New fears or phobias, not specific to trauma

[Gs172003]

Yep. I have plenty of significant fears, but when it comes to Huntsmen, it hits a level of irrational that is unique.

Mostly I throw cbt at fears if they’re starting to get out of control because most things in this world aren’t worth that kind of emotional energy!!

Just curious...why huntsman?

 

[Sideways]

why huntsman?

From living in the tropics. Huge fkers and they were everywhere. Dinnerplate sized spiders waiting for you when you got out of your car, went into the laundry, opened the letterbox. Bloody awful!

 

[siniang]

Just curious...why huntsman?

They're huge-ass mobile (non-netting) spiders that don't sit in a hole waiting like tarantulas, but actually "attack" you (they're harmless, they don't >really< attack you) when you least expect it, like falling down from a canopy when exiting the door or from the sunshield in your car....

Did I mention they're BIG? And FAST. ?

 

[Gs172003]

From living in the tropics. Huge fkers and they were everywhere. Dinnerplate sized spiders waiting for you when you got out of your car, went into the laundry, opened the letterbox. Bloody awful!

Good. God. Anybody in their right mind would be scared of that haha

I am now worried about freaking stinging caterpillars. I didn't know they existed until last year when I touched the one underside of a leaf on an entire trail that had this evil little caterpillar on it. My hand to my wrist stung for over an hour and I merely brushed against it! Those things are wicked!

This was the little jerk that got me

Saddleback Caterpillars: Watch Out for that Sting

 

[Sideways]

they're harmless, they don't >really< attack you

Can’t help myself. I was trying sooooo hard to let it go, but... having read a shittonne about huntsman spiders (indeed, done therapy on them!), we have breeds here that are timid and very unlikely to bite.

Others? Are ready biters and not the least bit timid.

But that’s Australia for you. Pretty much everything here can kill you!

I can’t help wondering if this phobia thing is just a mild curious itch? Or potentially a form of avoidance.

I could be way off. But when I have an issue that is way too big to come at, particularly emotionally? My mind loves to tangle itself up on much more manageable (often completely irrelevant) side issues...???

 

[Gs172003]

Can’t help myself. I was trying sooooo hard to let it go, but... having read a shittonne about huntsman spiders (indeed, done therapy on them!), we have breeds here that are timid and very unlikely to bite.

Others? Are ready biters and not the least bit timid.

But that’s Australia for you. Pretty much everything here can kill you!

I can’t help wondering if this phobia thing is just a mild curious itch? Or potentially a form of avoidance.

I could be way off. But when I have an issue that is way too big to come at, particularly emotionally? My mind loves to tangle itself up on much more manageable (often completely irrelevant) side issues...???

So how did you finally work out your huntsman problem? Exposure?

 

[siniang]

@Sideways Thanks!! I'm always happy to learn. When I spent a couple months in Australia I specificially looked it up and only found that they're harmless (like the Cane Spiders in Hawai'i - same same but different but still same). I think I >did< read somewhere that they can bite, but only when massively provoked and cornered. And you're soooo right - everything in Australia's trying to kill you ? As beautiful as it is, coming from a country where the most dangerous thing are ticks, I don't think I could >ever< live in Australia ?

@Zoogal I think with fears/phobias regarding such things as spiders, snakes, ... it's usual exposure therapy.

I honestly don't know if that would help me any, because I AM able to master enough control of myself to get close to them (including putting a glas on them to take them outside) if I really must. Suddenness and moving shadows is what really gets me, and I'm not sure you can adjust this with exposure therapy.

@wishforescape So yeah, at least the spider thing for me is definitely exacerbated by increased hypvervigilance/startle response. But definitely also a proximity thing.

I just noticed, it's not only spiders, actually....it's sharks, too. Not because I'm afraid of sharks per se (I love sharks - watching from a distance ? ) but they also have a tendency to be shadows suddenly appearing. Many moons ago I freaked out when snorkeling because a ray crossed my path from left to right. The suddenness was what startled me. But at least, so far, I haven't been "visited" by sharks when in bed, yet ??

The other fears... fear of dying early + loss of control.

 

[Gs172003]

@Sideways Thanks!! I'm always happy to learn. When I spent a couple months in Australia I specificially looked it up and only found that they're harmless (like the Cane Spiders in Hawai'i - same same but different but still same). I think I >did< read somewhere that they can bite, but only when massively provoked and cornered. And you're soooo right - everything in Australia's trying to kill you ? As beautiful as it is, coming from a country where the most dangerous thing are ticks, I don't think I could >ever< live in Australia ?

@Zoogal I think with fears/phobias regarding such things as spiders, snakes, ... it's usual exposure therapy.

I honestly don't know if that would help me any, because I AM able to master enough control of myself to get close to them (including putting a glas on them to take them outside) if I really must. Suddenness and moving shadows is what really gets me, and I'm not sure you can adjust this with exposure therapy.

@wishforescape So yeah, at least the spider thing for me is definitely exacerbated by increased hypvervigilance/startle response. But definitely also a proximity thing.

I just noticed, it's not only spiders, actually....it's sharks, too. Not because I'm afraid of sharks per se (I love sharks - watching from a distance ? ) but they also have a tendency to be shadows suddenly appearing. Many moons ago I freaked out when snorkeling because a ray crossed my path from left to right. The suddenness was what startled me. But at least, so far, I haven't been "visited" by sharks when in bed, yet ??

The other fears... fear of dying early + loss of control.

The shadows/suddenness scaring you sounds like hypervigilence to me but I could be wrong.

 

[Sideways]

Exposure?

A bit of exposure and a bit of cbt. I couldn’t afford a full spider exposure course of treatment (because arachnophobia is so common), but I was able to work off the worst of with a bit of exposure and cbt with a psychologist.

 

[EveHarrington]

This doesn’t sound like a disorder to me. It sounds like normal people stuff. It’s quite normal to fear certain things. Pathologizing the fear of a Ray? Those things kill people. God rest the crocodile ? hunters soul. It’s normal to fear things. This function allows us to survive.

 

[siniang]

You completely missed the point of my question. This also wasn't necessarily about >me< but I was genuinely curious about other people's experiences. I simply wanted to start a dialogue and share thoughts and experiences.

After clearing up my ignorance re the distinction between phobia and fear, I never even mentioned anything about disorders or pathologized a fear of rays (which I don't even have?!?! I love rays!). You keep overinterpreting.

 

[siniang]

The shadows/suddenness scaring you sounds like hypervigilence to me but I could be wrong.

Yes, definitely!

But it just seems so ...random. Why spiders and crabs (and sharks)? Why not snakes...and cockroaches?

The same with the other fears. Why flying? Why not driving a car? I have very many reasons to be more afraid of driving, realistically ( several bad accidents in the family; well, tbh...I do when my hubby/family are on the road, it's often causing major anxiety, including actual "attacks" if I read of an accident or they're 5 minutes late - but driving myself or when I'm with them in the car? nada). Or...taking a train. There's been major train accidents in my country when I was growing up. Drowning....well. I did have a near-drowning accident when I was younger, but that fear didn't emerge until a good 10 years later. I loved rough seas - it was like riding a rollercoaster. Now? Horror.

What I'm getting at: of course they're all connected to anxiety/PTSD somehow. They just seem random, not exactly related to the trauma itself (like my fear of the dark - makes perfect sense).

Anyone else? :)