Snake and Spider Phobia Help Request?

Unread post by **Silivren** » Tue May 28, 2013 8:31 pm

This is an odd request but I have a severe phobia of snakes and spiders. I'm trying to conquer that since so many of my friends love both and wanted to visit the insect and reptile houses when we hit the zoo. I don't wanna be the person that constantly shakes or who's heart is pounding so bad she can't go inside with them. Are there any tips on how to conquer your fear of these animals? I think it may be because I'm afraid they'll hurt me or the fact they look intimidating which is odd because I love sharks...

http://dragcave.net/user/Cylt · Unread post by **Dewclaw** » Tue May 28, 2013 9:45 pm

Try looking at pictures of them for starters. Do some research, learn more about them. Ask yourself why you're afraid and then make a list of why you shouldn't be.

Unread post by **Silivren** » Tue May 28, 2013 10:34 pm

I know I'm mostly afraid of both because of horror stories I've heard about this spider or that snake etc. I also think it's because they're tiny and to me couldn't easily be spotted so I'm afraid that I could turn around or try to sit down in a park and there's a snake that will bite me for disturbing it even if I didn't see it.

Unread post by **ashdawn** » Wed May 29, 2013 8:23 am

I cant help with spiders but with snakes:

Think of them as literally a giant worm and get yourself ever closer to them I used to be really scared but I actually got to the point where once I was in a show thingy and someone put a huuuge snake on my neck, I was so happy

plus is zoos they are behind glass and stuff, so yeah

I dont fear things behind glass or gloves, even if it means making your skin untouchable so you have no fear of being bitten

I held a spider with gloves on once. it was scary but it helped it

sometimes you gotta go in head first but not to far

(tip: take my advice with caution, its only that i've used personally)

Unread post by **Silvershade** » Wed May 29, 2013 4:32 pm

I've never been scared of snakes (or spiders, but I don't know as much about them, heh), so I'm not sure how much help I can be, but I think one of the best ways to get over a phobia is education.
Not many snakes are venomous, I think around 450, and considering there's 2,790+ snakes with more to be discovered, that really isn't a lot. Around 20 people are killed annually by snakes in the US (people mostly get bitten while trying to kill them or touch them), that's less than the amount of people killed by sharks, dogs, and lightning!

You could also try looking at photos of snakes, or talking to people who are passionate about them. There are plenty of reptile forums around, and I'm sure some people would even be willing to let you come and see their snakes, and if you feel comfortable enough, hold them (oh god that sounded silly).

There's nothing wrong with being scared of snakes as long as you don't go around killing harmless, non-venomous snakes for no good reason (I've seen so many photos of people proudly showing some banded water snake or rat snake they've killed (in the most gruesome, inhumane ways, I might add) because 'it was totally a cottonmouth you guys!'), so take it at your own pace! I'm just glad to see someone trying to get over their fear. It's a very brave thing to do, and to people who are interested in herpetology, quite encouraging.

Unread post by **Wain** » Wed May 29, 2013 10:20 pm

Is it all of them, or just some? I ask because I find a lot of spiders really creepy - black, shiny spiders the worst, but I don't mind brightly coloured orb spiders, green garden spiders, and think jumping spiders are rather cute. So if they don't all creep you out it might be best to start with something you don't find so bad and gradually get yourself used to them. Same with snakes... maybe if you find pythons or brightly coloured snakes less creepy then get used to them that way.

At least you're not ashamed of your fear. It's a normal survival instinct that is programmed in all of us to some extent. We're naturally supposed to steer clear of snakes and spiders for a very good reason.

Unread post by **Silivren** » Wed May 29, 2013 11:02 pm

I have been trying pictures! I've discovered I find jumping spiders really cute. Black Widows and Brown Recluses terrify me still though. I think it's because I know they're dangerous and want to stay away from them.

Oddly enough I don't have this problem I've noticed with snakes, I find Gaboon Vipers to very pretty and I am told that they're very dangerous. I don't know anyone who has either pet in real life but I've seen pet stores where they sell snakes. My only fear there is sometimes I've noticed the employees don't know how to handle the snakes. I'm no snake specialist but I'm pretty sure they weren't holding these animals right when I saw them care for them. It kinda made me angry and there was a little bitty corn snake and he looked so sad...

Unread post by **ashdawn** » Thu May 30, 2013 4:41 am

Its probably a good idea to be scared of Black Widows and Brown Recluses because you can kinda die.

Unread post by **Rhyela** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:20 pm

I don't know why, but even as a child I don't think I ever feared snakes or spiders (or bats or sharks or bugs.....). I always found them fascinating. I think what helped is that I also used to read lots of animal books when I was little; I rented them from the school library all the time. The more I learned about them, the more I realized just how amazing they really are. And of course, the kids' books have plenty of pictures, so I think that helped too. They even taught about the dangerous ones like brown recluses and such, so from a young age I had an idea of what to watch out for. Not that I can identify every creature that I come across, but at least I had an idea. But yeah, the books taught the nitty-gritty facts of course, but also neat things like the tiniest shark or the biggest snake, and I always thought that was so cool to learn about.

I guess my suggestion would be to borrow some books from the library, even if they're children's books. I still think they're a great place to start even if you're an adult, because they tend to explain things in a fun and engaging way. Heck, I still buy kids' books every once in a while.

Learn all you can and you might just see that there's not as much to fear as you think.

I own a corn snake and four tarantulas, and I can promise you that they are about as non-threatening as you can get. My tarantulas would rather run and hide when I put my hand inside their tank, and my corn snake just wants to know what's going on. He's so curious it's adorable.

So yeah, try to learn about them and see where it goes!

Unread post by **Castile** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 4:30 am

Being Australian I have exposure to both so once you're around them all the time or are educated as much as we are as kids (ie Brown is bad lol) its not so bad. Do you have a thing like the snake man in America? He comes around to schools with his Pythons so you can touch them and see snakes are scared animals too that dont want to hurt us but do it as a defense. Maybe if you held a non deadly snake and had someone talk to you about them they wouldn't be so scary

Spiders are a bit different. They are mostly deadly here so we kinda get taught to stay the F away from them. Even little ones like White Tails and Red Backs are the worst. The massive Huntsmans which you aren't meant to be scared of probably make me run a mile the most!! Again if someone has a pet or a maybe look for a zoo program where they can teach you about them, I think the more information you have the less you will be scared.

Saying that theres no shame in fearing something, especially animals that can potentially harm you even if its not intential on their behalf. (I'm scared of Bees myself)

Unread post by **Slapperfish** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 5:10 pm

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Unread post by **Rhyela** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:20 pm

Well, that could be a bad idea if she's too scared to even open the tanks to feed them for fear they'll go straight for the jugular.

It could help get rid of the fear, yes, but it could be very bad for the animal if she isn't able to care for them due to her fears. Baby steps!

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