I think nature is so beautiful. I wish that I could just go out and sit under a tree and read or take a nap. I want to be able to take relaxing strolls through the woods. But I am terrified of bugs, spiders and snakes. Not just scared. But irrationally terrified. When a bee or wasp flies near me I get litterally petrified with fear. I can't move, I close my eyes and just shut down. With spiders I get real nervous and paranoid. I will walk way out of my way to avoid a spider. Every noise I hear, I'm sure it's a snake. I can't walk near anything that covers the gound. I'm sure that a snake is hiding in there. How am I supposed to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature if I'm so stressed out? Can anybody help me with getting over these fears? I know that I'm really missing out.
realize that there are millions of people that have survived spider, snake, and bug bites. the chance of seriously dying from something that bites is pretty slim. just remember that every animal is just living its trip through life. It's main goal isnt to fuck with you. Even though you may not like the animal, remember that it has a soul too, and it breathes the same air that you do. it is irrational to be so afraid of something so insignificant.
I think you need to learn more about the animals you are scared of. Learning how they contribute to the universe might help. Trying to understand them and what their positive qualities are. If you are scared of spiders then spend time with them learning about how fabulous they are is great then go find a spider look at it and watch it and eventually pick one up. slowly learn to love them. and so on, it is all relative to understanding. if you are out in nature with a clear mind you will be fine. Animals pick up on energy, so if you're sending out a scary vibe they will pick that up and you might not see any animals or you might scare animals. If you have a positive clear vibe you will really notice that animals pick up on that and through that you might get to see more than what you imagined. The more you practice the better it gets. i hope that helps a bit. I live way out in the bush i have seen mama bears with their cubs, wolves, fox, deer, moose and all sorts of tiny critters. I have always been fine because i am never scared and i never panic. We just give eachother an understanding look and go our seperate ways. Or sometimes we will hang out in the same spot and not be bothered by one another. You can only as far as you are ready, so just enjoy the process hope it helped
I know that these fears are totally irrational. They're not my only irrational fears. I'm full of them. The fact that they are irrational does not make them any easier to deal with, though. I know that I can co-exist with critters. I've done it before. When I lived in Mexico there were 2-3 scorpions in my house every week and a centipede every now and then. But I was always so tense. Looking for them everywhere. Educating myself does just the opposite of helping me overcome these fears. The more I learn, the more scared I get. I used to play with daddy long legs all the time when I was a child. And now I'm even scared of them. Last summer I made friends with a brown widow that was living outside my window at work. I would talk to her during my long nights working alone. I made a deal with her. I would leave her be if she would promise not to jump at me or bite me. One day I noticed that someone had cleaned her web away and I was sad that I wouldn't be able to see her anymore, but she was back that night. A couple weeks later someone cleaned out her web again and she never came back. I still miss her. I even got to see her ambush a giant ant and eat it. It was one of the coolest things I ever saw. So I do understand that it can get better. But if I have to do it on a one on one basis like with her, this will take forever. There are billions of bugs in this world.lol I do understand the beauty and need for each one of these creatures and I don't value their life below my own. But I'm still scared that they will hurt me.
insects actually keep the balance of the whole eco system. britians bee population is on the decline and they are needing to be farmed specifically to keep the numbers up ,without them there is no cross pollonation which leads to all sorts of problems for hundreds and thousands of plants and animals. insignificant i think not? anyway to the OP, im not sure how you would conquer your fear. although you certainly are missing out on a lot. there really is nothing to be afraid of and most creatures wont just bite you for the sake of it. just get out with nature and see for youself. ive always been an outdoor sort have person and am outside every day and as a kid was never in. i got stung by a bee once and aisde from that nothing. ive seen plenty of snakes etc but they are usually snoozing. i wouldnt worry at all. people are much more dangerous than any animal.
I'm always afraid that I'm going to irritate a poisonous insect or animal accidentally. I would never intentionally harrass any animal. I've always been afraid of bees, but other than that, I used to love to be outside, I didn't even notice bugs much. I don't know what changed, but now it's bad. I couldn't even take a shower last night because as soon as I went to get in the show, I noticed a HUGE spider on the shower curtain. Even when it fell off and went down the drain I was still sure that it was still alive down there and would come out at any time. I had to get someone to look in the drain and make sure it wasn't there and run a bunch of water down the drain. It's like I'm five and I need my mommy to look in the closet for the boogey-man. It's irrational and embarassing, but I just can't stop.
Maybe you will grow out of this in time? I used to be terrified of bees, too, up until about a year ago. I don't know what changed but I'm gradually becoming less afraid of them. I go camping a lot, run around in the park barefoot, play in flowers, and do whatever else I love to do even though there's still that little fear in me. I think it helps if you remind yourself of how happy you feel being outside in nature and refuse to deprive yourself of happy moments. You have more courage than you think.
I wonder if maybe I have sever anxiety and need medication. I mean, I know that I have anxiety, but maybe it's beyond normal. I don't think people around me realize how much it affects me. I start hyperventalating and my heart beats like crazy and I start sweating. Sometimes I even feel like I'm going to be sick. If I see a spider in my room, I can't sleep in there for a few days. I'll "accidentally" fall asleep in the livingroom until I'm sure that the spider is gone. I can't open my windows no matter how hot my room is for fear of a bug getting in. I think it's too much. Way irrational. There's a lot more problems and such that I could mention due to my fears, but it would probably end up being far too long of a post. Could it be that this is beyond just a regular fear?
What you're describing is a phobia. Anxiety happens when you have a phobia.. you don't need medication. It's psychological and it's something you're able to get over, you just may need some extra help with it. Sometimes exposure is what helps people overcome their phobias.
You're not alone! Phobias involving animals (snakes, insects, mice, etc) are one of the most common, and one of the most treatable. According to the American Psychological Association, therapy for the common phobias is effective about 75% of the time, and no medication is needed. Take a look at the APA website ... there's a therapist locator, hopefully you can find a therapist in your area who conducts group sessions with other people with the same phobia. Good luck!
I work with kids in a local scout troop and there's one kid that is also terrified of animals and bugs... we we're on a camp out and I explained to him the purpose of bugs, and certain animals, then when I found a frog, I'd let him see it from a distance, I'd explain what it is and what it does, then I'd get him to pet it, he got to know it and later read about it... by the end of the trip, he got to know about ten types of animals and insects...and ten more things he was no longer afraid of. So as mentioned, reap up on things, get to know them one at a time, get to know how to protect from skeeters and ticks, and learn that bees' are attracted to blue and yellow, and wearing red angers them... dark colors look like a place to hide to most critters, but green and tan are usually good to wear, like on nature shows. Maybe start with a hike at a local park, put on bug spray, wear long pants, bring a bottle of water, and look at nature, watch the birds and squirrels, watch the bees by the flowers from a distance, etc. Learn a little each day, keep at it, get used to nature, and one day you may find that you actually love what you once feared... Peace and blessings
I don't have insurance so I can't afford therapy. But I looked it up any way and there is nothing within 50 miles of me. I live out in the middle of nowhere. Every time I hear of a new bug, I study it. I learn all kinds of stuff. I'm always giving people all kinds of new info on bugs. Whenever I move somewhere new I study up on the local wild life. Learn what's poisonous and what to do if you are bitten/stung. It doesn't make me any less afraid. I try exposure. Take my dogs for walks and look around. But I can only get better with my own back yard. And even that is not good. I can't sit on the ground or go under trees, I'm afraid of our sheds. I do all the things that say it should make it better, but it only ever gets worse. When I was a kid I wasn't so afraid of everything. I was still the same about flying insects, but not so much with spiders. I used to play with daddy long legs and I was the least afraid of the turantula that was in our class room. I would climb trees and lay in the grass. It seems that the more I learn, the more fear I get. But my fear makes me want to learn more.
I was at a weekend camp out that had lots of Black Flies... they annoyed the heck out of us all morning, went away by afternoon and back for an hour in the evening. I learned to get used to them landing on me and such so I was less annoyed than everyone else.
i was just thinking that the other day, about how much i love nature and wish i could be a pretty tree or weeping willow or weeping nuca
