arachnaphobia?

[Leah.sings24]

I wasnt sure where this went so feel free to move it.

so... Ever since I was little i've been TERRIFIED of spiders. When I see them, I get shakey and pale and I scream and run and I won't sleep until I know its gone. Even then sometimes I have to check my sheets, walls, and pillows over and over again. If i'm thinking about spiders, every little itch causes me to panic and check. Sometimes I hypreventilate. It's pretty insane... But it happens every single time. Yesterday I saw one... And it wasn't a daddy long legs. I dont know what it was... But it just fell from the sky... I got so scared that last night I refused to sleep at all. I just curled up there checking everywhere over and over trying not to think about it... So is this arachnaphobia? If so, is it severe? And how can I help myself to come over it?

[Dr.Bobby]

Leah, many/most people find spiders creepy and react the way you do. I'm not exactly sure yours classifies as a full blown panic attack or 'phobia'. However, it does sound (at the least!) inconvenient and distressing!

What to do? Well, most people creep out about certain critters largely because of their appearance and perhaps their reputation, which is unfortunately distorted by popular culture, likes movies and books and the like. The antidote to distortion and myth and fantasy (which is what drives your fear here) is fact. So, I'd recommend you go to the library and find yourself a good book on arachnids (maybe with less pictures!) and fill in your knowledge gaps (which are currently occupied by raw emotion!) with fact. With time, the fact reassures you, so there's no room for panic.