--The following is for educational purposes only and does not constitute as treatment--
It is estimated that up to 15% of Americans have arachnophobia or fear of spiders.
Not all fears require treatment but for some people, if it is quite severe and functionally impairing, treatment might be a good option.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT and Exposure Therapy are often considered when addressing a phobia. Working with a trained professional is critical when engaging in a treatment. Initial steps may include psychoeducation about the physiological symptoms of fear and overview of the theory and science behind CBT and exposure therapy. Self soothing and coping skills like breathing exercises may also be discussed/taught to help someone feel better prepared to embark on something that will be activating of the sympathetic nervous system (sometimes referred to as the "fight or flight" response). Understanding the interplay of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors may also be discussed.
Eventually you may create a "fear ladder" or "fear hierarchy" with your therapist in which you rank feared scenarios according to distress levels you may feel in each scenario. Subjective Units of Distress (SUDs) levels with 0 being no distress and 10 being through the roof can help put a quantitative measure to fear and can actually be tracked throughout the treatment and exposure work.
Some exposures can start as "imaginal" or just the act of thinking or imagining the feared thing. Some can be looking at pictures or watching videos or clips of spiders (there's even a study that showing that people with arachnophobia who watched brief clips of superhero movies like "Spider-Man" and "Ant-Man" had a reduction in fear response) https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00354/full
With time and repetition, the feared response can start to diminish, scientifically known as "habituation." Tracking SUDS ratings and seeing them decrease over time represents the process of habituation and shows that things are moving in the right direction. Consider working with a trained professional if you have a difficult fear or phobia that is getting in the way of a better life.
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