Arachnophobia: Could you combat a fear of spiders? - BBC London

Arachnophobia is something many people can relate to, but what if they could combat it?
ZSL London Zoo's Friendly Spider Programme aims to help people combat their fear through a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnotherapy.
Catherine Moon went from not being able to look a photograph of spiders to now being able to hold them.
She said: "I would like you to know it is possible to take courage in both hands and to do something about it."
Video by Gem O'Reilly
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[@siceman105]

I'm sweating just watching this

[@juliandunn8412]

So was boyo saying "ye nah problem now, mate".

[@crawlzzz]

I literally solved arachnophobia in one night by getting drunk and going to take a piss outside when I saw a wolf spider. Felt an urge to pick it up that I just couldn't break while intoxicated so I just picked it up and that was it. Little guy didn't bite and felt cute on me and now I respect them again like I did as a kid.

[@runw1thscissorsYT]

Proof alcohol is always the solution

[@plate.armour_0996]

liquid kourag?

[@s0livagant_]

me personally i love tarantulas, but when i see those fast common house spiders with long legs i freak out, i think its the leg span and speed of them that freaks me out, but it makes me sad as i love looking at spiders but i cant get a closer look because my body uncontrollably panics, my mental self loves them but my physical body hates them.

[@mehitabel1290]

Well said! Whenever I try to describe my particular form of arachnophobia, I usually get some response like "Oh yeah, I hate creepy-crawlies too!" or "Ugh! I hate those spiders I find in my garden!"........... Whereas in fact, my sole problem is with house spiders. I can easily handle large orb-web garden spiders. And I wouldn't like to hold a tarantula, but it wouldn't panic me. Whereas when a large Tegenarid somehow found its way onto my sleeve recently................. I went ape.

[@juliandunn8412]

They move too quickly, I don't trust that.

[@Moneymyke357]

I would have a stroke.

[@sonasanil1884]

😂😂

[@kathysingh1510]

Thank you for helping people overcome this fear. we need spiders to co-exist with us. They are very much needed for our Eco System. They do soo much good with eating all of the insects and mosquitos. They mean no harm to us.

[@gamercreature2587]

Yeah I have the same fear I even start imagining other things as spiders and get scared for like a second.

[@Annabelle66633]

I have a house spider living with me that I couldn’t kill but I’m still scared of him😬😓🕷🕸👀

[@chrisx5127]

He protects you from dirty flies.

[@gracecash833]

@@chrisx5127last night I saw a giant spider on side of my kitchen wall I freaked the hell out I couldn’t go get a drink from the fridge then when I came back to my room I started to get goosebumps I don’t think I could live anymore spiders terrified me

[@sammylpt9076]

I looked into this program years ago but for me what works best is to just try to pick up spiders when ever I see them. So, sure, people probably think “yeah but if I could do that I wouldn’t be scared of them”. But with me I had to rationalise why I am scared of them. Tiny spiders, the ones no bigger than a pin head have little to no effect on me, actually spiders around the leg span of my thumbnail have no effect. But UK house spiders that are approximately 10-12cm (leg span) freak me out totally. So basically, every time I see a spider that’s small I always pick it up for a few seconds. And those that I can’t yet pick up I make a point to at least poke them gently with either a finger if I can dare to, or a stick or something. I’m not trying to hurt them. Over time however, it has worked. I’m now comfortable picking up spiders that are about 5-8cm and the really big ones I can catch with a glass or jug. Truth is, every time I try to pick them up, like this fella says, all the spider wants to do is run away. Obviously if they are dangerous it’s a different story. My bro had a pet tarantula but it never cured him of house spiders, I think like anything, you just have to challenge yourself and keep the milestones low. It gets a lot easier.

[@keithhughes4268]

I had a fear of spiders up to three years ago, had to get over it so bought an Australian tarantula spiderling, i now have 16 tarantulas in size from 150mm down to 20mm, and now have an appreciation for them.

[@clarebell5926]

Dave Clarke was on an episode of Animal Hospital in the early 90s where a member of the public was freaked out about a weird looking spider on the wall of a London estate……..i5 turned out to be a pregnant garden spider - the most common breed in England apparently! Lol 🕷

[@feliciadavenport3621]

Ok but when it was writhing around in that plastic container I almost lost it 😅

[@mehitabel1290]

Trouble is, the Friendly Spider programme assumes we arachnphobes are ignorant. Not so. I'm extremely knowledgeable about spiders -- and have no fear at all of large garden spiders here in the UK, or even tarantulas -- but I've yet to find a programme which addresses the specific loathing of the Tegeneria genus which blights my life.

[@dailydoseofmedicinee]

👋

[@captainireland1375]

I avoid certain places at certain times of the year because of spiders, meadows are the worst because garden spiders live there, those are probably my biggest fear and then the shed because house spiders and false widows, sometimes I go to dace my fear and pick one up but then last second I'm like no not a chance

[@tinterlight]

At this point I call only listen to this and not looking at the sidebar. Help!!!!

[@user-ee3lk8vj1g]

I almost cried watching this I have extrem arachnophobia

[@mrwizzardknight]

My mum needs this! Screw arachnophobia! 😤😤😤

[@ursula.m8265]

A spider bit me and the site got infected I had to go for a surgery so I have no sympathy for them.

[@thomasrichards460]

How'd that happen? House spider?

[@mrwizzardknight]

Are you from Australia? An episode of Peppa Pig got banned in Australia saying spiders are harmless when they are NOT in that country.

[@runw1thscissorsYT]

@@edwardvincentlaybournwalle4991read the comment again but slooooowly this time

[@runw1thscissorsYT]

@@edwardvincentlaybournwalle4991 Peppa pig just so happened to air in the pits of hell known as Australia

[@calvin9436]

talking about context but not getting it - the context is peppa pig being a show for children not knowing better, while firearms shown in movies won't cause any troubles, since they are already banned.. but sure thing, you could start deleting some spiders

[@angelwazeerah7261]

I'm really suffering from arachnophobia, I'm scared of this too much. Plz someone can help. I'm from Mauritius

[@neros1277]

I have no problem with cerral spiders or tarantulas or even huntsman. it's just the house spiders that terrify me

[@bazplayzyt6207]

No problems with hunstsmans? They're about as creepy of a happy spider your ever gonna find

[@WildeGeekRach]

I got here because there's a spider in my bedroom. I'm sweating buckets with panic. And I'm sleeping on the sofa! (trying to sleep anyway now I'm feeling itchy all over) 😭

[@jayp123]

Even I get creeped out by spiders

[@caelanshpak2007]

I have a terrible fear of I know we have to have them I just want them to stay away from me

[@christinamcilwaine350]

Beautiful creatures spiders our 🖤🕷️🧡

[@pastorbri]

hell nooooooooooooooooooooooo

[@kneatkneat8937]

I would not be cured arratic phobia

[@Gaggyboy8]

Arachnophobia is incurable.

[@inaliann]

wrong

[@rockandroll2327]

Spiders are so gross

[@rockandroll2327]

Spiders are disgusting and gross

[@mosestimothy2814]

Dear President Joe Biden,🙏🙏🙏🙏 Our offerings money to GOD is not a matter to God ,, But we must confess our faith about him .🙏🙏🙏🙏 Sufficient COURAGE.. Don’t worry about your cancers ♋️ ♋️ ♋️ 🙏🙏🙏🙏 There is no God except our God . Do casually what you must do or what you can do but beyond is God. Or no life or power beyond him . People or life style authorities or governments or by him and for Him. Without Him nothing moves . 😀😀😄😄 Never say you have Cancer. Confess in your mouth like an Indian doctor evangelist,,( say as he says) Myself and whole my family people have no disease. By God's Grace. Amen 🙏 We will always have sufficient courage ., But beyond this,,, Beyond is ,,, All our life we have to live carrying the following two chapters or verses Remember them as breast plate ,,, Once I did a very bold job beyond my capacity and God gave me a verse to encourage me . ( My family members are trying to vacate a lady I kept for rent as tenants,,) ___Philippines 1;-20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death----- But after two or three days again I was to live in a different kind of fear,,, So But this time not the Lord but I myself took a verse 1 Peter 4:1,2 ,, This is life But sometimes God gives comforts through his VERSES ,, Sometimes God sends some people like Titus as he comforted apostle Paul,,,( Apostle Paul says so ) Philippines 1:- But all our life we have to take Ephesians 6 Fight not with blood and flesh but authorities,, Take it as a part of our life and live with courage,, And life is also 1 Peter 4:-1,2 😁😁😁 We should have to live a HOLY life ,so beyond is sufferings in body for our own good so we must Accept it as life and try to keep our heart and mind in peace , A life of a Indian evangelist Dr Pusparaj ,( salem -5 TAMIL NADU india) his faith and confession is our good example to follow,,, He had no patients to his clinic many days,,, After a month time a patient came to see him ,,this Dr Pusparaj earned RS 5 from that patient as fees ,, That night he told God and offered God a share nearly RS 2 ,,and made a deal with God as long as you give me good practice ,I will give you this share as offerings ,, Because he had a big family of six sisters he had to feed them , He now says by God's Grace nobody in has family has any disease,, Confess this in you mouth , God like this evangelist Doctor I would say I would have no disease ,, Hallelujah Amen 🙏 Also President ,🙏👍👍 If we are aware how we are chosen,,(our past Desperate condition,,),,,( for example you were like a servant to President Barack Obama 😁😁😁) We will have lot of courage about God leads us in future as well ,,,( in the same way he chosen us from filthy ) Glorious,, To Much high position 🙏🙏🙏 ,,1 CORINTHIANS 1;-26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 🙏🙏🙏🙏 I want to encourage you with the same verse you told during your office inagural ceremony. Sufferings may last in the night but dawn or joy rejoice in the morning,,,,( Psalm,,) The night may be few hours or few years ,,,but we will have dawn 😁😁😁 We have to be more confident . You have glorious future in USA politics. It is very difficult for me when someone try to topple me by giving psychological or moral insults,, But word of God ,, Living God never sleeps , Living God's promiseses are true,, He will raise your head ... There is a big group or big country with it's full army and people are against God's people always to topple us . Following innocents , Giving them fear ,, But we should not doubt ourselves as mistake is in our side ,, Or frightened by however big group or Nation they may be ,,( philippines chapter 1) But they are not children of God,, But we are chosen We are chosen from a very bad background,,1 CORINTHIANS chapter 1 ... So we must be When we are innocents ,God will help us . 🙏🙏🙏 Topic:- Sufficient courage 1 Peter 4:-1,2 For example,, To help a my friend two loafs of bread ,I help my mom wash all her kitchen vessels otherwise she might forbid me from helping my friend the bread happily ,,she yells stops and insults,,)🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏👍👍