Arachnophobia, when spiders become phobic stimuli. How to behave to overcome this zoophobia
arachnophobia is a psychological disorder that is within the specific phobias , they represent one of the best known but also common. Better known as “the fear of spiders”, arachnophobia is part of the set of zoophobias together with, for example, the very common fear of dogs , the fear of insects (entomophobia), snakes (ophidiophobia), birds (ornithophobia) among which the most famous is that towards pigeons , rodents (musophobia).
Arachnophobia: characteristics
Like any other specific phobia , arachnophobia determines a disproportionate and high fear of a specific stimulus, in this case spiders and sometimes very similar animals, defined as a phobic stimulus.
The level of activation generated by the sight or the mere thought, in the most serious cases, of a spider, is excessive compared to the real danger and threat presented by the small animal.
At the diagnostic level it is necessary to observe, in addition to fear and marked anxiety with respect to a specific stimulus, with high and immediate activation each time it occurs, as well as a disproportionate level of activation, also a persistence of the clinical conditions for at least 6 months with marked alteration of the functioning of the individual in different areas.
The activated behavior, in fact, tends to avoid any condition or situation in which the presence of a spider may occur, with repercussions at the work, social and relational level, with states of discomfort .
This happens above all because the overreaction is, more often than not, perceived as such even by the person himself, even if he struggles to control and manage it.
Arachnophobia: symptoms
The most common manifestations of phobia for spiders are excessive fear and anxiety with respect to the stimulus which, as already stated, activate avoidance behaviors of the same, which in the most serious cases can also occur only with the vision of the animal in magazines, advertisements, or just thought and speech.
In order to lower the tension, the person can activate a series of behaviors and attitudes aimed at avoiding the stimulus or reducing the intensity of the fear generated by it.
On a physiological level, there is an increase in heart rate, sweating , agitation and body stiffness, dizziness, redness, up to gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, and respiratory fatigue.
In the most severe cases and in the most acute phases, real panic attacks can occur . The onset can occur at any age although the incidence of onset in childhood is high .
The triggering factors are many: traumatic events in which one has come into contact with the stimulus that becomes a phobic object, an unexpected panic attack, a traumatic event experienced by others and therefore through a sort of “learning” of the fear reaction in front of to the given stimulus or for a continuous exposure to some familiar but also cultural information, on the danger of certain stimuli.
Arachnophobia: cure
The most effective intervention for specific phobias, therefore also for arachnophobia, is cognitive behavioral therapy . In particular, among the most used techniques are exposure, relaxation techniques and systematic desensitization.
L ‘ exposure is, without doubt, the most effective technique in the long term. In this technique the individual is gradually approached to the stimulus, step by step. The therapist therefore organizes a series of occasions of gradual exposure to the phobic stimulus, in this case the spiders, flanked by a cognitive restructuring of dysfunctional thoughts, replaced with more adequate ones and which reduce the level of activation and fear.
Exposure can be in vivo, where the patient is exposed to the live and physically or imaginative stimulus which consists in requiring to imagine the phobic situation or the stimulus. The latter form is widely used in the early stages, especially with severe cases where the patient does not feel like approaching the situation in person. In some cases the exposure can take place in a single long live session.
Alongside the more behavioral matrix techniques, work on cognitive aspects such as the restructuring of thought and more is associated.
Compared to drugs, it has been observed that their use is effective in the short term and for the control of high levels of activation in some circumstances, however it does not improve the level of general well-being and the functioning of the individual in different situations in the long term.
