Girlfriend + Spiders = Not Good!

Graham_B18C

Right well my girlfriend has a major fear of spiders, like really major. She has really bad panic attacks if she sees one and can't talk or do anything if she sees one close to her. She surveys EVERY room she enters, checks every corner and crevice (at a distance) to make sure they won't get her by suprise. She's always had it but with these HUGE feckers around lately, it's just gotten worse.

Last night I had to walk her out of the bedroom and search for the thing that she saw but I wasn't quick enough to kill it. Eventually I found it and killed it and only after she saw it dead did she come back in, putting it out the window won't do.

She has really bad dreams about them and can't sleep if I'm not with her, this lasts for a few days after an encounter with a biggun.

Basically what I'm wondering is, is there anything we can do? It's getting worse and I feel bad for not being with her all the time because I know how on edge she is after seeing one. PLEASE HELP!!!!

EDIT: Just emailed a hypnosis crowd there, going to find out how much it costs. Has anyone here ever gotten over a Phobia this way? I really don't think she's going to grow out of it!

Curious... because I've only seen the ones that are perhaps 2" across (legs included)... how do you kill those HUGE ones? Seems like stamping on them will cause too much of a mess. However I am like your girlfriend in that if it's put outside, I can't relax, in case it comes back. Also my only way of killing them is to sneak up on it then crush it with all my might until I've finished hyperventilating, then clean it up. I just don't know what to do when I do meet when of these massive ones people are talking about. Will probably try to drop a phonebook on it, then leave it there till I move house. :pac:

Sorry I can't offer advice, at times I have been as distressed as your GF about these feckers, but seems to go in phases. There is never a time that I like seeing them, though.

Graham_B18C

They are about 2 inches across too but their legs and bodies are huge, their legs are like horses legs :pac:

I was going to start talking about the spiders back home where I grew up, but I've decided this section of boards is definitely not the place for this!! For other people's comfort, obviously! I'm glad you answered my question though. Having moved here only last March locals are going "Haha just wait till you see the spiders!!" which is blowing things all out of proportion for me. I can't imagine they'd really be any more unusually large than the ones "down the country" where I grew up. I'm a firm believer that knowledge is power and I do like to know what I could expect. But we probably shouldn't go into more detail!