Arachnophobia: introduction
There is no specific reason, nor a founded and concrete fear, but in fact arachnophobia terrorizes a disproportionate number of people. A chilling, persistent and unjustified fear, that of spiders, so much so that it becomes - sometimes - an uncontrollable obsession, responsible for real panic attacks.
The impact that fear of spiders generates among the population is shocking: it is estimated, in fact, that arachnophobia is the most widespread fear of animals, together with that of mice and snakes.
The spider, an artist of the quintessential weaving, weaves his canvas with dexterity and unique mastery: the patience, the precision and the attention of the plot and the weaving of his net are surprising. The arachnophobia does not stop only at the spider itself, but also extends to the cobwebs, its marvelous "architectural" works: the fear of the net probably reflects the phobia of being trapped, of having no escape.
Arachnophobia, like phobias in general, hides more or less serious psychological disorders: in fact, it makes no sense to be afraid of these small animals, but in fact, inexplicably, there is fear.
This is a clear example of how the human mind can condition ourselves: it is the sense that commands everything and, when we are no longer able to put a brake on reason, fear has the upper hand. Not surprisingly, arachnophobia is among the irrational fears.
Symptoms
If we can speak of symptoms, arachnophobia generates different reactions based on the "severity" of the disorder: in cases of severity, the fear of spiders is grafted simply by viewing a photo shoot of an arachnid. The reactions to the sight of a spider, whether small or giant, are uncontrolled and can be exaggerated in the eyes not only of others, but also of the arachnophobic itself.
There are various levels of gravity, starting from the simple repulsion to the sight of the spider, up to the degenerate obsession for the same, which results in panic attacks and irrational reactions, as well as disproportionate. The most frequent symptoms include sweating, wheezing, nausea and an increase in heart rate. In some arachnophobics, the typical prodromes of fear occur at the mere thought that a spider may appear within a room; the subject, therefore, is able to enter that chamber only after an abnormal mental effort, the only way to overcome the phobia.
Typical of arachnophobics is the sensation of being infested by spiders, of perceiving the legs running on the skin, as if the spider wanted to trap the human meal inside its web, to slowly eat its prey, gradually sucking its blood.
Having framed the fear of spiders in a symptomatic key, it is understandable that the term "arachnophobia" is a euphemism, for those people who are affected. Often, "healthy" subjects find the reactions of arachnophobics to the spider's vision too excessive, but the obsession - seen through the eyes of others - is often diminished compared to what it actually is.
To think that, in some countries, spiders are even considered a gastronomic delicacy!
Psychological analysis
Arachnophobia, like most phobias, is closely related to disorders - more or less serious - of a purely psychological nature: indeed, the small arachnids of nightlife obsessions and nightmares represent only a trivial expedient towards which to overturn our phobias . The dilation of the pupils at the sight of the "beast", the goose bumps, the perception that that distant spider is caressing the skin, the increase in heart rate and the sense of nausea are only the result of the imagination: nothing is real. Reflecting: how would it be possible that these small animals could harm humans? The arachnophobic must not believe to be a succulent morsel for the spider: the fear is unfounded. Reading the above, it is understandable that the first thought of a subject suffering from arachnophobia is: "easy to say!". Also in this case, the will to overcome the problem must take over: without desire and desire to heal (where the verb "to heal" fits perfectly to express the concept at best, considering that arachnophobia, for many, is a disease of all the effects), the fear of spiders cannot be eradicated.
Symbolic interpretation of the spider
The gruesome figure of the spider, with its huge head (seen by such arachnophobics) and its eight fragmented and thin legs, has long been a symbol of fear and terror. Even in this case, the immediate question is always the same: why the spider ? Certainly, the projection of the animal's figure magnifies its slender body creating veritable shadow monsters printed on walls and ceilings, which become the black princes of disturbing nocturnal dreams. Nevertheless, the fact is that the "real" spider who, shyly, hides in the cracks of the walls and in the most isolated corners of the house, is the victim: the man, a fearful person who covers his face and trembles at the sight of the beast, he does not realize that he is the winner of the eternal battle for the monster.
According to the thought of some authors, it is precisely from the spider that everything originated, thanks to its particular physical structure; for others, however, the spider is an intermediary for the afterlife.
By intertwining the psychological analysis with the symbolic interpretation of the spider, ideally it is possible to find the real reasons that trigger arachnophobia.
The weaving of the canvas symbolizes the creation of life: the fear of the web probably conceals both the anxiety of death and the anxiety of being trapped in a net from which one cannot escape. Probably, what greatly disturbs the arachnophobics, is the animal's industriousness in building his canvas, the patience mixed with intelligence in waiting for the prey, and the hunting, given that the spider feeds on its prey still alive after having them paralyzed in the canvas and stuck in its treacherous little paws, leaving them no way of escape.
Arachnophobia - psychological therapy ยป
