Arachnophobia, otherwise known as spider phobia, is the intense fear of spiders and other arachnids. Classified as a specific phobia, arachnophobia causes clinically significant distress that can impact an individual's quality of life. When in contact with, or thinking about arachnids, individuals will likely feel fear and experience symptoms of anxiety almost immediately.

Fear of spiders becomes a phobia when it consumes your thoughts, interferes with your daily activities and keeps you from socializing with your family and friends. Symptoms of arachnophobia include sweating or shaking and tightness in your chest or rapid heartbeat.

Common triggers include sight of a spider (in person or in pictures), sight of a spider web (in person or in pictures), thoughts/anticipation about spiders or spider web and speaking about spiders or spider webs.

If you have arachnophobia you feel anxious about seeing or thinking about spiders or spider webs, your anxiety worsens as you get closer to the encounter, you have trouble concentrating and functioning, you’re consumed by thoughts of spiders and these thoughts keep you up at night. Arachnophobia is pretty common, about 3% to 15% of the population has arachnophobia.

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