How to cure arachnophobia?

1 Nov 2010 | 17:47:33 Hi,

Firstly don't be ashamed of it. Arachnophobia is a very common fear, even for guys.

There are several ways to cure it such as hypnosis, exposure therapy, EFT and CBT.

Look into a few of those and see what you feel most comfortable with. Feel free to contact me if you would like more information on any of them. As I said originally though please do not worry about talking to a therapist. Arachnophobia is common and we are not here to judge you.

Hayley

3 Nov 2010 | 15:50:20 Hypnosis is best because it can get to change the memory of when you were afraid first of all
MarkRyan83 wrote:

3 Nov 2010 | 15:58:57 All fears are normal er are hard wired to protect our selves it's just when the fear affects a persons life c

4 Nov 2010 | 10:25:09 Hi Mark,
Well done for posting. It is your first step to being comfortable aroundspiders.
Being afraid of spiders is very common and is either something thatdevelops gradually or something that has a key event.
I know of a case where a therapist went to a house to work on a motherand they were chatting to the children. When asked one of the children said"When we see a spider we all run into the cupboard under the stairs andpretend to be scared". Clearly the mum was having an effect on thechildren. Because a lot of people have family that are afraid of thesame thing and it goes back generations they often think it is hereditary.This is not the case. We are very good mimics as children and we learn a lot ofour traits by watching our carers and unconsciously modelling their behaviours.This is great for the good things but if something negative is learned like aphobia it can seem out of our control since we are not aware we have learnt it.
The single event cause is common too. I have just worked on a lady witha fear of flying. She was fine until she had a flight with a bit of turbulence.This scared her. The next time she flew she was worried it might happen againand she was nervous. This stress built up and was added to the initial fearuntil it became a phobia of flying.
She lost that fear in 10 minutes. I then did a full trance for her andshe went up in a 4 seater aircraft and actually had a go at flying it.
I don’t know which of these scenarios most fits you but the fact is itdoesn’t matter. The past is the past what you are interested in is beingcomfortable when you know you are near a spider in the future. This, with thecorrect help is something you can easily achieve. There are many methods thatcan be used. As a clinical hypnotist I clearly favour Hypnosis. You overcomeyour fear in a relaxed and effortless way and you are always in control.
A positive future is within your grasp. You have taken the first step.Now continue, it is within your power.

5 Nov 2010 | 18:39:06 Hi Mark,

Take a look into EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) its very effective with phobias and although best results are achieved when working with a therapist it is effective when done alone.

Hayley

9 Nov 2010 | 17:30:59 Hi

Thanks for the suggestions.

Anyone care to suggest some books on EFT?

/Mark

7 Dec 2010 | 09:10:04 MarkRyan83 wrote:
Hi Mark, well done for taking a brave step and admitting your fear and wanting to do something about it. I treat a lot of phobias and like yourself, I see a lot of professional people such as Managing Directors, Doctors, Barristers etc, who find it highly embarrassing that they have this phobia. I am qualified in Advanced cognitive Hypnotherapy, TFT, EFT, NLP etc so use which ever method fits best with each individual client, sometimes switching methods. In most cases a rapid phobia cure fix is very effective using NLP and that CAN be conducted online. Sometimes a follow up mirroring some of the techniques, then applying them during deep hypnosis works well as a back up if the first session isn't entirely successful. I think you might prefer to see a therapist who is local as the face to face follow up might be required or somebody you feel you can get along with, but check out a few on GoMentor or their websites before you decide. You are welcome to contact me of course.

7 Dec 2010 | 14:29:53 Dear Mark
In the absence of any details, one self-help I have shared with clients that can work surprisingly well is very simple. I will outline it below.
Think about the trigger for the fear. Spiders are on the planet all the time but you only feel the fear sometimes. Identify when that is. (eg see it, see it running, if it gets close to you) Next, delay that moment. In your mind, imagine the spider just before that trigger moment. Name him (eg 'Oh, it's Henry again). Then move on to the next step (eg running) Stop the picture. Imagine Henry with a broken leg in a cast so he can't run very fast at all. Perhaps he has a crutch or a cane - be inventive) Now let him come closer. He has dark glasses on, perhaps a funny hat. He is trying to get home to his family - get food - get a drink whatever. Do you still feel the fear? You have to do it a few times every day.
Let me know how you get on!