Understanding Arachnophobia

A child may become extremely afraid when they see a spider. They may burst into tears and run away from it. They may scream and call for help, asking someone to kill the spider. 

But some children show more subtle signs of anxiety. Their face may become flushed, and they start to breathe heavily. They may start to sweat along their hairline, and their hands may tremble. 

Some children may complain about bad dreams they had about spiders. Others may become upset when they think about spiders or read a book with spiders in them. 

The signs of arachnophobia can appear at a very young age. A person may experience more severe or different symptoms as time goes on. Some children outgrow their fear of spiders, sometimes for no apparent reason. 

Adults may show extreme emotions akin to children. They may cry, scream, or run away from a spider they see.

Some adults may freeze. They may be unable to talk or move as they stare at a spider. 

Physical symptoms may be more intense in adults than in children. Adults may feel like the room is changing temperature, experiencing hot or cold flashes. They may feel like their chest hurts or their throat is closing up. 

Most of the symptoms of arachnophobia overlap with a panic attack. During a panic attack, a person feels extreme fear and troubling physical symptoms that may make them believe their world is caving in on them.

The symptoms also align with numerous mental health conditions. Generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder share the same signs. What distinguishes arachnophobia is that exposure to a spider triggers the symptoms and nothing else.

A 2017 study analyzed how babies respond to animals and plants. It found that six-month-old infants expressed a higher fear response for spiders than other kinds of animals. This suggests that a fear of spiders is ingrained in human beings. More to that, the popular children's song "itsy bitsy spider", while cute, may have an effect on how children perceive spiders.

Spiders can inject poison into a person and leave bites that open the body to infection. They evolved with human beings millions of years ago. The sheer number of species means that most human beings have encountered at least one spider. 

This means that it is likely that human beings have evolved to fear spiders. This minimizes the chance of receiving a poisonous or infected bite. 

Fear allows human beings to escape from threats. A fast heartbeat and an increased breathing rate allow someone to run away and hide from danger. This further suggests that arachnophobia is an instinct that humans have through evolution. Another theory is that there are in fact, deadly spiders on this planet so back before we had a solid understanding of which where venomous and which were not, it makes sense that if a person died from a spider bite, who was one to assume that others weren't deadly as well?  It's clear that fear like that can easily carry down through the ages.

A traumatic event may inspire fear of spiders. Someone who receives a poisonous bite from a spider may develop a fear so they do not go through the same experience again. Witnessing someone get bitten may inspire fear, especially if the person bitten was a family member. 

People respond to trauma in different ways. Some people may experience a traumatic event like a bite and not become afraid of spiders. Other people may experience a seemingly harmless event that causes a phobia.

Family members can train a child to be afraid of a spider. If a child sees their parent run out of the house after seeing a spider, they will feel the encouragement to do the same thing. 

Parents may not inform their children about spiders. They may do this because they think that talking about spiders will make them afraid. But this just leaves the child unprepared to encounter a spider, which can result in a phobia.

There is no one gene that creates arachnophobia in particular. But there are genes that can influence the creation of chemicals in the brain and cause someone to feel more anxious. 

Someone with at least one parent who has arachnophobia is more likely to develop it themselves. This may be due to witnessing their parent's fear and replicating it themselves or due to genetics. Scientists are continuing to examine how exactly genes and mental health relate to each other. 

Many people feel disgusted when they look at something with similar features to a human being. Body hair, long abdomens, and large teeth are traits that human beings have.

Yet when an animal has them, they can induce disgust because the animal looks like but is not identical to a person. The human brain cannot reconcile the similarities, creating displeasure. 

Many spiders have these features. Looking at photographs of them can create a feeling of disgust, which can translate into fear.

Spiders have various cultural connotations. Some cultures regard spiders as symbols of creativity because they can make beautiful webs. 

Yet the spider web can also be dangerous. "Being caught in the web" refers to being trapped without any chance of escape. 

In Christianity, spiders represent the devil. Medieval writers linked spiders to witchcraft, poisons, and dark magic. These are associations that remain with spiders today. 

Many Halloween decorations utilize spiders. Some homeowners plaster their homes with giant spiders, portraying themselves as under attack. These cultural associations with spiders can provoke or stoke fear in someone's mind. 

Talk therapy is helpful for anyone with chronic anxiety. A person can sit down with a therapist and get to the roots of their condition. They can do so in person, or they can take advantage of online therapy resources. 

They can focus on the causes of their anxiety and try to come to terms with their trauma. They can come up with strategies about what to do when the memories of their trauma resurface. Deep breathing may be enough for someone to deescalate a traumatic situation. 

Exposure therapy involves exposure to spiders. An individual may take some medication and then their therapist will show them a spider. 

The therapy is designed to show the person that spiders are harmless. If someone shows extreme distress, the therapy will immediately end. 

A person can take their therapy into their homes. They can adopt an emotional support animal that helps them recover from panic attacks.

Many kinds of medication are available to people with arachnophobia. There is no medication that can help for arachnophobia in particular. But a person can try out a few different ones if their fear is persistent. 

Sedatives and Tranquillizers

Sedative medications slow down parts of the brain that produce fear. Tranquillizers are an alternate name for the same pills. Most doctors refer to sedatives as "sedatives," but a person can use either term. 

Sedatives are a good choice for people who have accompanying mental health conditions like psychosis. Their side effects include sleepiness and drowsiness. 

Beta-Blockers

Beta-blockers reduce the amount of adrenaline in a person's body. Adrenaline is what increases the heart and breathing rates, contributing to anxiety. 

Beta-blockers can also help lower a person's blood pressure, making it good for people with heart disease. But a person should take it in moderation, as dropping the blood pressure too low can cause problems. 

Anti-Depressants

Anti-depressants affect how chemicals in the brain work. Some anti-depressants reduce the chemicals that create depression, while others increase chemicals that alleviate the mood. 

Anti-depressants are intended for clinical and chronic depression. But individuals who suffer from arachnophobia can benefit, particularly if their fear makes them sad. 

Anti-Anxiety Pills

Anti-anxiety pills work similarly to anti-depressants. Some of them reduce chemicals that produce anxiety, but others bolster the mood. 

Anyone with any anxiety disorder can take one. They should follow their doctor's instructions, as it is possible to overdose on one.