- Joined
- Jun 16, 2003
- Messages
- 1,022
a phobia is actually defined as "an irrational fear" by the dsm....so it isn't surprising if your new buddy is arachnophobic then it would actually indeed be an irrational fear
Arachnophobia:
- Thread starter MrArachnid
- Start date
jerrybears002
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2006
- Messages
- 1
Arachnophobe Here
Hey Mr. Arachnophobe here, do some research before you start complaining about peoples fear of spiders. I am a really bad arachnophobic so bad that i can have a panic attack when i see one. If I went to a room where there was a tarantula roaming around I would probably have a panic attack. I dont know what started my phobia because when I was younger i loved them until i was about 8 or 9. A true arachnophobic will experience exsessive sweating, not being able to breathe, heart racing. YOu have to understand people can't control their fear. I am sure the guy felt very embarrassed when screamed like a little girl and through your book because hello he doesnt know you. not likeing spiders and arachnophobia 2 completely different things. Usually if someone has a tremendous fear of the dentist, flying, heights, or in this case spiders. it usually envolves something that happened to them when they were younger like the age of 3 at the age where you dont physically remember what happens but mentally or emotionally you do you just dont remember. In some cases all it can for some people is a movie for example Arachnophobia. The majority of people dont even know why they are arachnophobic because they dont remember what happened to them as a child. And if you have a major fear of heights, flying, dentists, or in this case spiders they all can casue exsessive sweating, shortness of breathe, heart throbbing, or even panic attacks. For example what happens if you throw a claustrophobic into an enclosed space. Well lets see exsessive sweating, shortness of breathe, not being able to breathe, heart throbbing, panic attack, maybe even heart attack. And would you laugh at them. Seriously it isn't really funny. It might frustrate you and I understand because it frusturates the hell out of my grandma. You guys think we enjoy being Arachnophobic espeacially when you are a MAN, Hell no. It makes us feel like sissys. I am guy, I see a spider in my room I will not sleep their and I will be up all night. I see a spider crawl on my chest I will think there are a Gazillion crawling all over me, I have to change my clothes because I wont be able to breathe and I will shaking really bad like I have tremors, and I will start hitting myself for the fact i will think their on me. Since I saw a spider in my the other day I have to shake my clothes and empyt my shoes to make sure there is nothing there. I knwo sounds funny and to you it probably dont make sense but you arent the one with the fear. I thought the same thing about heights. How can someone be afraid. Im not its not that scary to me to be 60 stories in the air. But the reason could be is because that person might have been dropped on their head as a newborn. Like my neighbors daughter. She is afraid of heights and the only reason they can come up with is because she was dropped on her head as a newborn. all it is, is common sense. People dont choose their and people cant help it. But do you even know how much to cure your fear spiders and i would probably never do it unless if it were hypnosis. Which is what they use for about every fear. Hell some people said for me to go to a tarantula tank because it would over power the phobia, hell no, I would probably have a heart attack. There are little things you can do to make your fear not as bad by simply taking the appropriate steps. like for me how i start out is when i see a little spider instead of freaking and having somebody else kill i will try to do it myself and not kill. Or keep looking at pictures until i get use to seeing it.
Really bad arachnophobics will not enter a room where they know a spider is present. And i aint like that with little <edit> but my old room in the basement had a big ass wood spider in it 3 inch long 1 inch wide long ass legs dark brown silky body in my old room big ass wolf spiders i will never sleep in that room again when i go to that i have someone go in their with me becasue i am not able to kill them someone else has to. and this one i was packing and found a spider in my suitcase now when ever i have to open one someone has to check it out first. Also another story, I was watching tv i thought i saw something crawl accross my chest, i looked down, but nothing was their. started watching tv and this time i know something was right in the middle of my chest staring at me like. So , I look down and it is a spider now i am wearing an old itchy shirt with a pair of cut shorts. And Boy let me tell you i flipped out in complete rage. the little string on my shorts i thought were little spiders, i was slapping myself and shaking really bad, and i couldnt even gasp for a breathe of air. I had to change as quick as possible cuz i thought they were all over me. I am tired of this fear that why i want cured. People understand the Dentist, heights, flying but they just cant seem to understand arachnophobes. there all very similar. you might be afraid of the dentist because of something happening at the dentist when you were younger but people dont laugh about. People dont laugh at a claustrophobic. Oh yea and maybe someone is claustrophobic because they were locked in the closet at a young age by their brother, foster parents or own parents. All fears have to do with something that happened to you as a child but not being able to remember it as an adult because your brain wasnt fully developed to understand the mental compassity (spelled wrong) it had on you . most fears occur because of something happening at such a young. maybe a child was badly bitten bad a spider and was sent to the hospital at the age of 2. maybe they were bitten by a brown reclouse or a black widow, red widow, or brown widow. or maybe it was something not real poisonous at all but because they were so young it had a greater effect on them or me than it would to an adult.
All it is, is common sense really. And actually arachnophobia, if you knew anything about it is the #1 phobia in the world. like serioudly read about it all it takes is 2 minutes at the most.
And i pitty myself really, like i said earlier i feel like a major wuss espeacially since i can tolerate snakes hell i love snakes. I can hold a full grown python with no problem. i can even hold a scorpian. But it is those damn spiders.
All right y'all i just wanted to explain myself why we feel this espeacially since a lot of you, not all were sort a making fun of people like me. make sure you udnerstand something completely before you start saying how dumb, and stupid. Cuz we dont dont pretend to be afraid ok we really are.
That freind of your girlfriends was really afraid at the picture. Now i am not that bad with pictures but i dont cringe whenever i see one.
Hey Mr. Arachnophobe here, do some research before you start complaining about peoples fear of spiders. I am a really bad arachnophobic so bad that i can have a panic attack when i see one. If I went to a room where there was a tarantula roaming around I would probably have a panic attack. I dont know what started my phobia because when I was younger i loved them until i was about 8 or 9. A true arachnophobic will experience exsessive sweating, not being able to breathe, heart racing. YOu have to understand people can't control their fear. I am sure the guy felt very embarrassed when screamed like a little girl and through your book because hello he doesnt know you. not likeing spiders and arachnophobia 2 completely different things. Usually if someone has a tremendous fear of the dentist, flying, heights, or in this case spiders. it usually envolves something that happened to them when they were younger like the age of 3 at the age where you dont physically remember what happens but mentally or emotionally you do you just dont remember. In some cases all it can for some people is a movie for example Arachnophobia. The majority of people dont even know why they are arachnophobic because they dont remember what happened to them as a child. And if you have a major fear of heights, flying, dentists, or in this case spiders they all can casue exsessive sweating, shortness of breathe, heart throbbing, or even panic attacks. For example what happens if you throw a claustrophobic into an enclosed space. Well lets see exsessive sweating, shortness of breathe, not being able to breathe, heart throbbing, panic attack, maybe even heart attack. And would you laugh at them. Seriously it isn't really funny. It might frustrate you and I understand because it frusturates the hell out of my grandma. You guys think we enjoy being Arachnophobic espeacially when you are a MAN, Hell no. It makes us feel like sissys. I am guy, I see a spider in my room I will not sleep their and I will be up all night. I see a spider crawl on my chest I will think there are a Gazillion crawling all over me, I have to change my clothes because I wont be able to breathe and I will shaking really bad like I have tremors, and I will start hitting myself for the fact i will think their on me. Since I saw a spider in my the other day I have to shake my clothes and empyt my shoes to make sure there is nothing there. I knwo sounds funny and to you it probably dont make sense but you arent the one with the fear. I thought the same thing about heights. How can someone be afraid. Im not its not that scary to me to be 60 stories in the air. But the reason could be is because that person might have been dropped on their head as a newborn. Like my neighbors daughter. She is afraid of heights and the only reason they can come up with is because she was dropped on her head as a newborn. all it is, is common sense. People dont choose their and people cant help it. But do you even know how much to cure your fear spiders and i would probably never do it unless if it were hypnosis. Which is what they use for about every fear. Hell some people said for me to go to a tarantula tank because it would over power the phobia, hell no, I would probably have a heart attack. There are little things you can do to make your fear not as bad by simply taking the appropriate steps. like for me how i start out is when i see a little spider instead of freaking and having somebody else kill i will try to do it myself and not kill. Or keep looking at pictures until i get use to seeing it.
Really bad arachnophobics will not enter a room where they know a spider is present. And i aint like that with little <edit> but my old room in the basement had a big ass wood spider in it 3 inch long 1 inch wide long ass legs dark brown silky body in my old room big ass wolf spiders i will never sleep in that room again when i go to that i have someone go in their with me becasue i am not able to kill them someone else has to. and this one i was packing and found a spider in my suitcase now when ever i have to open one someone has to check it out first. Also another story, I was watching tv i thought i saw something crawl accross my chest, i looked down, but nothing was their. started watching tv and this time i know something was right in the middle of my chest staring at me like. So , I look down and it is a spider now i am wearing an old itchy shirt with a pair of cut shorts. And Boy let me tell you i flipped out in complete rage. the little string on my shorts i thought were little spiders, i was slapping myself and shaking really bad, and i couldnt even gasp for a breathe of air. I had to change as quick as possible cuz i thought they were all over me. I am tired of this fear that why i want cured. People understand the Dentist, heights, flying but they just cant seem to understand arachnophobes. there all very similar. you might be afraid of the dentist because of something happening at the dentist when you were younger but people dont laugh about. People dont laugh at a claustrophobic. Oh yea and maybe someone is claustrophobic because they were locked in the closet at a young age by their brother, foster parents or own parents. All fears have to do with something that happened to you as a child but not being able to remember it as an adult because your brain wasnt fully developed to understand the mental compassity (spelled wrong) it had on you . most fears occur because of something happening at such a young. maybe a child was badly bitten bad a spider and was sent to the hospital at the age of 2. maybe they were bitten by a brown reclouse or a black widow, red widow, or brown widow. or maybe it was something not real poisonous at all but because they were so young it had a greater effect on them or me than it would to an adult.
All it is, is common sense really. And actually arachnophobia, if you knew anything about it is the #1 phobia in the world. like serioudly read about it all it takes is 2 minutes at the most.
And i pitty myself really, like i said earlier i feel like a major wuss espeacially since i can tolerate snakes hell i love snakes. I can hold a full grown python with no problem. i can even hold a scorpian. But it is those damn spiders.
All right y'all i just wanted to explain myself why we feel this espeacially since a lot of you, not all were sort a making fun of people like me. make sure you udnerstand something completely before you start saying how dumb, and stupid. Cuz we dont dont pretend to be afraid ok we really are.
That freind of your girlfriends was really afraid at the picture. Now i am not that bad with pictures but i dont cringe whenever i see one.
Last edited by a moderator:
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2006
- Messages
- 147
Scared of spiders or not.....
If someone that I don't even know came into my house and threw my personal property across the room, that would have let to desaster. He could have handled it in a more grown up manner rather than messing with somebody elses stuff. I understand that many of you may say that My response may be childish also, but I disagree. If you disrespect my stuff while in my house, I'll simply eject you from it. Its really pretty simple. I'm also anti-socal and I've never been much for arguing. My girlfriend can go to their house next time.
As far as phobia goes, I can respect that. Spiders are not for everybody. He could have simply said he is scared, please put the book somewhere else. No problem.
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2006
- Messages
- 3,508
Does it suprize you that an arachnophobic person would have an irrational fear of spiders???It shouldnt , after all a phobia is an irrational fear .To expect someone to have a rational phobia would be illogical.
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2006
- Messages
- 147
What I read was that even after the book was thrown out of his view, he was still an idiot. Is this due to "phobia?" If so, I have an excuse for every stupid thing I've ever done.
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2006
- Messages
- 1,652
"YOu have to understand people can't control their fear."
jerrybears002
Im going to disagree with you. you can have your opinion and I value that, but I feel that one can control their actions in all events they are faced with. I have been afraid of many things including spiders and hieghts and I might just be a little odd but when something freaks me out I face it thats what ive always done. I have a fight rather then flight response. just because you have an irrational fear does not mean you need to act in an irrational way. you may have a flight responce to something but the way you run away from something that upsets you is your choosing.
scott
jerrybears002
Im going to disagree with you. you can have your opinion and I value that, but I feel that one can control their actions in all events they are faced with. I have been afraid of many things including spiders and hieghts and I might just be a little odd but when something freaks me out I face it thats what ive always done. I have a fight rather then flight response. just because you have an irrational fear does not mean you need to act in an irrational way. you may have a flight responce to something but the way you run away from something that upsets you is your choosing.
scott
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2006
- Messages
- 147
I've seen many people scared to the point where they run like hell as fast as they can in the other direction. Never have I seen someone so scared that they go twords what is scaring them, pick it up and throw it. If he was that scared, I dont think (I'm not a shrink) that he would react in such a way. I think he was just being an @**hole. I may be wrong, but I think his "irrational" reaction was not due to phobia, but due to lack of maturity. Or maybe a combination of the two. Like I've said, I've seen MANY people with a phobia for spiders and their reaction is always very simular. It has NEVER resulted in the person going twords the source. Although I'll agree, it is possable. But unlikely. I think he was trying to impress his woman.:wall:
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2006
- Messages
- 175
Just so we're on the same page here-
Functional definitions of irrational:
1.Without the faculty of reason; deprived of reason.
2.Without or deprived of normal mental clarity or sound judgment.
3. Not endowed with reason.
4. Affected by loss of usual or normal mental clarity; incoherent, as from shock.
5. Marked by a lack of accord with reason or sound judgment: an irrational dislike.
Functional definition of phobia:
1. A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.
@gumby
"just because you have an irrational [fear] does not mean you need to act in an irrational way."
You don't 'need' to, but that's what happens and what separates a phobia from a fear. If it were just a fear of spiders then you could rationalize it and confront it. You cannot rationalize a true phobia- it is by nature illogical and causes the loss of faculties that might otherwise be used to control it in the first place.
Unless the poor sap in the above mentioned two-year-old post was acting, the book throwing is a predictable response from a truly phobic person. A person with a fear of spiders might have rationally turned the book over, placed another book on top of it, or asked to put it away because it bothered him. A truly phobic person could not have the time or faculties present to do any of those things.
-Steve
Functional definitions of irrational:
1.Without the faculty of reason; deprived of reason.
2.Without or deprived of normal mental clarity or sound judgment.
3. Not endowed with reason.
4. Affected by loss of usual or normal mental clarity; incoherent, as from shock.
5. Marked by a lack of accord with reason or sound judgment: an irrational dislike.
Functional definition of phobia:
1. A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.
@gumby
"just because you have an irrational [fear] does not mean you need to act in an irrational way."
You don't 'need' to, but that's what happens and what separates a phobia from a fear. If it were just a fear of spiders then you could rationalize it and confront it. You cannot rationalize a true phobia- it is by nature illogical and causes the loss of faculties that might otherwise be used to control it in the first place.
Unless the poor sap in the above mentioned two-year-old post was acting, the book throwing is a predictable response from a truly phobic person. A person with a fear of spiders might have rationally turned the book over, placed another book on top of it, or asked to put it away because it bothered him. A truly phobic person could not have the time or faculties present to do any of those things.
-Steve
Oh yeah for sure, mayhem and destruction! He's the one who's gonna end up being thrown across the room for not behaving in my house
Apart from the fact that this thread is 2 years old
... if a guest came into my house and misbehaved disrespecting me like that, i just wouldn't be able to tolerate it, regardless if you have a legitimate phobia/fear or not... that is NO excuse for being out of control and behaving like a silly idiot in my face!
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2006
- Messages
- 1,652
I didnt bring this old thread up that was done by someone else but I do find it a very interesting thread as I study psychology.
wikipedia defines phobia in an interesting way:A phobia (from the Greek φόβος "fear"), is a strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities, or persons. The main symptom of this disorder is the excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. When the fear is beyond one's control, or if the fear is interfering with daily life, then a diagnosis under one of the anxiety disorders can be made.
another source I like is http://allpsych.com/dictionary/p.html which defines a phobia in this way:
Phobia
An intense fear of a specific object or situation. Most of us consider ourselves to have phobias, but to be diagnosable, the fear must significantly restrict our way of life.
I dont think someone with a true phobia could control their action the first time they came across a fear such as spiders. the 2nd or 3rd time they were introduced to their fear I think they may be able to control themselves better. I liked the part in the wikipedia def. that said "The main symptom of this disorder(phobia) is the excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject" I dont think the person in question would have gone towards the book if it was a true phobia. I also think the fellow in question would have left the house (if it was a true phobia) knowing there were several spiders in the house. I think it more likly he was putting on a show to gain attention. those are just my thoughts Im not saying you are wrong out a big IMO at the start of this post.
scott
P.S. here is some more info on DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR Specific PHOBIA http://anxiety.psy.ohio-state.edu/phobia-d.htm I think you need to have three of them to qualify ill go home in look it up for sure though in my hard copy of the DSM-IV
wikipedia defines phobia in an interesting way:A phobia (from the Greek φόβος "fear"), is a strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities, or persons. The main symptom of this disorder is the excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. When the fear is beyond one's control, or if the fear is interfering with daily life, then a diagnosis under one of the anxiety disorders can be made.
another source I like is http://allpsych.com/dictionary/p.html which defines a phobia in this way:
Phobia
An intense fear of a specific object or situation. Most of us consider ourselves to have phobias, but to be diagnosable, the fear must significantly restrict our way of life.
I dont think someone with a true phobia could control their action the first time they came across a fear such as spiders. the 2nd or 3rd time they were introduced to their fear I think they may be able to control themselves better. I liked the part in the wikipedia def. that said "The main symptom of this disorder(phobia) is the excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject" I dont think the person in question would have gone towards the book if it was a true phobia. I also think the fellow in question would have left the house (if it was a true phobia) knowing there were several spiders in the house. I think it more likly he was putting on a show to gain attention. those are just my thoughts Im not saying you are wrong out a big IMO at the start of this post.
scott
P.S. here is some more info on DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR Specific PHOBIA http://anxiety.psy.ohio-state.edu/phobia-d.htm I think you need to have three of them to qualify ill go home in look it up for sure though in my hard copy of the DSM-IV
Last edited:
being nervous or scared of spiders and people like this usually claim to be "arachnophobic". In reality there are actually very few true arachnophobes. I've sold tarantulas to counselors for desensitization practices before. The arachnophobes they treat have a spider in the same room with them. No touching or bringing attention to it. It's just there :}
I'm not arachnophobic... i dont like house and garden spiders, but would never hurt them or scream at their presence lol However.. i have a phobia of crickets, locusts and cockroaches especially LOL handy?! NO! lol However.. since having T's i can now touch crickets if they escape i can pick them up now.. so that phobia is going... locusts..well... i held one.. i jst sat on my hand..its when they jump i can't stand it! but cockroaches...urgh! Even just talking about them makes me squirm! lol weird coz i've not got a reason to be as far as i can see. I know they can't hurt me, and i know they wont.. and no1 else in my family is bothered by them so...who knows? lol
parrington21
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2006
- Messages
- 26
i live with my girlfriend and ive always wanted a smithi but never actually thort of getting one, then 3 months ago i saw a breeder selling some on e.bay so i purswaded her thats it will be tiny and she will hardley notice it and she as she was very scared, she came around and said yes but if it gets out its dead so i got it and she loves it, its only 1'' now then my friend saw mine and bought a A.versi she saw how blue it was and the colour it changes to and she asked me to buy one of them!!! i got it and a free B.emillia came with it, so shes gone from hating them, to dealing with it, to wanting one for her self and now she cant wait till its big enough to pick up!!! all this within 3-4weeks!!!
But she is scared stiff of the crickets?? (weirdo)
so i got it and she loves it, its only 1'' now then my friend saw mine and bought a A.versi she saw how blue it was and the colour it changes to and she asked me to buy one of them!!! i got it and a free B.emillia came with it, so shes gone from hating them, to dealing with it, to wanting one for her self and now she cant wait till its big enough to pick up!!! all this within 3-4weeks!!! But she is scared stiff of the crickets?? (weirdo)