How is arachnophobia diagnosed?

How is arachnophobia diagnosed?

If you have arachnophobia, you know you have a fear of spiders and you know it’s a problem because you take great caution in avoiding situations in which you might encounter a spider.

Your healthcare provider will want to confirm that your fear is a phobia versus a normal level of fear and that it’s not the result of a medical condition or psychiatric disorder. Phobias significantly interfere with your ability to live a normal life. Your provider may give you a questionnaire to fill out or ask you directly how your arachnophobia has affected your daily life, how intense your fear feels and how often you feel it. They may also ask how you cope.

Your provider will make the diagnosis of arachnophobia if you have all of the following:

• Your fear of spiders is intense and has been present six months or longer.
• Your fear or anxiety is about a specific situation or object — in this case, spiders.
• Your fear and anxiety almost always happen as soon as you encounter a spider or think about spiders.
• You avoid places you think there are spiders or endure it with intense fear or anxiety.
• Your fear is out of proportion to the actual danger.
• Your fear causes you significant distress or significantly hampers your ability to function.