Arachnophobia

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsDiagnosisCausesTreatmentCopingPrevalenceFAQs

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Causes

Treatment

Coping

Prevalence

FAQs

Arachnophobia is the intense fear of spiders and other arachnids. Classified as a specific phobia,arachnophobia causes clinically significant distressthat can affect quality of life. When in contact with or thinking about spiders, people with arachnophobia experience fear and anxiety almost immediately.

This article discusses the symptoms and causes of arachnophobia, as well as treatments and coping mechanisms that may help.

If you have arachnophobia, you may experience a variety ofspecific phobia-related symptomswhether you’re near a spider or just thinking about one. Symptoms of arachnophobia may include:

Arachnophobia can affect your quality of life significantly. For example, you might feelpanic symptomsand discomfort knowing a spider is somewhere in your home. You mightavoidengaging in outdoor activities such as hiking or picnicking.

Specific phobias are differentiated from normal fears using thediagnostic criteriaof the American Psychiatric Association’sDiagnostic and Statistical Manual. Healthcare providers use these criteria to understand your symptoms and determine if you have a specific phobia.

A diagnosis of a specific phobia requires that the symptoms be present for at least six months and cause significant distress or disruption to your life and well-being.

Your healthcare provider will ask about the character, intensity, and duration of your symptoms and may take a medical history, evaluate your current coping skills, and explore your treatment goals.

Specific phobias are more prevalent in females than males in both adolescents and adults.You may be more at risk for developing arachnophobia if you’ve had a previous traumatic experience with a spider, if you have another mental health condition, and/or have a family history of phobias.

Like other specific phobias, arachnophobia is most commonly treated with therapy, particularlycognitive behavioral techniques. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on replacing thenegative automatic thoughtsabout spiders with more rational thoughts. Techniques may include:

Medications may also be used to treat arachnophobia.

Here are a few ways to cope with arachnophobia:

If you or a loved one are experiencing difficulty with daily living, reach out to your doctor or therapist for support andresources for coping with phobias.If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are experiencing difficulty with daily living, reach out to your doctor or therapist for support andresources for coping with phobias.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Among the 3-15% of people worldwide with specificphobias, the most prevalent are of animals and heights.Although the fear of spiders is common, not everyone who feels afraid or on edge around them has arachnophobia.

The Bottom Line

Arachnophobia, like other specific phobias, can be distressing and affect your overall quality of life. If you’re having difficulty in day-to-day activities because of arachnophobia, consider reaching out to a mental health professional for treatment and support.

Frequently Asked QuestionsYes. Arachnophobia is considered a specific phobia, which is a type of mental health disorder.There doesn’t seem to be one specific reason people are arachnophobic, but instead, there are a variety of risk factors. If you had a traumatic encounter related to spiders, someone in your family is arachnophobic, and/or you have an existing mental health disorder, you may be more likely to develop arachnophobia.Symptoms of arachnophobia include:Irrational fear related to encountering—or even thinking about—spidersAvoidance behaviors to self-protect from spidersNausea, rapid heartbeat, sweating, and/or other anxiety-related responsesPanic attacksAccording to Cleveland Clinic, about 3% to 15% of people have arachnophobia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Arachnophobia is considered a specific phobia, which is a type of mental health disorder.

There doesn’t seem to be one specific reason people are arachnophobic, but instead, there are a variety of risk factors. If you had a traumatic encounter related to spiders, someone in your family is arachnophobic, and/or you have an existing mental health disorder, you may be more likely to develop arachnophobia.

Symptoms of arachnophobia include:Irrational fear related to encountering—or even thinking about—spidersAvoidance behaviors to self-protect from spidersNausea, rapid heartbeat, sweating, and/or other anxiety-related responsesPanic attacks

Symptoms of arachnophobia include:

According to Cleveland Clinic, about 3% to 15% of people have arachnophobia.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hinze J, Röder A, Menzie N, et al.Spider phobia: Neural networks informing diagnosis and (virtual/augmented reality-based) cognitive behavioral psychotherapy-A narrative review.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:704174. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.704174Hoehl S, Hellmer K, Johansson M, Gredebäck G.Itsy bitsy spider…: Infants react with increased arousal to spiders and snakes.Front Psychol. 2017;8:1710. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01710National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Trumpf J, Margraf J, Vriends N, Meyer AH, Becker ES.Specific phobia predicts psychopathology in young women.Soc Psychiat Epidemiol. 2010;45(12):1161-1166. doi:10.1007/s00127-009-0159-5Botella C, Fernández-Álvarez J, Guillén V, García-Palacios A, Baños R.Recent progress in virtual reality exposure therapy for phobias: A systematic review.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2017;19(7):42. doi:10.1007/s11920-017-0788-4Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.The Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-XCleveland Clinic.Arachnophobia (fear of spiders).Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Ed). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hinze J, Röder A, Menzie N, et al.Spider phobia: Neural networks informing diagnosis and (virtual/augmented reality-based) cognitive behavioral psychotherapy-A narrative review.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:704174. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.704174Hoehl S, Hellmer K, Johansson M, Gredebäck G.Itsy bitsy spider…: Infants react with increased arousal to spiders and snakes.Front Psychol. 2017;8:1710. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01710National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Trumpf J, Margraf J, Vriends N, Meyer AH, Becker ES.Specific phobia predicts psychopathology in young women.Soc Psychiat Epidemiol. 2010;45(12):1161-1166. doi:10.1007/s00127-009-0159-5Botella C, Fernández-Álvarez J, Guillén V, García-Palacios A, Baños R.Recent progress in virtual reality exposure therapy for phobias: A systematic review.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2017;19(7):42. doi:10.1007/s11920-017-0788-4Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.The Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-XCleveland Clinic.Arachnophobia (fear of spiders).Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Ed). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

Hinze J, Röder A, Menzie N, et al.Spider phobia: Neural networks informing diagnosis and (virtual/augmented reality-based) cognitive behavioral psychotherapy-A narrative review.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:704174. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.704174Hoehl S, Hellmer K, Johansson M, Gredebäck G.Itsy bitsy spider…: Infants react with increased arousal to spiders and snakes.Front Psychol. 2017;8:1710. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01710National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Trumpf J, Margraf J, Vriends N, Meyer AH, Becker ES.Specific phobia predicts psychopathology in young women.Soc Psychiat Epidemiol. 2010;45(12):1161-1166. doi:10.1007/s00127-009-0159-5Botella C, Fernández-Álvarez J, Guillén V, García-Palacios A, Baños R.Recent progress in virtual reality exposure therapy for phobias: A systematic review.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2017;19(7):42. doi:10.1007/s11920-017-0788-4Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.The Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-XCleveland Clinic.Arachnophobia (fear of spiders).

Hoehl S, Hellmer K, Johansson M, Gredebäck G.Itsy bitsy spider…: Infants react with increased arousal to spiders and snakes.Front Psychol. 2017;8:1710. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01710

National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.

Trumpf J, Margraf J, Vriends N, Meyer AH, Becker ES.Specific phobia predicts psychopathology in young women.Soc Psychiat Epidemiol. 2010;45(12):1161-1166. doi:10.1007/s00127-009-0159-5

Botella C, Fernández-Álvarez J, Guillén V, García-Palacios A, Baños R.Recent progress in virtual reality exposure therapy for phobias: A systematic review.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2017;19(7):42. doi:10.1007/s11920-017-0788-4

Eaton WW, Bienvenu OJ, Miloyan B.Specific phobias.The Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(8):678-686. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30169-X

Cleveland Clinic.Arachnophobia (fear of spiders).

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Ed). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

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