Intense fear brings challenges, hardships to daily life | by KATHLEEN HOUGH
She had mindlessly prepared for bed in the same way for as long as she could remember. She never even wondered what could be living inside her pillowcases or under her large, white comforter. That is until one night she picked up her pillow to fluff, and a large, black spider ran out. Blood pumping and heart racing, she jumped off the bed with a shrill shriek and crashed into her nightstand.
It’s instances like these that fuel sophomore Mary O’Leary’s intense fear of spiders, insects, and snakes.
“The worst thing in the world is to see a little black monster running fiercely around the carpet,” O’Leary said. “And then they hide and you can’t find them, and your heart is racing and you just want someone to kill them for you.”
Although comical to many onlookers and close friends, O’Leary believes her fear of what she calls “creepy crawlies” is very serious and truly affects her daily life. Not only is she constantly worried that she will encounter one of these pests, but when she does, there is nothing she can do but throw a temper tantrum.
“This fear is just annoying, because spiders like to show up when I’m alone and there’s no one to kill them for me,” O’Leary said. “So then I just sit up high somewhere until someone comes to kill the spider, which sometimes takes a long time.”
Even the thought of these spiders and snakes makes O’Leary’s body shake. When she discovers one, she cries, jumps and runs away, doing anything to escape the “monsters” coming to bite her. She once slapped her cousin on the back after finding a microscopic spider crawling on her hand. Her nervous acts of hitting someone nearby or frantically swatting the air have stuck over the years, as O’Leary continues to do whatever she can to make the tiny insects leave her alone.
Top Ten
Phobias can be anything that someone fears. However, some phobias are much more common than others. Here are ten of the most common phobias.
1. fear of heights
2. fear of enclosed spaces
3. fear of the dark
4. fear of snakes
5. fear of spiders
6. fear of injection or medical needles
7. fear of thunder and lightening
8. fear of having a disease
9. fear of germs
10. fear of the number 13
Source: www.phobias.about.com
According to O’Leary’s friend, sophomore Katie McCombs, when a spider has been spotted O’Leary dramatically jumps onto the nearest “off-land” object until all is clear. And if a friend is nearby, O’Leary either jumps and hangs onto that friend for safety or accidentally slaps and scratches the friend out of fear for her life.
“[O’Leary’s phobia] is not just that she’s afraid of spiders,” McCombs said. “It’s also the blood curdling screaming, running, weird hyperness, wetting of pants and crying that comes along with it.”
Although she does not take medication or meet with a psychiatrist to relieve the stress of her phobia, Mary has found solace by “spider-proofing” her bedroom. She has equipped her walls with outlet plug-ins that make small, clicking sounds every four seconds.
“[The plug-in] is supposed to scare spiders out of the walls and prevents them from entering my room,” Mary said. “I think it actually works because since I got the plug-ins, I have only found one spider.”
For the most part, O’Leary has been successful in avoiding having to kill these spiders. However, one night O’Leary found herself alone with one of these pesky insects.
“I had to attack [the spider] with a metal bar that I broke out of my sister’s closet,” O’Leary said. “Then, just to make sure it was dead, I squirted about 100 sprays of perfume on it. It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever had to do in my life.”
O’Leary’s extreme fear has been following her for as long as she can recall. She remembers playing dolls in her mother’s high heels, so a spider could not crawl on her foot without her noticing.
“It seems like Mary has always had issues about little buggies and creepy crawlers,” O’Leary’s father, Terry O’Leary said.
According to Terry, spider and snake phobias run in the family, as Mary’s mother, Lynn O’Leary, and sister, Amy O’Leary, have a similar fear of crawling things.
The O’Leary family believes Mary’s fear may have even developed before she was born. When Lynn was expecting Mary, she lost control of her bicycle shortly after she noticed a bug flying in front of her. As she screamed in fear of the insect, she flipped over the bicycle and fell head-first into the neighbors’ yard.
“We think Mary heard [Lynn’s] screaming and is now forever impacted by bugs,” Terry said. “They all of the sudden show up at [Mary’s] feet or in her face and she thinks they’re going to attack at any moment and it just freaks her out.”
McCombs believes there is truly nothing anyone can do to help Mary. She believes Mary’s fear will stay with her forever.
“I think [Mary’s fear] is just a part of who she is,” McCombs said. “Outside of her fear, she is a jumpy and hyper sort of person, so her phobia fits in perfectly with her personality. And even though episodes are terrifying [for Mary], they’re quite memorable for the rest of us.”
For now, Mary continues to fight her constant fear of creepy crawlers, with the help and assurance of her mother.
“Despite my fear of spiders, I will always come to my daughter’s rescue to protect her from any spider!” Lynn said.
