Revealed: The surprisingly simple way to cure your spider phobia

The thought of finding a spider crawling around the house might send shivers down your spine. 

But help is at hand, as an expert has revealed a surprisingly simple way to cure your spider phobia. 

According to Dr James O’Hanlon, who has written several books on spiders, the key to embracing spiders is staring at long–legged chairs. 

While this might sound unlikely, studies have shown that looking at objects which are similar to the insects can reduce our sensitivity to them.

This not only includes long–legged chairs, but also wagon wheels. 

Dr O’Hanlon reassures that spiders are mostly harmless and says he thinks it’s a ‘shame’ that the ‘general creepiness’ of the arachnids has ‘taken a foothold in our collective psyche’.

Speaking to BBC Wildlife magazine, he explained that positive portrayals of spiders in pop culture are ‘overshadowed’ by ‘terrifying portrayals’ in fantasy series such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.

‘The good news is that stories are just stories,’ he continued.

‘Even serious spider fears hold a very loose grip on our minds.

‘Clinically significant arachnophobia is relatively easily treated by professionals using standard exposure therapy.

‘Studies even show that exposure to objects with a glancing similarity to spiders, such as long–legged chairs or the spokes of a wagon wheel, goes some way to reducing our sensitivity to real spiders.

‘Virtual and augmented–reality applications are bringing about means for people to treat arachnophobia without ever having to sit face–to–face with a real spider.’

Mr O’Hanlon, who has travelled the world to study spiders, said serious arachnophobia doesn’t need to be a burden on people’s lives, and it shouldn’t be ‘exacerbated by unjust urban myths about harmless spiders’.

‘If we choose to, we could change our relationship with spiders, and it starts with the stories that we tell ourselves,’ he continued.

‘As a professional spider fancier, I obviously find it a shame that the general creepiness of spiders has taken a foothold in our collective psyche.

‘Especially since this is such a small part of what makes spiders interesting.’

According to the NHS, most phobias are treatable, although no single treatment is guaranteed to work for all phobias. 

The main treatment types are: self–help techniques, talking treatments, and medication.

‘Talking treatments, such as counselling, are often very effective at treating phobias,’ it explains on its website. 

‘In particular, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been found to be very effective for treating phobias.’