soapdragon Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 I have always been an arachnophobe and, before having children, often became hysterical at the sight of a large spider (and boy, do we seem to specialise in large spiders in this corner of Oxfordshire !) Theres not much that fazes me but anything with 8 legs sends me into a flat spin! Yesterday I took YS to the River and Rowing museum at Henley and they had a Big Bug Day with lots of scuttling things; 3 kinds of scorpion (fascinating) giant cockroaches, stick insects, snakes (!) and an amazingly beautiful praying mantis . Lucy, the red kneed tarantula was also being passed around and,with trembling knees and a cold sweat, I actually stroked her back and very soft legs! Had the situation been calmer (full of small children jostling and making a racket!) I think I would have actually been able to have Lucy on my hand ! Nicholas (YS) loved her (tho we ARE sticking with the hamster !) and,whilst I still don't think I could actually pick up a spider at home, I am sure I won't be such a lily livered wimp in future! I guess this is what they call aversion therapy ! Sorry to bore you but this is such a major step for me to have overcome this totally irational fear that I wanted to pass it on!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superkitty Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Well done!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken bark Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Sorry you lost me at cockroaches.... Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 I meant to add, but got distracted (ntohing new there then!) Has anyone else overcome a fear (heights, snakes ect) and how did you do it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 I want to say well done too. But.... my ED hates spiders and has held a tarantula, which she liked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Perhaps its because they are not 'scuttly' - they move very slowly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Well done you...I'm not scared of spiders and am called on frequently by DD to remove all types and all sizes from the bath but there is a certain size that I prefer not to pick up by hand and I think tarantulas would fit into that category. I've never felt the need to stroke a spider. Heights are my problem but I have improved. I remember going to the viewing platform with OH at the Sage Gateshead about 8 years ago and wanting to flatten myself to the floor - much to his embarassment as it's really not that high up!....however I have worked at this, and have come to realise that I am better taking the lift up so I'm not so aware of the height I am climbing to. I managed the inside viewing platform of the Empire State at night - another "cheat" but it worked ) because of the lifts and have stood in the middle of Table Mountain too courtesy of the cable car and ensuring I had a restricted view (whilst OH hung off the thing taking photos of the views and scaring me to pieces) and recently I went to the O2 to see Michael McIntyre with OH and a friend who had bought the tickets..I hadn't realised before we got there that we were way up in the gods (and that is a long long way up), but I think I was anaethetised by wine or MM was just so funny that I forgot..so the point of this ramble is I think it is important to keep exposing yourself to the things that frighten you and little by little they become more manageable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Wow, well done you. I am absolutely terrified of spiders and just the thought of touching a tarantula is bringing me out in a cold sweat! Mind you, I'm not as bad as my brother who quite regularly dreams that there is a spider crawling on him in the night and insists on switching the lights on to instigate a full scale spider hunt. Drives my sister in law mad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Eeeeeek! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 That's really impressive. I'm better than I used to be but I still turn over the page quickly if they're ever in a book or magazine. I don't understand my fear of spiders. I'm ok with other many-legged animals but scorpions and spiders make me over-react. Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Eeeeeek! here too... there's not much I'm scared of, but a spell living in Africa instilled me with a fear of spiders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Woohoo, well done you!!! I think London Zoo do a "Friendly Spider Project" for arachnophobes - kind of an immersion therapy and hypnosis day all in one which is suppose to result in each "patient" being able to pick up one of their resident tarantulas by the end of the day ... just wish they'd do something along similar lines for we frogophobes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zakjon-98 Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Well done! I had a pet tarantula for a while that I rescued as people were cleaning out a house that she had been left in and she was going to be thrown in the bin . I kept her for about 6 months but a woman who lives around the corner who takes animals into schools wanted a tarantula so she now lives with her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowberry Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Well done you! I'm very much like you, always having to 'call someone in' when there was a spider about. Having children made me a bit better, but not much! Then when I got divorced, I realised that there was no-one else I could rely on, so had instigated ways & means of getting rid of them (Argos catalogue ). A few years ago I took my children to a farm park & we eventually found ourselves in amongst lots of 5 year olds who were all holding a tarantula. Then I was told I had to hold it Well, I couldn't lose face in front of a bunch of kids, so I held 'Benita' & she was so sweeeet! The handler called her a hamster with 8 legs. In fact, I nearly got us one, but they don't do much, so I didn't. Now I'm loads better at the 'glass' removal technique, but still freak at the ones bigger than my hand, when they scuttle over to me in the dark, or in the bath in the morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 Snowberry - I am with you! I now feel confident enough to do the 'glass and card' trick to remove huge spiders from the house kindly but don't feel that I could pick them up just yet ! My sister is still terrified and has, on two occasions, resorted to spraying them with hairspray to keep them still untill OH came home....... poor spiders . It does make me wonder if there is some 'inbuilt' psycological safety thingy so that humans are naturally wary of things that may be venoumous (sorry, sp not brilliant! ) To my shame, I have only just discovered at the age of 48 (shhhhhhh! please!) that something is venomous if it bites you and makes you ill/die but poisonous is when YOU bite (ingest) it and are ill/die!!!!! Doh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 I just throw the cat at any spiders, Biscuit does a pretty good job with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
