How Bad Is Your Phobia?

Below is a version of what is called the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, please mark your answers, to work out how bad your fear of spiders is. Some may not seem relevant, but try to imagine, while completing it, that you are in a room with a spider and cannot get away, or that you know there is a spider in your kitchen and you need to make breakfast. This will help you see how severe your spider phobia is.

Look at the Questions Below and Try to Determine the Severity of Your Spider Phobia

In the scale below, 1 stands for "Not present" and 5 stands for "Very severe" .

Anxious Mood – worries, anticipation of the worst, fearful anticipation, irritability.

1 2 3 4 5

1. Tension – feelings of tension, easily startled, moved to tears, unable to relax

1 2 3 4 5

2. Fears – other feelings of fear about other things begin to increase

1 2 3 4 5

3. Insomnia – Difficulty falling asleep if you know a spider is in the room.

1 2 3 4 5

4. Intellectual – difficulty concentrating and poor memory.

1 2 3 4 5

5. Muscles – Aches or pains, grinding of teeth, jerky movements or unsteady voice.

1 2 3 4 5

6. Sensory – tinnitus, blurring vision, hot or cold flushes, prickling sensations on your skin.

1 2 3 4 5

7. Cardiovascular – fainting feeling, heart palpitations or pain in your chest.

1 2 3 4 5

8. Respiratory – choking feeling, sighing, painful or constricted breathing.

1 2 3 4 5

9. Automatic symptoms – dry mouth, flushing, tension headache.

1 2 3 4 5

Once you've answered all of the questions and written down your answers, add up the scores and whatever number you have come up with will fit in below.

10 – 25 = Mild Spider Phobia.

This level of spider phobia won't cause your life to fall apart, but you jump at the sight of spiders or feel yourself getting a little worked up, if they are near, so you would rather avoid spiders, even if it's just because you feel that your reaction is embarrassing.

26 – 35 = Strong Spider Phobia.

This spider phobia is more than just a jump, you physically feel the need to leave the room (without always acting upon it) or wildly swat at where you think you might have seen the spider. The impact on your life is not too big, but it can make studying or showering slightly difficult.

36 – 45 = Severe Spider Phobia.

Spider phobia of this magnitude is very challenging – you may experience a lot of panic attacks, and feel cold sweat running down your back even at the thought of a spider being in the same room, or even the same building. People with spider phobia of this level find it almost impossible to exist in a room with a spider.

46 – 50 = Debilitating Spider Phobia.

This is as bad as it gets. It's quite rare, but for the people who suffer from a spider phobia this severe, the experience is awful. Symptoms often include loss of consciousness at the sight of a spider, uncontrollable vocalization, escaping the settings at a mere suggestion that a spider may be in the room and feeling unable to go back in.

Two Types of Spider Phobia

In addition, it may be useful to know that there are two types of arachnophobia sufferers. The Monitor, will actively search his environment for spiders and will make sure to know what a spider in the room is doing at all times. The Monitor becomes agitated if they lose sight of a spider. The second type is the Blunter, who will avoid any thought or sight of possible spiders in the room.

Choosing the Right Method

It's important to understand that, depending on the severity of your phobia and the type your behaviour falls under, there are different way to deal with Arachnophobia.