Arachnophobia: introduction
There is no specific reason, nor a well-founded and concrete fear, but in fact arachnophobia terrifies a disproportionate number of people. A chilling, persistent and unjustified fear, that of spiders, so much so as to become - at times - 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, the weaving artist par excellence, weaves its web with unique dexterity and mastery: the patience, precision and attention of the weave and the intertwining of its web are surprising. Arachnophobia does not stop only at the spider itself, but also extends to cobwebs, its marvelous “architectural” works: the fear of the web probably reflects the phobia of being trapped, of not having an escape route.
Arachnophobia, like phobias in general, conceals 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 much the human mind can condition ourselves: it is the sense that commands everything and, when we are no longer able to put the brakes on reason, fear prevails. Not surprisingly, arachnophobia is one of 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 triggered simply by viewing a photograph of an arachnid. 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 himself.
There are various levels of severity, starting from the simple repulsion at the sight of the spider, up to the degenerate obsession with them, which leads to panic attacks and irrational reactions, as well as disproportionate. Among the most frequent symptoms are: sweating, labored breathing, nausea and increased heart rate. In some arachnophobics, the typical signs of fear occur at the mere thought that a spider may appear inside a room; the subject, consequently, is able to enter that room 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 the blood.
After framing the fear of spiders in a symptomatic key, it is understandable how the term "arachnophobia" is a euphemism, for those people who are affected by it. Often, "healthy" subjects find the reactions of arachnophobics to the mere vision of the spider 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: actually, the small arachnids guilty of obsessions and nocturnal 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 skin, the perception that that distant spider is stroking the skin, the increased 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 cause harm to "man? The arachnophobic must not believe that he is a succulent morsel for the spider: the fear is unfounded. Reading what has been said, it is understandable that the first thought of a person suffering from arachnophobia is: "easy to say!". Also in this case, the will to overcome the problem must take over: without desire and will to heal (where the verb "heal" fits perfectly to express the concept at its best, considering that "arachnophobia, for many, is a disease all effects), fear of spiders cannot be eradicated.
Symbolic interpretation of the spider
The gruesome figure of the spider, with its enormous head (seen as such by arachnophobics) and its eight fragmented and thin legs, has long been a symbol of fear and terror. Again, the immediate question is always the same: why the spider? Of course, the projection of the figure of the animal magnifies its slender body, creating real shadow monsters printed on walls and ceilings, which become the black principles of disturbing night sleeps. Nevertheless, the fact is that the "real" spider that shyly hides in the cracks in the walls and in the most isolated corners of the house, is the victim: the man, who is fearful, covers his face and trembles at the sight of the beast. , he does not realize that the winner of the eternal battle against the monster is him.
According to the thought of some authors, it is 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, it is ideally possible to find the real reasons that trigger arachnophobia.
The weaving of the canvas symbolizes the creation of life: the fear of the cobweb probably hides both the anxiety of death and the anxiety of being trapped in a web from which one cannot escape. Probably, what greatly disturbs the arachnophobics, is the industriousness of the animal in building its web, the patience mixed with intelligence in "waiting for the prey, and the hunt, since the spider feeds on its prey still alive after having paralyzed in the canvas and stuck in its treacherous paws, leaving them no way out.
Arachnophobia - psychological therapy "
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