I have had ridiculous arachnophobia for most of my life. Even a photograph of a big hairy spider gives me the willies. Recently, a business has opened up near this village, in a road called Nowhere Lane (!!). They have hundreds of 'creepy-crawlies' in glass enclosures, and we (visiting husband and myself) decided to go and have a look.
The first room displayed living scorpions, with very interesting information about their countries of origin and so on. They were kept warm by infrared lights above their cages.
The next room was the Spider Room. Clutching my husband's hand tightly, I tottered in, and there sat the biggest hairiest spiders imaginable in their individual enclosures. Strangely enough, I looked carefully at each one and read the information. (Many African specimens!) I began to feel rather sorry for the poor creatures in their little prisons, and the phobia started to abate.
Then a lady with two small children spoke to us and pointed to the corner of the room. There sat a massive hairy spider - it had evidently escaped from its cage. Luckily, the lady had informed the staff, and a woman in uniform arrived with a paper bag and gently popped the naughty spider in.
The place is called 'BugzUK' and they offer another room where one can hold and touch the creatures. Sadly (??) it was fully booked, so we couldn't try that.
The point of this rambling post is that perhaps phobias can be overcome with knowledge, exposure, pity and scientific interest. Or simply 'getting a grip'?