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mushroom comments on Stupid Questions (10/27/2014) - Less Wrong Discussion

15 Post author: drethelin 27 October 2014 09:27PM

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Comment author: Wes_W 28 October 2014 04:17:15AM *  3 points [-]

I am very afraid of bugs. I have to psyche myself up to get close enough to a bug to smash it. I have, on more than one occasion, decided to go to work without showering because there was a spider in the bathroom. Ants and flies don't bother me for whatever reason, but spiders/moths/beetles/grasshoppers/silverfish and almost anything else bug-like are very disconcerting to look at or be near.

This only rarely interferes with my life, but it is very frustrating. I'm not sure if I'm looking for a way to remove the irrational fear, or a coping strategy. "Keep gloves and lots of RAID around the house" is my current best idea.

Comment author: [deleted] 28 October 2014 05:03:38AM 4 points [-]

Deliberate self-directed exposure therapy reduced my fear of certain types of bugs. It isn't pleasant, but I think you can be quite optimistic about the odds of success.