Start by just forcing yourself to think about spiders. Start with the spiders you find least offensive, then move up to the ones you find most disturbing. When you feel comfortable with the thought of them, start looking at pictures of them, then when you can deal with pictures, move onto watching videos of them crawling around, mating, feeding, whatever. From there, move to observing them in a tank or terrarium, then observing them in nature. Keep pushing yourself with closer and closer encounters. Tap the web and watch it scutter away, or hold your finger out to it. Eventually you'll want to coax one onto your hand, (ID it first to ensure it's not venomous or aggressive, although that's probably not neccessary in the UK), and when you're comfortable with all that, provoke a less-dangerous species into biting you.

That's the basic recipe for dealing with any phobia, anyways. Start small and work your way up, even if you never get to the final stages of handling and being bitten, you should at least cope far better with spiders in the same room as you. If you don't have the willpower to force yourself to go through the first few steps, then I'm sorry, but you're going to be stuck with your phobia.

i have a deep fascination with spiders in pictures videos etc but that is seriously as far as it goes.the thought of a spider actually touching me makes me feel physically sick but having said that i also respect them and would never harm one

I've helped someone who was very VERY scared of spiders hold one. He actually enjoyed it! He also had lots of pictures taken as he said his family and friends would never believe him!

Anyone who lives near Hertfordshire is welcome to a bit of therapy!

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I am petrified of the 8 legged creatures.

The reason is I woke up when I was 4 with one on my face and ever since then they really, REALLY freak me out, to the point of if one is in the room and it hides, my OH has to tear the room apart to find it and then put it outside.

I'd like to be able to be in a house, on my own, and deal with it if one walks in.

I also have horses, so his stable can be an issue when there's cobwebs in the corners!

Thing is, I look at Tarantula's and don't think anything of it, but then see a pic of a normal spider and shiver.

Doing it now thinking about it.

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You beat me to it! Yes, "Daddy Long Legs" are indeed insects - they're really called Crane Flies. Not spiders at all! A Crane Fly is completely harmless; they cannot bite nor sting nor have any venom or toxin as the odd urban legend would lead some to believe. Adults don't even eat much (they feed on nectar!), if at all I guess its the long legs and the wobbly, unpredictable flight that unnerves people?

I'm going to echo other people's advice: Start small. Think about a spider (or even a cute, plushie version at first), and once you're comfortable you can start looking at pictures of some maybe even going onto looking at a real spider! I think patience and taking your time is probably the key

There are little pots you can get to catch spiders/bugs Bug Pots, someone can catch a least offensive-looking spider in one of these and you can look from a distance? These pots are pretty much air tight - they have TINY holes around the top and even if dropped the lid does not come off - they are really sturdy.

Hope I have been some help.

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I remember when I was about 5-6 I use to pull the legs of spiders (I was a kid exploring things) but one night I woke up from a nightmare about spiders and was a spider on my chest ,quite a large one (Strange or what?) It scared the life out of me and I was running all round the room.

Ever since then I've had a big phobia of them, and there is some very big ones where I live who live in my house to! Now I use to never do anything about them, if I seen one I would run a mile, If one crawled on me my arms would go warm and I would feel like am going to pass out. After a while now I have had no choice but to actually kill them. Now I know it's not nice at all, I really respect spiders for what they are but I just cant have them living with me as it freaks me out, and I wont go in a room with a big one unless I know it's not there (If anyone is hear who likes them would get them to remove them of course) I've tried catching them but I just freak out when it starts moving around and stuff and knowing I caught it alive, need a 10 foot stick with a catcher on the end really.

I've tried getting use to smaller spiders, but really I can only pick up money spiders, even small ones, try watching TV of them, look at pictures etc and it really don't help, I cant get my head around the phobia at all.

I have arachnophobia I never used to have it, but recently something just clicked and they creep me out. I generally am afraid of insects due to their abundance of legs and even wings sometimes

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"Have you ever licked a lamp post in winter?" -- Alistair, Dragon Age: Origins <3

i cant stand house spiders i freak right out ive even ran head long into a wall to get one off me as couldnt use my hand to brush it off ! BUT yes big but i have bought some Tarantulas my faves the 2 chile roses I have they are different trust Me.think its furry and dont think spider and change the way you think towards it.i cant still stand house spiders but love my tarantulas.if you know a good exotic shop go in and look at them and if you feel brave explain to the assistant and see if they will let you look closer.
My spider fear is still there but not as bad as it was

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Animals should be respected and protected, life without them wouldnt be worth living.

I agree theres nothing to fear but phobias arnt rational , As I said I keep tarantulas now and love them, but a house spider still makes me a wreck figure that one out, I cant

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Animals should be respected and protected, life without them wouldnt be worth living.