1. I have a debilitating fear of spiders.
2. I'm going to Australia for an extended period of time.
Obviously those two things don't go together very well. Screaming and quaking at the site of what is essentially just a bug is stupid. It's not even about the possibility of being bitten or whether or not the spider is dangerous. Nope, my arachnophobia is totally irrational and totally useless.
I'm trying really hard to get over my fear, mostly by using a technique my psych-minor-in-1978 mother calls flooding. Flooding is forcing yourself to face your fear in the hopes of getting over it, from what I understand. I started with pictures, mostly of huntsmans, a "disturbingly large" but harmless spider that's very common in Australia. Huntsman spiders are called just that because of their speed. Translated to human size, they could run the hundred-metre dash in just four seconds. They also like to hide out in homes and are often found in cars, shoes, and anything else that you would never ever like to see a palm-sized spider in. What the fuck, right?
After pictures, I moved on to videos. I've watched the video embedded below about six times now and it doesn't make me scream any more. I have a bruise on my knee from bashing it against the table the first time I watched this. If you're afraid of spiders, it'll be good for you. It's just a TV host playing with and explaining the huntsman spider. Plus, who doesn't like a little fear with their coffee?
So wish me luck, everyone, in getting over it! I'm genuinely trying.
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