Curing Your Fear of Spiders Might Cure Your Fear of Heights
Chattanooga, Tennessee—(Wise Brother)
Afraid of heights? Just gradually spend more time around SPIDERS. That might fix it, and we’re not joking. (???)
A new study in Germany found that curing a fear of spiders can simultaneously cure a fear of heights, or at least help. (That’s arachnophobia and acrophobia.)
Researchers worked with 50 people who had phobias of both. But they didn’t address heights . . . they just tried to help them with their fear of spiders.
They used “exposure therapy.” A.k.a., “Oh, you’re afraid of spiders? Here, hang out with a BUNCH of spiders for a while.” And it did help.
By the end, they were less afraid of spiders than they were before. But the weird part was they were also less afraid of heights. An average of 15% less afraid.
Multiple phobias is common. And until now, experts thought each one required a separate treatment. But the study found just conquering one has a ripple effect.
They chose a fear of spiders and heights because they’re both very common. But they think it probably applies to other phobias too.
Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash
