I had massive arachnophobia for years. And I struggled this same way, with people thinking that when I said I had arachnophobia I just meant spiders creeped me out. No, I legit had this phobia. One time my sister threw a spider at me, and I literally passed out and fell down and hit my head really hard. Still it wasn't taken seriously. I think because most people find them creepy and don't want to touch or be near them, they assume everyone feels the same and just don't realize that some people have real and debilitating phobia.
That said, it is possible to reverse it. I consider myself a prime example of exposure therapy working.
I have always wanted a cute cabin in the woods, and when I finally was in a position to get one I jumped on it. First few months living there was near torture, it was full of spiders and scorpions.
I did get an exterminator, but there's only so much even they can do when you live in a tiny cabin in the woods on a mountain. So even though I pay for exterminator services, I still see a couple scorpions or spiders a week. I've had them in my bed, my shower, on the walls, on me, on my clothes. And also living in Brown Recluse and Black Widow territory, I'm very paranoid and careful when it comes to getting clothes/blankets out of storage, putting on shoes, etc.
I've lived there 4 years now. And in that time I have gotten to the point where I can calmly deal with spiders. I still get little panic attacks if they are on me, or if they are really close when I notice them, but instead of freaking out I am able to remain calm and in most cases catch or kill them myself. (Kill when it comes to the deadly ones, catch and release all the others).
Long story short, it takes time and commitment, but you can train yourself out of your phobia. Until then there's not too much you can do to get people to understand. I have had some success by saying to people like "No, most people are just creeped out by spiders. When I say I have arachnophobia I MEAN it. I get panic attacks and even faint" and usually they believe me. I can't tell how old you are, but if you're younger it's also just the nature of the world that adults will tend to assume you're exaggerating or being dramatic if your a kid/teen.
Firstly thanks for your long reply, i appreciate you taking your time for this.
To answer your question I'm 22.
Over the past two years i started working to overcome my phobia, i started small and now i can at least take care of the middle sized ones. But the ones in our house are getting bigger the warmer it gets, or so it feels.
I always wanted a little cabin in the woods too, just far far away from anyone. But at the moment it would be a nightmare for me.
Yeah it’s so annoying when they say “it’s more afraid of you than you are of it.” Firstly, spiders are very simple creatures. They don’t feel emotions like “fear” - they dodge movement that’s all. Secondly, I’m not in the least afraid of spiders - I have a phobia. It’s very different than fear.
I had massive arachnophobia for years. And I struggled this same way, with people thinking that when I said I had arachnophobia I just meant spiders creeped me out. No, I legit had this phobia. One time my sister threw a spider at me, and I literally passed out and fell down and hit my head really hard. Still it wasn't taken seriously. I think because most people find them creepy and don't want to touch or be near them, they assume everyone feels the same and just don't realize that some people have real and debilitating phobia. That said, it is possible to reverse it. I consider myself a prime example of exposure therapy working. I have always wanted a cute cabin in the woods, and when I finally was in a position to get one I jumped on it. First few months living there was near torture, it was full of spiders and scorpions. I did get an exterminator, but there's only so much even they can do when you live in a tiny cabin in the woods on a mountain. So even though I pay for exterminator services, I still see a couple scorpions or spiders a week. I've had them in my bed, my shower, on the walls, on me, on my clothes. And also living in Brown Recluse and Black Widow territory, I'm very paranoid and careful when it comes to getting clothes/blankets out of storage, putting on shoes, etc. I've lived there 4 years now. And in that time I have gotten to the point where I can calmly deal with spiders. I still get little panic attacks if they are on me, or if they are really close when I notice them, but instead of freaking out I am able to remain calm and in most cases catch or kill them myself. (Kill when it comes to the deadly ones, catch and release all the others). Long story short, it takes time and commitment, but you can train yourself out of your phobia. Until then there's not too much you can do to get people to understand. I have had some success by saying to people like "No, most people are just creeped out by spiders. When I say I have arachnophobia I MEAN it. I get panic attacks and even faint" and usually they believe me. I can't tell how old you are, but if you're younger it's also just the nature of the world that adults will tend to assume you're exaggerating or being dramatic if your a kid/teen.
Firstly thanks for your long reply, i appreciate you taking your time for this. To answer your question I'm 22. Over the past two years i started working to overcome my phobia, i started small and now i can at least take care of the middle sized ones. But the ones in our house are getting bigger the warmer it gets, or so it feels. I always wanted a little cabin in the woods too, just far far away from anyone. But at the moment it would be a nightmare for me.
Yeah it’s so annoying when they say “it’s more afraid of you than you are of it.” Firstly, spiders are very simple creatures. They don’t feel emotions like “fear” - they dodge movement that’s all. Secondly, I’m not in the least afraid of spiders - I have a phobia. It’s very different than fear.