What is Arachnophobia (Phobia of Spiders): Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

One of the most common subcategories of herpetophobia (fear of reptiles), ophidiophobia, is an extreme and overwhelming fear of snakes. Most people fear snakes, but this phobia is so extreme that it hampers an individual’s life, thoughts and normal well-being.

However, this phobia can be treated through several therapies and counselling over time. Navigate through this write-up to learn about the symptoms, causes and treatments of the same.

People with arachnophobia can get frightened in the following situations:

• Spotting a spider both in real-time and in pictures
• Hearing conversation on spiders
• Thoughts of visualising a spider
• Seeing a spider web

Symptoms of arachnophobia are very similar to symptoms of panic and anxiety attacks. However, these symptoms depend on the severity of the phobia. These symptoms can be of two types, physical and behavioural. The physical symptoms one may have are as follows:

• Dizziness
• Sweating
• Fast heartbeat
• Choking
• Cold flush
• Dry mouth
• Unconsciousness
• Upset stomach
• Nausea
• Numbness in hands and feet
• Losing control
• Tremors

The behavioural symptoms that one may have from arachnophobia are as follows:

• Avoiding places that have spiders
• Anticipating the visualisation of spiders
• Screaming, crying, running, etc.
• Freezing, being scared at the places of spider
• Choosing to stay in the comfort zone

The causes of the fear of spiders are still under research. However, some of them have been found already. These are discussed below:

1. Genetics

It is proven that phobias come through genetics. So, for example, if one has a family history of phobia or anxiety may likely develop a phobia. That is why if parents have any particular phobia, their children should be treated properly, so they do not pick one.

2. Evolutionary

Another cause of the phobia of spiders is also evolutionary. That means people react to the spiders and become afraid as a natural response for survival. For example, a study proves that 6-month-old kids may get afraid upon seeing the picture of spiders and snakes. So it is a primitive fear that has been continuously evolving among some people.

3. Traumatic Experience

Sometimes traumatic childhood experience with spiders also grows fear in people’s minds. Thus, for the rest of their lives, they tend to avoid spiders and get anxious at the sight of them.

4. Religious Belief

In many religions, spiders are considered an ominous and harmful influence. So the people believing in these religions may likely develop a tendency to get afraid of spiders. Therefore, culture and religion are triggering factors of arachnophobia.

Some potential risk factors of arachnophobia are as follows:

• Having a history of phobia
• People with arachnophobia in the bloodline
• The tendency to get anxious
• Having a history of depression, panic attacks, etc.
• Not seeing spiders in everyday life
• Having a history of substance use disorder
• Having negative thoughts about spiders

However, only risk factors dont lead to the extreme fear of spiders. Sometimes, people without these risk factors can also grow a fear of spiders. Further, it has been seen that females are generally more prone to arachnophobia than males. So, it is still under research whether it is also a sex-specific phobia. Researches also prove that there is no age for getting a fear of spiders.

The complications one may have due to arachnophobia include:

• Feeling extremely anxious
• Concentration and functioning disorder
• Visualising imaginary spiders

Besides, arachnophobia can lead to several other phobias, such as

• Daknophobia
• Apiphobia
• Entomophobia
• Spheksophobia
• Toxiphobia

According to the rules of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for diagnosing phobias, a physician may follow the below-mentioned process to diagnose arachnophobia:

• Checking whether the patient has had symptoms for six months or more
• How quickly one grows fear after seeing a spider
• Whether one tends to  avoid places with spider
• If one has any other underlying psychological complication
• Whether one can get anxious, almost every time encounters spiders
• Intensity of the fear

There are both medicinal and psychological arachnophobia treatments available for treating arachnophobia. These are discussed below:

Medications

Treating phobia with medicines is a common practice. Some of them are discussed below:

• SSRIs: These are serotonin-boosting medicines that help to reduce anxiety. Some examples of this medicine are fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline etc.
• Benzodiazepines: It is a calming medicine that is needed in extreme conditions. However, this should be used for a short period. Some examples are clonazepam, alprazolam, diazepam etc.
• Other Medicines: Asper the condition of the patient, a physician may charge other medicines such as blockers, sedatives and tranquillizers.

Therapies

Behavioural issues are prominent for any type of phobia. Thus behavioural treatments are necessary to treat patients. These include:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: CBT is very effective for treating behavioural disorders and mental dysfunction. Therapists will help people to face their fears and try to control the symptoms. Further, they will also teach life skills such as problem-solving, changing thought patterns, responding properly, etc. So, in this therapy, people will learn how to keep their body calm during an attack of phobia.
• Exposure Therapy: As the name suggests, it is about exposing people to their fears. However, the process progresses gradually and repeatedly. The main motive is to make a person familiar with the thing that he or she is feared of. For example, in the case of arachnophobia, watching insect-themed movies can help to reduce the fear of spiders. Slowly, people should start facing their fears in real life and be accustomed to controlling the symptoms.

CBT and exposure therapy can treat patients in the best ways possible. Thus they will learn how to face their fears and respond to them simultaneously.

There are a few strategies that can help one deal with the adversity of phobia symptoms. These are discussed below:

• Relaxing Your Mind: When getting extreme panic attacks due to any phobia, people need to relax their bodies. Hence, they can not do this in one go. So they need to practice meditation, deep breathing exercises, mindfulness etc.
• Taking Proper Care: Taking proper health care is also necessary to keep your body strong and ready for any adverse situation. So eating a balanced and nutrient-rich diet along with healthy lifestyle habits can help a lot in this part.
• Join Group Therapies: Group therapies for phobias can benefit individuals as they can get different tips and advice. Furthermore, they can also share their experience of phobia and get used to it.

Without treatment, the fear of spiders can last for a lifetime. People with such phobia suffer from the behavioural disorder, relationship issues and low self-esteem.

The factors that point toward your need to see a doctor for arachnophobia are as follows:

• Disruption in daily activities
• Insomnia or a disturbed sleeping schedule
• Being alone and unsocial
• Avoiding outdoors
• Confusion
• Lack of concentration in daily life

Arachnophobia, or fear of spiders is one of the very common phobias worldwide. Thus, the treatment procedures are also pretty available. One just needs to recognise the symptoms at the beginning and seek clinical help. However, there is a high success rate of treating arachnophobia with medicine and therapies. Almost 90% of patients have recovered from an acute phobia within weeks or a few months.