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Arachnophobia: a practical management device

Department of Psychiatry, Kidderminster General Hospital, Bewdley Road, Kidderminster DYII 6RJ

EDITED BY MATTHEW HOTOPF

While not wishing to endorse a particular product or brand, I would like to report the effectiveness of a cheap and readily available device in the management of insect and spider phobia (the ‘Bug Katcha’, from Betterware). The device consists of a clear Perspex box with a sliding door mounted on a long handle, allowing the offending insect to be entrapped from a distance and released without manual contact.

Having in jest presented a severely spider-phobic psychiatrist friend with such an item, I was pleased to hear that its use had provided effective exposure in vivo and led to a marked reduction in symptoms of anxiety. She became able to talk about and to be in a room with spiders without displaying visible signs of arousal. As many non-arachnophobes prefer not to handle spiders directly, her functioning seems to have been restored to an acceptable level.

This device may provide a practical and cost-effective way to reduce the manifestations of simple insect and spider phobias.

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Smith, S. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Smith, S.