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Do you have any phobias? If so, have you had these phobias all your life or have the developed or evolved as you’ve aged?

I have a few fears but the worst is spiders. I think I have always had it but it has gotten worse over the years. At one point I went to therapy for it, as I wasn’t sleeping due to spider nightmares. Some people in my life have thought it funny to try and “expose” me to pictures and real spiders but they don’t seem to understand that I cannot tolerate it, it is NOT funny, and although I know they cannot hurt me (well, the non-poisonous ones), I still fear seeing them and finding them. I would also like to make it clear that there are some sorts of spiders that I have the ability to see, without having a reaction, but I go into a panic when I see certain ones.
Once, about 12 years ago, I was leaving the school building where I was teaching. It was an old victorian style house, it was very nice. One night I was there after hours. I knew there was a custodian in the next building.This one night there were a few around the door jam on the only door to get out of building. I lost it. I thought I would be stuck all night. Luckily the custodian showed up and cleared them. There are a few though that send me into full panic mode.

Please do not reply with spider pictures.

When I did my student teaching the teacher “made” me teach the unit on spiders to help desensitize me. Nope, didn’t work. I have looked at thousands of pictures but it hasn’t changed anything. Honestly, I can’t look at pictures of them at all. If I think I see one as I scroll through posts I have to close my eyes. I can peek through my eyelashes but that is about it. But, when I think of a few of the most dreaded ones I really start to feel panic.