosely it's a little aggravating for the neurodivergent people of the world.

Maybe, maybe not.
Considering that a person that feels 'uneasy' around spiders can already be classified as arachnophobic, and that arachnophobia is in fact the most wide spread phobia in the west, I see no reason to assume these people are mis-using the term phobia at all.
As for "aggrevating for the neurodivergent people of the world", that... really triggers my red alert here, but I will not open that can of worms, yet.

 

[Andrea82]

Let's call in an expert shall we?
@spidertherapy78 ...got a case for you to solve....

Edit. Woops. Forgot to read the whole thread...that escalated quickly...

For anyone interested in proffesional diagnostics on (arachno) phobia, here it is
http://behavenet.com/node/21596

(DSM is one of the leading diagnostic tools for diagnose disorders)

 

[Kendricks]

@grimmjowls
@Nightstalker47
What do you guys disagree with?

 

[Nightstalker47]

I never claimed that a phobia isn't fear, I think that's blatantly obvious. What I said was just cause someone is afraid of something doesn't mean they are phobic, they could just be frightened, the average person is unsettled by spiders, that doesn't make them all arachnophobic. You then proceded to disagree with the definition of what a phobia is, so I could ask you the same thing.

Phobias are still fears. Irrational fears, yes, but still: Fears.

Considering that a person that feels 'uneasy' around spiders can already be classified as arachnophobic