Main Reasons Why Many People Are Scared Of Spiders

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Main Reasons Why Many People Are Scared Of Spiders

Main Reasons Why Many People Are Scared Of Spiders

Spiders belong to the arthropod community and have fangs that can eject venom. They live in webs they construct in houses or any other passive places. Being the largest in arachnids and the 7th largest species, you have come across one.

Have you ever wondered why you fear them? Is it natural? As they say, once bitten, twice shy, but with spiders, you will always be scared of them even when not bitten. Why do people get scared of these creatures? According to scientists, there are various reasons why people are afraid of spiders, including genetic causes.

Here are some main reasons:

1. Spider Trauma

Spider trauma is associated with the fear of spiders. According to scientists, getting into contact with or seeing a spider somewhere or in your home can have a lasting effect on you, even if they didn’t harm you. According to studies, such trauma can be at the root of arachnophobia. It refers to a scary, not-so-good event or condition that makes people naturally fear arachnids, including the spider. This trauma occurs during childhood, and one ends up forgetting it, but not the fear of spiders.

Further studies indicate that children who fear these spiders encounter some horrific experiences than those who fear spiders. Yes, some people don’t fear spiders. According to this study on kids, most kids feared seeing or coming into contact with a spider more than being kidnapped or coming into contact with other predators.

How Do You Prevent Fear?

The only way is to keep spiders out of your home and other inhabitants. According to this blog on plants that keep spiders away, you can plant or get plants that help repel spiders. They do this by their smell or by providing unfavorable conditions for spiders to thrive in an area. Doing this will help in not seeing the spiders and keeping the trauma off for a while since you might encounter them along the way or in other places.

2. Fear of Spiders Can Be Genetic

You might have genetics that makes you fear spiders. If you fear spiders naturally, without them biting you or causing any other harm to you, that’s a genetic fear you inherited. From reports concerning spiders, only a few of them, hardly seen, are dangerous. Meaning you can fear a spider that can’t harm you.

Maybe you are asking yourself why they don’t get embraced like other insects, including grasshoppers. From a genetic study, part of arachnophobia comes from a family trait. Meaning even your great-grandparents had this fear, and you only inherited it.

Other than having fear in your genes, the habit can also arise in your family. If you have family members who fear spiders, there is a likelihood that you won’t embrace them, too. Overcoming this fear doesn’t mean embracing these creatures. Some might be dangerous. You need to apply protective measures by knowing them better and keeping them away.

People Are Scared Of Spiders

3. The Human Species Might Be Programmed To Fear Spiders.

It might not be that you are weak and fear spiders, but our species might have a programmed fear of spiders from the start. Most children and grownups fear spiders simply because they grew up seeing their parents fearing them. Their parents also saw their parents fearing them, and so on. Scientists believe that such fear could have developed during the evolutionary history of human beings and continues to be passed down through generations.

Ancient hominids who also feared these creatures, terming them dangerous, might have passed down our fear of spiders and other creatures through inheritance. The fear might have led to some people surviving, while those who didn’t end up dying and becoming extinct. According to the research, people who don’t fear spiders are also not afraid of other animals and creatures feared by others.

4. It’s Not The Fear of Being Bitten that Makes people Fear Spiders

According to scientists, your fear of spiders is not that they will bite you, but for other unknown reasons. It is the behavior and movements of the spiders that disturb people the most. According to studies, the many legs and erratic movements of these spiders can spark unknown fears that make you leave the room after noticing a spider.

This situation means their many long legs and movements in any direction make us fear them since we think they can attack us in unusual ways. People also do not understand how they come up with webs and move along them.

5. Fearing A Spider is Worse If Your Ancestor is European

A cultural phenomenon, rather than individuals, can be related to the fear of spiders. You might have a higher chance of fearing spiders if you are of European descent. From the reports, arachnophobia or spider trauma is more common in European countries.

Many people living there thought that spiders brought the black plague and the unending dancing disease, tarantism. That means most people who fear spiders originated from European countries before dispersing to other places in the world, according to evolution theories.

Further to this, spider fear is not rampant in non-European countries such as India, the Caribbean, parts of Africa, and the aboriginal cultures present in Australia. In these regions, spiders are considered good luck agents, and in some areas, they are part of delicacies.

What Are The Fears For Arachnophobia

6. What Are The Fears For Arachnophobia?

Most people who fear spiders or suffer arachnophobia end up having related symptoms when they see these creatures. It appears mostly during childhood or adolescence, and few adults experience it.

Some of the typical symptoms include trembling and sweating, dizziness, rapid heart rate, feelings of losing control, hot or cold flashes, choking, Chest pain, and Nausea or other gastrointestinal distress. How is it treated? Counseling and some medication help relieve the symptoms. Also, meditation is recommended for individuals suffering from such trauma.

Ways of overcoming spiders include practicing control methods such as planting trees that keep spiders away, cleanliness, and using insecticides. It would be best to familiarize yourself with spiders by reading a lot about them, watching documentaries, and trying as much to accommodate their presence. However, you also need to check which type is harmful and the one that’s not. We hope the article has helped you know what causes spiders fear and how to overcome them.

Read More: Spider Mites Pest: A Comprehensive Guide

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