How to Overcome Arachnophobia

A phobia is an irrational fear that causes people to avoid the feared object as well as situations that could lead to contact with it. Arachnophobia is a fear of spiders. It is one of the most common phobias, but there are ways to overcome this fear.

Instructions

• 1

  Understand phobias. Knowing that it is an irrational fear and that the chances of harm coming to you are slim to none is an important step in overcoming it.

• 2

  Decide what your end goal will be. Would you be happy if spiders still bothered you, but didn't send you into a panic? Or would you want to be completely comfortable with them? Deciding on how much of the phobia you want to overcome will help you reach a realistic goal.

• 3

  Research spiders. People tend to be scared of the unknown. Knowing the facts about spiders should help you realize that your fear is misplaced (see Resources).

• 4

  Get comfortable with spiders that are far away. Look at pictures of spiders and remind yourself that there is nothing to be afraid of; alternatively, stand on the other side of a room that has a spider in it.

• 5

  Make a plan on how to deal with spiders on a closer basis. Go see a spider display at the zoo or visit a friend who has a pet spider. Walking in the woods is bound to take you past a spider at some point.

• 6

  Keep the phobia in check by regularly exposing yourself to spiders in some form until you are no longer afraid of them.