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Old October 18th 10, 05:15 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
Christina Websell
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Default Somewhat OT - spiders


"hopitus" wrote in message
...
On Oct 16, 5:41 pm, "Joy" wrote:
"Christina Websell" wrote in message

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"Joy" wrote in message
...
"Christina Websell" wrote in
message
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"hopitus" wrote in message
...
On Oct 16, 10:54 am, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
wrote in message


.. . Christina Websell
wrote:


I am proud of you for both your bravery under fire (the British way)
and
your kindness in throwing Old Hairy outside instead of smashing her
just because we can. Well done, and a MileHigh Salute to you and
Boyfie.


thanks, hop. It took some courage and yes, I know it's ridiculous to
be
afraid of big spiders but I am.
Imagine your worst fear and I did it, without hurting her.
We Brits can do this ;-)
Tweed


Boyfie says hello


I am also impressed by your bravery. My daughter also has
arachnophobia,
and I know that phobias are not easy to overcome. One can't reason them
away, because they aren't reasonable. They just are, and they're very
real.


I try very hard with my arachnophobia, I can manage the small ones now
but
realistically, the huge ones are always going to give me a problem.
No amount of studying them to try and find them interesting does any
good,
just cannot stop being afraid of big spiders. I have no idea why, it's
just a fact.
Tweed


That's the problem with phobias. They don't have to make sense, but that
doesn't make them any less real.

I used to know a woman who had an extreme fear of heights. She once went
to
a conference in a large hotel. When she entered her room on the 20th
floor,
she saw that there were floor to ceiling windows, and the drapes were
open.
She literally had to crawl across the room to shut the drapes.

Some people manage to get over phobias, usually with psychiatric help or
through hypnotism, but some never do. Many people who don't have phobias
don't understand, and think they can talk someone out of a phobia. It
can't
be done.

I think you're doing amazingly well.

Joy


Here is something for you to ponder: years ago, when the MGM Grand had
a major
fire, I was in a nearby small town and there was great concern among
some of us
that rescue efforts include the old MGM mascot lion, whom we had heard
had lost
most of his teeth due to his age and got special food for that reason
as well as had
to be poked awake to do his roaring thing for the nightclub customers.
He lived in
the hotel's deep basement, but was well cared for by his vets, etc.
They did succeed in getting him out of the basement but the hotel was
a big loss
from the fire's destruction.
I do NOT have a phobia or fear of heights, but due to this experience
plus many
years later, the 9/11 televised saga, I will never tolerate being a
guest in a hotel,
etc. on a higher floor than 2 or 3. Accommodations are used to
stranger mandates
than mine from guests, by far, and have always got my way with this.
Would you term this quirk of mine a "phobia"? Even though caused by
two events
similar only in that higher floor occupancy for any purpose resulted
in doom for the
involved
Note: that old lion finally died f old age, and the one that recently
attacked someone
is not the same lion.

------
No, I would not class that as a phobia, it's more a learned experience of
risk that has made you extra careful.
As Joy says, phobias do not make sense. Even *I* cannot talk myself myself
out of this one completely. Maybe they are primeval for some, in some sort
of race memory from aeons ago. I really don't know.
Tweed