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arachnophobia

File:Little_Miss_Muffet_2_-_WW_Denslow_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_18546.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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arachnophobia

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Also known as spider fear

Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and other arachnids, such as scorpions and ticks. The word "arachnophobia" comes from the Greek words arachne and phobia.

AI overview

Arachnophobia is an intense fear of spiders and other arachnids like scorpions and ticks. This condition matters because it affects people's daily lives and comfort, as the term—derived from the Greek words for spider and fear—describes a common anxiety that many individuals experience.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Medical condition.name
Arachnophobia
Medical condition.synonyms
Arachnephobia
Medical condition.image
Little Miss Muffet 2 - WW Denslow - Project Gutenberg etext 18546.jpg
Medical condition.caption
Though most arachnids are harmless, a person with arachnophobia may still panic or feel uneasy around one. Sometimes, even an object resembling a spider can trigger a panic attack in an arachnophobic individual. The above cartoon is a depiction of the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet", in which the title character is "frightened away" by a spider.
Medical condition.pronounce
,
Medical condition.field
Psychiatry
Medical condition.treatment
Exposure therapy

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of
specific phobia
Subclass of
animal phobia
Main subject
Araneae
Image
Little Miss Muffet 2 - WW Denslow - Project Gutenberg etext 18546.jpg
Show 3 more facts
Commons category
Arachnophobia
has cause
Araneae
different from
Arachnophobia
Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

~7 min read

Encyclopedic overview

9 sections
Contents
  • Signs and symptoms
  • Causes
  • Evolutionary
  • Cultural
  • Treatments
  • Epidemiology
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and other arachnids, such as scorpions and ticks. The word "arachnophobia" comes from the Greek words arachne and phobia.

==Signs and symptoms== People with arachnophobia tend to feel uneasy in any area they believe could harbour spiders or that has visible signs of their presence, such as webs. If arachnophobes see a spider, they may not enter the general vicinity until they have overcome the panic attack that is often associated with their phobia. Some people scream, cry, have emotional outbursts, experience trouble breathing, sweat and experience increased heart rates when they come in contact with an area near spiders or their webs. In some extreme cases, even a picture, a toy, or a realistic drawing of a spider can trigger intense fear.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “arachnophobia” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.