Phobias are the most common mental disorder in the United States
- effecting more than 10% of the population – mostly women.
Phobias make everyday life terrifying. You’re always on alert and never able to relax. First you’re hesitant, then you start avoiding certain situations, and finally end up stopping them all together. All because of this so called irrational fear that you have absolutely no control of.
It’s embarrassing to have to admit that you can’t go outside to your clothes line because there are spiders on it. Or that you won’t be able to attend the party because you can’t get back inside your front door when it’s dark. You might even turn down a job offer if you have to ride the elevator to get to the office.
People really do think you are strange, but there is nothing strange about this fear. It is real – and your reaction to it is perfectly normal!
So what is a phobia exactly?
A phobia is an overwhelming fear of an object or situation that in reality, poses little or no actual danger – which is why it is called an irrational fear.
This type of fear is much more powerful than a normal fear however. It is an intense panic response that makes people jump out of moving cars when a spider is seen, avoid visiting friends that have dogs, or even refuse essential medical treatment that could possibly involve needles.
Unfortunately, the distress is compounded by the fact that sufferers cannot relax and enjoy life because they have to go to great lengths to avoid the object or situation that is feared, which compromises their day-to-day functioning.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, the key to diagnosing a phobic disorder is that the fear must be excessive and disproportionate to the situation. Most people who fear heights would not avoid visiting a friend who lived on the top floor of a tall building; however a person with a phobia of heights would. Fear alone does not distinguish a phobia – both fear and avoidance must be evident.
Phobias are much more common than people realize. Actually, they are the third most prevalent psychiatric disorder, affecting more than 12% of the population – mostly women.
However, this of little comfort to the person experiencing this gut-wrenching fear so strongly that it paralyzes them.
Types of Phobias
There are three types of phobias:
- Social phobias — fear of social situations.
- Agoraphobia — fear of being trapped in an inescapable place or situation.
- Specific phobias — fear of a specific object (such as snakes).
There are four major types of specific phobias:
- The natural environment — fear of lightening, water, storms, etc.
- Animal — fear of snakes, rodents, spiders, etc.
- Medical — fear of seeing blood, receiving injections, visiting a doctor, etc.
- Situational — fear of bridges, leaving the home, driving, etc.
Common Phobias
- Fear of the dark
- Fear of spiders
- Fear of animals, dogs or cats
- Fear of snakes
- Fear of heights
- Fear or closed spaces
- Fear of storms
- Fear of needles and injections
- Fear of public speaking
- Fear of flying
- Fear of germs
- Fear of illness or death
Phobia Reactions
People with phobias try to avoid what they are afraid of. If they cannot, they may experience a number of symptoms including:
- Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
- Shortness of breath
- Trembling or shaking
- Overwhelming panic
- An uncontrollable need to flee
We have many different types of experiences which we respond to according to our age and development. 
Phobia Stories
I do however appreciate the paralyzing fear and anxiety that I must have experienced with the following stories that led me to act this way.
The Clothes Line
I had a special basket to keep the pegs in, and would carefully bring them inside with the wash each day, then soak them in water overnight, or buy new pegs each week and only wash once a week. Sometimes I used rubber gloves so I didn’t have to touch the spiders webs on the pegs.
My clothes often stayed on the line for days on end, until I could convince a friend to get them for me while I stood on a chair, diligently watching for any sign of web or movement.
Once, a lovely elderly neighbor knocked on my door, asking if there were a problem as my clothes had been on the line for 2 weeks, and if she could be of assistance. I smiled, grateful for her non-judgmental help. She even put the clothes straight into the washing machine to be rewashed, as I couldn’t touch them. They dried on an inside clothes rack this time. It was about a year before I used an outside clothesline again.
Son’s Hand
One time, when my eldest was at a sleepover, my son and I decided to be brave and take charge of the monster Huntsman that was keeping us from going to bed. As always, I stood on my kitchen chair at the far end of the hallway, while he stood with bowl in hand, ready to pounce and trap the monster (which would remain under the bowl until a neighbor or friend removed it).
I sprayed the swipe-a-fly and screamed as the spider ran frantically across the ceiling, then dropped. My son ran as fast as he could to cover it and end this drama. But he had forgotten that the new slate floor was harder than the previously carpeted one, and his hand went straight through the glass bowl as he slammed it on the floor.
My son dropped to the floor in shock seeing the blood pouring from his hand. Meanwhile, the spider ran into the office, where the telephone was, and I was left standing on my chair shaking in terror.
After attending to my son’s hand and shock (a regular occurrence due to his disability), and laying him down on the living room floor, I was faced with a dilemma. I needed to get to the phone (we had no cordless phone at that time) which was trapped in a room with the Huntsman spider.
I was brave. I ran for the phone (which was on an extension cord) and called the hospital. My son was fine and didn’t need stitches. The Huntsman ruled the office until a search-and-capture was undertaken by a brave friend the next day.
Long Drive To Work
As a young bank junior, I secured a lift to and from work each day until I was old enough to get my license. One morning, just after getting into the car, a huge Huntsman climbed out of the dashboard. Well, I screamed so loud that my two companions thought I was dying. They stopped the car as quickly as possible. Still screaming for them to move so I could get out, I literally jumped over the person next to me and out the door to safety.
The spider had vanished – and we were still 20 minutes drive from work. I had to sit on top of the bench seat headboard, holding my extremely short miniskirt tight around my legs all the way to work.
Since they couldn’t find the spider, I refused to get back into the car for the journey home. I never drove in that car again. Luckily I got my license a few weeks later.
Night Time
When out on a date, I would tell him the safest place to park (where I knew there were no webs). Then I’d make him go to the house, unlock and open the front door, and come back to my side of the car – so I could get out and cower behind him as we both ran as fast as we could inside. It was a well-organized epic.
The Gerbera Daisy
One night, Dave, my best spider catcher was kind enough to help after a frantic call at midnight. But this spider was being difficult and tested his bravery. So Dave decided to use the fly spray.
Never ever use fly spray on an Australian Huntsman spider. They go psycho. Use swipe-a-fly -It is brilliant!
This spider was running from one end of the house to the other as if in an Olympic race. Poor Dave had no hope of catching it, so we waited for it to run out of steam. Three hours later, the spider was tired and decided to stop running.
I had the prettiest hot pink Gerbera daisy that sat on my kitchen table. Guess where the spider decided to go to sleep? In the center of the daisy. Goodbye daisy, and goodbye spider.
Painting The House
One day, while painting the front window frames on the house, I decided that I could get up on the ladder and finish the top edge myself. All I had to do was not look down. It worked brilliantly, and I quickly finished my painting project.
But there was just one small problem: I had to climb down the ladder. I froze. I stood there for 30 minutes trying to convince myself to take that first step, but couldn’t. So instead, I climbed up, onto my flat tin roof.
I was happy on my roof. Drinks, food, and even cigarettes were brought up to me. The hours ticked on and the crowd of neighbors gathered. At one point there were 30 people having a party in my front yard, as I happily sat on my roof.
They all tried, but no-one could convince me to climb down. Finally, as the sun started to set, one neighbor decided that enough was enough. He climbed the ladder, had me lay down on my stomach and then back up to the edge. This poor man, who I barely knew, laid his body across mine and ever so carefully guided me down the ladder.
Everyone cheered!
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