Spiders? Rats? Or Snakes?




Critter phobias are pretty common. In fact, they're right up there with heights, public speaking and flying.

Which is worse for you--being in a room full of crawling spiders, a room full of slithering snakes or a room full of scampering rats?

Snakes: Ophidiophobia
Spiders: Arachnophobia
Rats: Musophobia

As someone who has worked with people with phobias for 20 years, I have to say that sometimes immersing yourself until you are desensitized is helpful. Just look at it this way. You begin flipping through a Playboy magazine and after a time, you need a Penthouse. A while later, you troll around online looking for the most hardcore porn you can find. It's not hard to get used to stimulation and need something stronger. Well, in the case of phobias, you can build up a tolerance.

So, what are some movies that might help you? Let's see...

Ophidiophobia: "Anaconda," "Snakes on Planes," "Python," "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Arachnophobia: "Tarantula," "Arachnophobia," "Eight Legged Freaks," "Horrors of Spider Island."

Musophobia: "Ben," "Willard," "Food of the Gods."

Me? I grew up catching grass snakes and black snakes and playing with them. I'm not freaked by spiders. I think they're amazing creatures and I respect the hell out of them. True artisans! And, they seriously want nothing to do with us. Rats freak me out because they scamper so quickly and I remember seeing creepy movies where rats were gnawing on people in sewers and it's just super ick!

Comments

  1. So are spiders the playboy, snakes the penthouse, and mice the hardcore porn?

    Or do I have it mixed up?

    I'd have to pick snakes as the 'thanks but no thanks' room, since they're harder to squish and kill.

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  2. Playboy equals snakes
    Penthouse equals spiders
    XXX online forbidden sites equals rats

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  3. Daughter has pet rats. They are gentle and very smart. I love to feed six legged creatures to the spiders in my garden. They are helpful little carnivores. Don't like snakes...but not to a point of being phobic.

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  4. I think the more I write about being afraid of spiders the less they creep me out (I never ever harm them.) But don't tell anyone that....I think I am more known for my spider phobia than my Halloween decorations as far as the blog goes :D

    Also grew up the desert and have a respect for snakes even after being bitten a few times, they do not creep me out.

    Rats, had one as a pet, so no fear there...in hindsight, maybe I should have had a tarantula for a pet :)

    Great post as usual!

    Cheers!

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  5. i'd choose to avoid the rooms with all this animal fuckery.

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  6. ehhhhhh... No spiders for me thanks...

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  7. I don't have a problem with any of those! I had a few pet snakes (garter snakes, but still) and I've had rats, too. Spiders never get killed in my house, either! I pick them up with a cup and bring them outside.

    My real fear? Public speaking :/ I find people much more terrifying.

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  8. Spiders are probably my biggest fear. Snakes not much, because I've never seen one in the wild :P
    Rats are never in groups of more than 5 here. No worries 'bout that.

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  9. I'm loving the responses y'all are giving. Phobias are fickle things. My real phobias? Flying and heights. Heights is more because I get disoriented--depth of field vision issues??? Flying because it fucking defies physics, I think.

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  10. i'm with you on the 4-legged vermin, they're all out to munch on you...

    unlike jimmy's song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vudA72hibg

    spiders n snakes, for the most part, leave you alone...

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  11. Freak LW; It says something about our age. When I was writing this, this song was stuck in my head. I sang this as a kid all the time!

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  12. I don't like spiders and snakes and that ain't what it takes to love me..... rats are the worst!

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  13. None on the list really bother me but waiting for the train underground in the city there are some huge rats that I wouldn't want to be stuck in a room with. Also those giant roach/waterbugs freak me out. I just picture the ending to that short in Creepshow ughhhh.

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  14. Oh, Jeez, that was a fucking awesome scene!!!

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  15. you need to ride through right kind of subways.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy45r6rOrdw

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  16. No rats! Those are gorgeous!!! The steampunk freak inside me is totally digging that video!

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  17. Spiders. I know they are up to something.

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  18. Hee hee. Pangs, you are a delight. Yes, they do have that shift look about them.

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  19. I got shivers and goosebumps reading this post

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  20. Yeah, thanks, LW, now it's an ear worm! I can't get it out of my mind, woke up with it playing in my head and, like when I was a kid, I feel compelled to sing along with the chorus.

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  21. Exactly! The Plague is their damn fault!

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  22. Although, to be fair, I thought "Ratatouille" was a cute movie. But who wants a rat cooking their food? LOL!

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  23. Ew. Yeah. I had a hamster. Loved the heck out of him. Not that far from the rat family, but his worst offense was getting into his wheel and running in it with his poop so that it made tick-tick-tick sounds all night long.

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