Arachnophobia
Arachnophobia is the abnormal, extreme, and persistent fear of spiders, sometimes more specifically the fear of being of being harmed (such as bitten) by a spider or spiders. This fear generally applies to all spiders, including small and harmless varieties. It can involve much distress.
Books about phobias:
More general information about extreme fears such as Arachnophobia:
Extreme fears (phobias) such as arachnophobia can lead to a variety of disturbing symptoms such as breathlessness, difficulty in thinking or speaking clearly, dizziness, a dry mouth, a fear of dying, a fear of "going mad" or losing control, a sense of feeling sick, the inability to concentate, inability to make decisions that are usually simple, nausea, palpitations, shaking, sweating profusely, or a severe anxiety attack. Not everyone who has arachnophobia is affected by all possible symptoms, and some individuals may also have other reactions.
Even though many adult sufferers of arachnophobia (and/or other fears/phobias) are aware that their fears are unreasonable, many still experience severe anxiety even when just thinking about the subject or situation they fear. However, phobias such as arachnophobia are known and are a relatively common form of anxiety disorder that may be treated conventionally using cognitive behavioral therapy including exposure and fear reduction techniques. Drugs may also be offered, typically anti-anxiety or anti-depressants - particularly during the early stages of treatment. Other forms of treatment offered may include hypnotherapy, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or other similar therapies.
Note that the list of phobias in this section is not complete. There are very many more phobias, including some some obscure fears, that have specific names. See our list of phobias.
