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Phobia
i have a really bad phobia of brown recluse spiders. its getting to the point where i cant sleep at night, and im contstantly checking under chairs, under tables, on walls of smaller spaces, and on celings and corners of rooms when i walk in, and i always feel like somethings crawling on me. i feel like im going crazy, what can i do to get over this??
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You're just paranoid because your just thinking about your fears too much. In order to overcome your fears, you have to come face to face with it. It's actually natural to be afraid of spiders. Just think that your bigger than the spider. Motivation helps in the process. Another tip is to go see a psychologist.
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i know how you feel i am terrified of spiders and i think there crawling on me when im thinking of them. just try not to think of something else take your mind off of them
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Eesh. Spiders. Brown Recluse are nasty, yes, but I doubt you'll find them in your home. Still, the fact that you're very hyperaware about them is a little odd. Have you considered the posibilty of having slight Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? It's pretty common, and it affects people in many different ways- some people NEED to be clean, others have to check and re-check things constantly, etc. It's perfectly normal to be on-edge when OCD involves something a person fears. You may want to talk to your family about this, because they'll probably be able to A) calm you and B) help you overcome this. Good luck!
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Brown recluse spiders are, well, reclusive, and like to hang out in woodpiles and forests where people don't bother them. The brown leggy spiders in your house are more likely to be wood spiders, which aren't poisonous. Even if a brown recluse does bite you, you'll get a nasty sore, that's it, you won't die or lose a leg or anything.
That said, lots of people have fears that they know are irrational but they still have trouble dealing with them. My advice is to keep reading up on spiders... the more you know, the better you'll feel. Visit the zoo and see if they have spiders, and if they do, hang out with them a while. Go outside and look for spiders in an area where you feel open and safe. You might be going crazy but you're not there yet.
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You're not going crazy. I know where you're coming from, I happen to love spiders, but I'm completely terrified of centipedes ("All those legs!"). I was just minding my own business the other day, going through our DVDS in the entertainment center when the biggest, longest, leggiest, most disgusting, horrifying beast came out from betwixt Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2. Seriously, the sight of them makes me scream, run and cry, like one of those people on a Maury Povich "Phobias" show. I've been afraid to get a DVD out for a month now.
Here's the thing: there's phobia ("I'm afraid of brown recluse spiders"), and then there's obsession("I can't sleep at night.."), and then there's obsessive compulsions ("I'm constantly checking under chairs, under tables, etc..."). You could have a disorder. But no worries for now, I think you can stop this thing.
First step, find out more about these spiders. Know what they actually look like. They're usually brown or tan with a black, sort of fiddle shape on their backs. Hence, the nickname, "The Fiddleback Spider". Know where they can be found. Know that spiders DON'T just attack you in your beds. They actually have better things to do with their time like eat bugs and spin webs. They will try to avoid contact with you. But do know what precautions to take if you get bitten. Here's a good link you should definetly check out:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
I bet you know more about what happens when they bite you than anything. Arms and legs turning black and rotting off and all that. I think, in reality, most bites from these spiders guarantee an emergency room visit, but you don't have to give and arm or a leg for it. Anyway, I don't mean to under-estimate them at all, they are venemous, and can hurt you bad, I just mean, they get played up, and life's too short to worry about them. Its so easy to let ritualistic behavior (checking) take a little piece of your life here, and a little piece there. Eventually, it takes control of you. Rise against it, friend.
If you're still having trouble, and the checking gets worse, and/or you can't get the thoughts of them out of your mind when you know the thoughts shouldn't be there and you don't want them there, you might want to talk to a Cognitive Behavrioral Therapist. Sounds complicated, but they're just someone to talk to about your phobia, who'll help you change the way you handle it. I went to one (I was nearly suicidal and on a heavy dosage of Prozac) and my disorder (OCD), I'm proud to say, has never gotten a hold of me the way it did before the therapy, and I went for a good three years before having to go back on medication (I'm not on nearly as high a dosage as I was before). It helped me handle the repetitive thoughts, my biggest problem, on my own. If my small town has one, I'm sure you can find a therapist near you. If not, just talk to your doctor, maybe he/she could reccommend you to someone. If you'd rather try the meds, Prozac is good for this, but there are others.
Try finding an internet support group or chat room for people with phobias. I'm sure there's a great arachnophobia site out there.
Peace...
Shade
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I have OCD, and it's not OCD as the other person suggested. It's just a phobia. There are a few methods of curing phobias, but if this persists for more than a few months and it's taking up a couple of hours a day, I'd definantly see if there's some kind of a medicine you could get on. But avoid medicine at all costs.
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It's probably all in your head. Try thinking about something else the second the thought of a spider pops into your head. Change the subject immediately. If you still have this phobia, you might want to see some sort of psychiatrist or doctor, you might have a small case of something like OCD. Hope this helps.
-cindy <3
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