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travelling to oz with arachnophobia!
hey all, ive posted before that im going to oz next year, but i have quite extreme arachnophobia...im going for about 3-4 months, am i going to be leaving after a day do u think? lol. I find it very stressful if a spider is in the same room as me, and if it is on me or near me then i either do some psyco dance to try get it off me, lol, or freeze with fear! im not gonna be camping at all, gonna try and avoid tropical bits and the outback like the plague, i know i shouldnt let a fear of spiders stop me from going to australia but if i keep seeing loads i would contemplate leaving which is sooo sad i know! lol. i know theres 3 dangerous ones, rec back, funnelwed and huntsman i think they are, but it doesnt matter if they are dangerous or not, ile still be just as terrified!
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I dont think i could go to Australia for that exact same reason. My friend went over there, and he said they would have huge spiders in the corner of the room like we would a daddy long legs, also when he said when your in the shower if theres one in there you just have to watch it till you get out 
, would drive me mad.
, would drive me mad.
Same here! I love the sound of Australia-it sounds like an amazing country but I could never deal with the spiders...If there's any Aussies reading this thread, tell us what it's really like with the spiders please! I was hoping maybe spiders are to Australia as rats are to England ie. there are truckloads of them but they are very shy and you will hardly ever see one!
I completely sympathise with you I would be exactly the same 
. If I was in your position, I would probably try to deal with my fear before I went, maybe try being hypnotized by a professional or counselling?
Lol that does sound quite extreme but thats the only way I think I would ever be able to get rid of my arachnophobia. I burst out crying even if I see a spider on the telly
. If I was in your position, I would probably try to deal with my fear before I went, maybe try being hypnotized by a professional or counselling? Lol that does sound quite extreme but thats the only way I think I would ever be able to get rid of my arachnophobia. I burst out crying even if I see a spider on the telly
Snarf
Same here! I love the sound of Australia-it sounds like an amazing country but I could never deal with the spiders...If there's any Aussies reading this thread, tell us what it's really like with the spiders please! I was hoping maybe spiders are to Australia as rats are to England ie. there are truckloads of them but they are very shy and you will hardly ever see one!
I think rabbits are their equivalent to rats.
I can understand how worried you are, and wish I had some consoling words for you, but I don't.
my dad lives in perth in australia, so i hear quite a few stories about the spiders they have there, but overall its not as bad as all that. you can get some pretty potent sprays and stuff that you can basically spray round the outside of your house- never seen a big spider in my dad's house since that! biggest spider i've ever seen was a huntsman when i went to coral bay- but thats right up the coast in a really outbacky bit, and i only saw one while i was there (for a week or so). tbh, really dont see that many spiders- but then again i have only been there in their winter, which i think is when you see the least spiders anyway. dont let the spiders put you off! autralia is a fantastic place and you'll have a great time.
maybe try and overcome your fear before you go?
maybe try and overcome your fear before you go?
ah i was hoping someone would tell me they dont exist in australia! lol...yea im thinking about hypnosis, gonna check into the price! gonna be spending most of my time in melbourne, 3months or so then head up to the great barrier reef in cairnes. yea i read the funnelweb is everywhere in the summer..n ile be going in the austrlan summer! any ausses out there to put my mind at rest??
I spent 3 months in Aus last year and I think I only saw 2 spiders I really didnt have a problem!
that is a huge confort to know! lol, where abouts did u go? i hav just purchased a hypnotism cd from ebay so gonna give that a try! really exensive to got rhough a hypnotherapist! they wnated 65 for the furst session and 55 for each session after that and id need 6-8 sessions!
Spiders? I dont think i saw a single one when i was out there...apart from in Alice Springs Desert Park!
I travelled all over australia and was surprised...i saw more whales than i did spiders. Dont worry!
Besides, once your out there, you will be having such a great time, you will forget about it.
I even camped out in the outback (without a tent...just an old swag! - like a sleeping bag on the ground) EVEN then, i didnt see any spiders!
Dont let it ruin your trip! You will love it...just be careful, Australia can become addictive (Ha!) i cant get enough of the place
I travelled all over australia and was surprised...i saw more whales than i did spiders. Dont worry!
Besides, once your out there, you will be having such a great time, you will forget about it.
I even camped out in the outback (without a tent...just an old swag! - like a sleeping bag on the ground) EVEN then, i didnt see any spiders!
Dont let it ruin your trip! You will love it...just be careful, Australia can become addictive (Ha!) i cant get enough of the place
jesus that is a massive relief! lol! still dont think i will be doing any camping though! ahh i love whales n sharks n all that, tis a bit woerd how i reckon i would love to swim with sharks, who i know could hurt me if not kill me, but yer theres no way i would even cnsider being int the same room as a spider! haha! ive no problem with it being addictive! lol, id love to move there one day, just all depends on the spider aspect! lol, how sad!
Try the flooding technique. It's a bit of a harsh way of overcoming fears, but it can work really well from what I've heard.
Not entirely practical but if you're willing to do anything...it basically involves putting a number of spiders somewhere intentionally, then getting someone to lock you in with them.
This might sound like absolute hell, and is probably the last thing you want to be doing; but after a while, the fear response stops and you'll be fine; fear of spiders gone.
I know someone who did this with mice and swore by it from then on; but from my own p-o-v I couldn't do it myself to conquer my fear of wasps...I'd die of a heart-attack first. Also...maybe finding a number of spiders won't be as easy as finding mice...
Just thought I'd suggest
Not entirely practical but if you're willing to do anything...it basically involves putting a number of spiders somewhere intentionally, then getting someone to lock you in with them.
This might sound like absolute hell, and is probably the last thing you want to be doing; but after a while, the fear response stops and you'll be fine; fear of spiders gone.
I know someone who did this with mice and swore by it from then on; but from my own p-o-v I couldn't do it myself to conquer my fear of wasps...I'd die of a heart-attack first. Also...maybe finding a number of spiders won't be as easy as finding mice...
Just thought I'd suggest
god that must be my worst nightmare, apart from a spider laying eggs under my skin or something! lol, i would definately die of a heart attack before i conquered my fear! I bet it does work though, dont think there is any way i could even consider it but thanks for the advice
parties-r-us!
god that must be my worst nightmare, apart from a spider laying eggs under my skin or something! lol, i would definately die of a heart attack before i conquered my fear! I bet it does work though, dont think there is any way i could even consider it but thanks for the advice
Spiders laying eggs under your skin?!? Only in the Congo right?! Haha.
parties-r-us!
jesus that is a massive relief! lol! still dont think i will be doing any camping though! ahh i love whales n sharks n all that, tis a bit woerd how i reckon i would love to swim with sharks, who i know could hurt me if not kill me, but yer theres no way i would even cnsider being int the same room as a spider! haha! ive no problem with it being addictive! lol, id love to move there one day, just all depends on the spider aspect! lol, how sad!
Swim with sharks? If you go to the barrier reef you can obviously do the whole scuba divin thing...i spent a lot of time on the saxon reef and saw LOADS of sharks - like white tip reef sharks! Not too big and they dont eat you! I very much doubt you will see great whites though...the water is too warm for them! More likely to find them further down the coast (like in Sydney, and the bottom end (SA, and Victoria!)
ah cool! ile be down in melbourne for about 3 months so hopefully maybe see some there! well, as long as it doesnt cost i bomb as i guess id have to go in one of those cage things!
someone told me about about someone they knew who caught a scab on their neck whilst brushing their hair and loads of spiders came out, but, i have my doubts that is true, lol...its always in the back of my mind though!
someone told me about about someone they knew who caught a scab on their neck whilst brushing their hair and loads of spiders came out, but, i have my doubts that is true, lol...its always in the back of my mind though!
parties-r-us!
hey all, ive posted before that im going to oz next year, but i have quite extreme arachnophobia...im going for about 3-4 months, am i going to be leaving after a day do u think? lol. I find it very stressful if a spider is in the same room as me, and if it is on me or near me then i either do some psyco dance to try get it off me, lol, or freeze with fear! im not gonna be camping at all, gonna try and avoid tropical bits and the outback like the plague, i know i shouldnt let a fear of spiders stop me from going to australia but if i keep seeing loads i would contemplate leaving which is sooo sad i know! lol. i know theres 3 dangerous ones, rec back, funnelwed and huntsman i think they are, but it doesnt matter if they are dangerous or not, ile still be just as terrified!
I know exactly where your coming from but i will say this.
My grandparents are lucky enough to have spent two seperate 3 month holidays in Australia and have never seen a spider or a snake the whole time they were there. They stayed in the outback for three weeks in what was basically a wooden hut and saw nothing. my gran saids to me they got talking to a guy who owned a cattle farm for 40 years in the outback and he d never seen a spider and had only come across 1 snake in that time.
This wont do you any favours but there are over 100 different types of funnel web spider in Australia as well as the Hunstman and Red Back spiders.
I got talking to some Australian foreign exchange students a while back and they said the Sydney Funnel Web is the worst as it likes dark corners.
Which means if you leave black shoes and clothing on the ground you have to check one hasnt crawled into your stuff.
They have a nasty bite and are extremely aggressive if approached or disturbed and will bite repeatedly.Their also the most poisonous!
They said take care even in built up areas because the funnel webs live in the city too! I know thats bad but you can take precautions.
I have the same reservations about the funnel web as you they scare the living daylights out of me!
As for the Hunstman i was told that they are the most placid spider of the lot and wont bite unless its really badly provoked. However it is one of the largest ugliest looking spiders ever!
I was ill in hospital a while back and i got talking to an old man on the ward who used to work on a cattle farm and he said he got bitten by a red back whilst laying some pipes for drainage and didnt even feel it.
It was only when he started getting sick he realised what happened
Dont let all this stop you from going to what is supposedly a fantastic country
just take care and check your shoes, bed sheets and dont leave your clothes
lying round over night.
Oh yeah check your toilet seat each time too!
cheers for that info! am i right in thinking that the red back is quite small? im going to america this summer and found out one called brown recluse spider which has some nasty bites which i think can be fatal, causes muscle deteriation or something..jesus, google it, it makes me want to throw up! and i read that this spider has been seen is oz as well which is not good news! grrr!
Ha ha im off too America too hopefully but i really think your worrying too
much. Im as equally as scared of spiders but i want to visit these places.
I think the funnel web scares me the most as their an ugly aggressive spider.
Just be aware and take precautions especially in Sydney.
Unfortunately theirs a spider in Aus called the White Tailed spider which can cause necrosis to the skin.I really dont know how one country can have so many poisonous things!
The funnel web is one of the worst because its habitiat is burrows so it lives under houses and stuff.
god they look horrible! lol
much. Im as equally as scared of spiders but i want to visit these places.
I think the funnel web scares me the most as their an ugly aggressive spider.
Just be aware and take precautions especially in Sydney.
Unfortunately theirs a spider in Aus called the White Tailed spider which can cause necrosis to the skin.I really dont know how one country can have so many poisonous things!
The funnel web is one of the worst because its habitiat is burrows so it lives under houses and stuff.
god they look horrible! lol
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