MovieChat Forums > Eight Legged Freaks (2002) Discussion > Arachnophobic and no idea why!

Arachnophobic and no idea why!

posted 18 years ago by Ulfar_Orn_Kristjansson
10 replies | jump to latest

I am arachnophobic, I mean TERRIFIED of spiders and I have no idea why!
These things are pretty harmless, 1/100 our size and don't even hurt a fly!...wait...

Anyway, i think it's the whole "creeping up on you aspect" of spiders.
Sometimes you just KNOW the little funkers are out to get ya.
The way they walk, those eight legs creeping towards their pray.
Sure, it's an irrational fear, but dammit if I'll ever wanna hold one!

You people voted for Hubert Humphrey and you killed Jesus!- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

[–] tommykins-1 18 years ago

I felt that way when I was a kid. One day I caught a big orange and black striped garden spider (the ones that used to make the really big webs, and that you don't see any more). I caught it and took it to high school in a small transparent box about 3" across.

I was sitting in Chemistry class and opened the box just enough so it could stick the tips of it's legs out. The girl in front of me was making little noises and going, Ohh, ohh, ohh. My friend said something to me and I looked around.

Suddenly all the girls in the back half of the class jumped up and ran out of the room screaming. I looked at my desk and the spider had gotten out of the box and was marching across my desk.

Old Mr. Groot came out of his usual daze, turned around and started walking toward the back of the class where the problem obviously had occurred.

I had no choice. I reached out and grabbed up the spider just as Groot got to my desk. He said, "What happened back here?" I said, "I don't know, they just ran out." He asked a couple of other guys, then went back up to the front.

I put the spider back in his box, and that was that.

Except I was no longer afraid of spiders. That was over 50 years ago, and spiders haven't bothered me since.

"Prostitution involves sex and free enterprise. Which are you opposed to?" Joseph A. Hauptman

[–] Ulfar_Orn_Kristjansson 18 years ago

Wow. Thanks for a great, well-written, insightful and a slightly humourus reply.

By any chance are you a writer?

You people voted for Hubert Humphrey and you killed Jesus!- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

[–] tommykins-1 18 years ago

No, not a writer, but . . .

In 1971, I met my wife Evelyn while I was teaching mountain climbing (winter mountaineering). The next year, Evelyn and I decided that we weren't going to watch TV anymore. We felt that we would be happier and be able to think better if there wasn't any TV in our lives. This decision was easy for us, because we were very busy with activities, and we didn't have a TV at that time.

We were running 4 to 5 miles each day to stay in shape. Plus 3 nights a week Evelyn was attending classes at the University, working toward completing her Masters.

And I haven't seen a TV program since. Evelyn died in 2002.

My main entertainment is reading, and I have wide-ranging interests and read all sorts of things. I feel that because I haven't had the dulling effect of television, I feel I see things much clearer than other people, and certainly am interested in more "in depth" details about events.

Anyway, that may be why my writing seems different to you.

My advice for anybody who wants to have a full and well-rounded life is to put your foot through your TV and put it out on the curb with the rest of the junk.

"Stupidity got us into this mess, why can't it get us out?" Will Rogers

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Ulfar_Orn_Kristjansson 17 years ago

Do tell.

You people voted for Hubert Humphrey and you killed Jesus!- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Ulfar_Orn_Kristjansson 17 years ago

Yikes! O.O

I'm gonna get you, see? Hmnyaaa.

[–] metron4 17 years ago

Every phobia, by definition, is irrational, unreasonable. So when you say you don't know why you are afraid, you are fitting the definition perfectly. There may be an "inciting incident" that triggered the fear, but because logic dictates that what happened once may not necessarily happen again, you create a phobia about it. This is true for car accidents, dog attacks or peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.

The best way to get over a phobia is to confront it head on. In the case of arachnophobia, go to a pet store and have them place a tarantula in your hand. You will see the fear is all in your mind.

Not that I would be caught dead doing that, are you INSANE?! Tarantulas...blechh!

___________________
The mind boggles...

[–] msgrand 17 years ago

'The best way to get over a phobia is to confront it head on. In the case of arachnophobia, go to a pet store and have them place a tarantula in your hand.'

The first part is true. But having a tarantula placed in your hand is the last thing a person with arachnophobia would do. First, they would learn about spiders and look at pics of them. When they felt comfortable, then they go to the pet store and hold a tarantula. No doubt you had the right idea, it seemed like you were going from step 1 to 10 ignoring steps 2-9 in the process.

[–] DannX68 13 years ago

I've held a tarantule, they're cute :)
But again, I'm not arachnophobic. Was as a child, though.

...just sayin'...