Phobias

Are there treatments for phobias?
I've got arachnophobia, Fear of spiders.

If you want you can answer with what you got, if you have one.

# 1 Write down exactly what scares you. Be as specific as you can. If you're dealing with a fear of spiders, ask yourself what about spiders frightens you. This step might cause you anxiety, but keep with it.

#2 Ask yourself what is the worst that can happen if you face your fear. For example, if you're scared of public speaking, then the worst thing that can happen is you'll embarrass yourself. This step is important because it removes the fear of the unknown from your phobia.

#3 Practice relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and tension release while holding onto a small object, like a rabbit's foot or worry rock. Once you're completely relaxed, read through your list of what frightens you and think about the worst case scenario. As your anxiety rises, go through your relaxation routine once again.

#4 Confide in a trusted friend. Explain your phobia and what triggers it. Don't play down your fear. Be as honest as possible. Decide on a phrase, such as, "Everything is fine," your friend can say when you confront your fear. When you hear this phrase, focus on your friend and the emotional support you're receiving.

#5 Confront your fear. Start small and make sure you have your friend and calming object with you. When you first confront your fear, try to keep the environment controlled. For example, if you're conquering your fear of dogs, go to a dog park and sit in your car as you watch the dogs. If you start to panic, make eye contact with your friend, who should repeat the support phrase. As you gain control of your anxiety, touch your calming object and go through your relaxation routine.

#6 Return to a situation that triggers your anxiety after you're comfortable with Step 5. Increase the intensity slightly. If you're confronting your phobia of dogs at the dog park, get out of your car on this second trip. On the third trip, approach a small dog. Increase the intensity once you're reasonably comfortable.

#7 Seek medical help if your phobia is debilitating and you're not making progress dealing with it yourself.

Hope I helped =]

I personally think the best way to get over them is to face them even though its so hard. If the phobia is serious enough there are a number of different treatments:
http://www.phobia-fe...

I have fear of spiders and fear of locusts and fear of grasshoppers and fear of cockroachs but I really dont care about it and im not intersted in overcoming these fears because it does not affect any part of my life .

ok thanx pwincezz irenemarie but its the thought of the hair's and it crawling on me and the fangs and argh im gettin shivers lol

go with what 'pwincezz_irenemarie'...
She seems to know what she's talking about..

I don't like any bugs but I wouldnt say its a phobia. I do have social-phobia. If I'm in a room with more than 5-ish people that I'm not very good friends with I have panic attacks so bad. I've been getting help but I can't rationalize my phobia. I also have OCD and my therapist says that my social phobia could be caused by an amplified self-conciousness about my OCD.

try cognotive bahaviour therapy. remember that when you go over what frightens you, you are infact re-inforcing it. it is an irrational fear, so trying to rationalize it isn't going to be simple.

you need to think of the benefits of not having the fear and focus on them...

like I have patients who are terrified of needles, and part of getting them to have their vaccine etc is by highlightin what benefit it is to them, not trying to focus on why they don't like it...

omg im scared of spiders 2 its one of my worst fears, but my biggest fear is death, and being afraid of spiders just akes my fear of deaths worst because I fear that if I get bit by a spider I could die from it, but I was actually recently bit by a spider on my ankle and I couldt walk and I had to go to the hospital to get medine and stuff but it kinda helped me not be that afraid of them anymore because it wasnt to bad and im still alive... but im not sure what kind of spider it was, it might not have been a very posinus one and thats what im really scared of ahhh I hate evn thinking about it andtalking about it

I only have 1 major fear that is someone killing me in a slow painful way ( not 2 be weird or anything )

I ♥ spiders and so called scary animals

I have a phobia of hairy feet and people messing up my hair lol... I don't know anything about that. I hate spiders lol

I think you should go with pwincezz' idea and also I have a Phobia of clowns, Of getting burried alive, and also claustrophobia.
My sister is Arachnophobic too.

I personally love spiders, but I hate any long human hair that is no longer atached to the head! weird hey, I just think it is gross. I have 8 dirrerent types of animals and I don't mind at all about thir hair. it's just something about long, detatched human hair. ew

oh and maybe start by gettign use to spiders that are harmless, like a daddy long legs or a little garden spider

I'm sh!t scared of daddy long legs and garden spiders LOL
I am scared of ALL spiders even those tiny lil ones that are smaller than a finger nail.

soz I don't no how to help you there!! pwincezz seems to no what she talking bout though