Fear, with all of its physical and emotional symptoms, can be debilitating, but it doesn't have to take over your life. You can reclaim your happiness and become comfortable with situations that have previously terrified you.
Our next part relates specifically to fears, as opposed to everyday situations, so that means you can try to push your boundaries a bit further. This will be slightly more difficult than the previous task, as it deals with fear more directly. This is why it's really important to have finished part one first.
To start with, create a list of things that scare you. This is called a Fear Hierarchy, rate your fears from 1 to 10 (we want spiders to be at 10!). Now, pick something lower than 5, something that sets you on edge, rather than outright terrifies you.
Try and expose yourself to this fear, maybe something a slight claustrophobia – fear of small spaces. To deal with it, try standing in a tight space for a while. Whatever the fear, make sure you tackle it slowly and gradually build up the time you spend in a fear-inducing situation. The end goal is that you would feel rather comfortable in what was previously an anxiety-provoking setting.
To do this effectively, don't try to combat the fear. Simply experience it, let it sink in, observe the physical symptoms. You will then see that the reactions you experience, such as sweating, are nothing more than bodily symptoms. They may be unpleasant, but cannot cause you any harm, so don't try to supress them.
As you experience your fear and remain in the situation, rather than run away, you will gradually see that it is not as bad as you might have thought.
You can apply this technique for all of your fears, not just arachnophobia. For now, however, focus on understanding the process and getting used to the idea of remaining in unpleasant situations.