No Fear....

Imagine all the jail cells in the world and the non-human inmates who reside there. Spiders—for instance—are tough cellies to reckon with. Some inmates, however, find these predatory invertebrates fascinating. Here’s Christopher on the topic of a recent spider bite:

"I'm looking for any kind of books on spiders or spider bites. I believe I was bitten on my face by a spider just the other day. I even found a spider in my cell that might have bitten me. The odd thing about it is that I think it's the same spot where I have been bitten before. If you could help me with any reading material on spiders or bites, I would really appreciate it. Thank you, and have a nice day." These are not the words of an arachnophobe!

In the United States, only the bites of the brown recluse and the black widow are poisonous. Allergic reactions to other types can also pose a threat. But for a great many people, the FEAR of those eight scurrying legs freezes them in their tracks.

Insect-Inspecta offers these insights on the “COPING STYLES OF ARACHNOPHOBICS.”

http://www.insecta-inspecta.com/culent/arach/

"A psychiatry professor from Canada classifies arachnophobics in two categories: monitors and blunters. When a "monitor" enters a room, he searches the entire room for a spider. When he finds one, he not only makes sure he knows where it is but he continues to follow or monitor it. A "blunter" does the exact opposite: he does everything in his power to keep from seeing a spider in a room. He will distract himself, even talking to himself to avoid seeing the spider." [One category was excluded. Marta, my coworker, says she is a killer.]

For me, the early memory of a huge black spider crawling up the tap and falling into the bathtub (with me!) induced a lifetime of jitters.