Fear of anoraks and spiders (anoraknophobia)

Anoraknophobia playfully combines a fear of anoraks with a fear of spiders. Nobody is known to fear a spider in a raincoat, and the word is meant to raise a smile rather than describe anything people actually go through.

About this phobia

It is a comic mash-up of anorak and arachnophobia, and has been used as a title for fun. It is not a recognised fear. The real fear of spiders, arachnophobia, is one of the most widely known phobias and is the one to look at if spiders cause genuine distress.

How it shows up

The word is a pun, and nobody is known to fear spiders dressed for the rain. The real fear hidden inside the joke, arachnophobia, is very common, and for people who have it a spider in the bath or a web across the shed door can trigger instant panic. Some people also notice a smaller unease about finding a spider tucked in a coat hood or sleeve, which may be where the two halves of the joke meet. Genuine distress of this kind is not the same as finding spiders a bit creepy.

Common triggers

• Spiders running across the floor
• Webs in corners or sheds
• Pictures or videos of large spiders
• Autumn, when house spiders appear more often
• Finding a spider in a coat or pocket
• Putting on clothes that have hung in a cupboard for a while

Where it shows up

• Garden sheds and garages
• Lofts and cellars
• Bathrooms and baths
• Camping and walking trips
• Coat cupboards and hallways

Symptoms

In your body

• Jumping or freezing on the spot
• Racing heart
• Skin crawling
• Rapid breathing
• Sweating

In your mind

• Imagining spiders on the body
• Scanning rooms for movement
• Feeling unable to relax until it has gone

What you might do

• Shaking out coats and shoes before wearing them
• Asking others to remove spiders
• Avoiding certain rooms
• Leaving the house at the sight of one

What may cause it

There is nothing to research about the joke word itself. Arachnophobia, on the other hand, has been studied a great deal, and is thought to involve a mix of learned fear, often from seeing family members react, and a natural readiness to notice small, fast moving creatures. A sudden scare, such as a spider dropping onto someone, can also start it off. Avoidance keeps the fear alive by never letting the body learn to settle.

How it can affect your life

A real fear of spiders can make autumn evenings tense, stop people going into sheds or lofts and spoil camping trips. Some people check rooms over and over before they can sleep. Others feel embarrassed that something so small has such a hold on them.

Related fears

• Fear of spiders (arachnophobia)
• Fear of insects and creepy crawlies (entomophobia)
• Fear of animals in general (zoophobia)

Things that can help day to day

• Learn a few facts about UK house spiders, which are harmless to people
• Look at cartoon spiders before moving on to photos
• Use a glass and a sheet of card to move spiders outside calmly
• Breathe slowly and count the seconds until the panic starts to ease

When to get help

If spiders stop you using parts of your home or going outdoors, help is worth seeking. A GP can refer you for talking therapies, and spider fears often respond well to hypnotherapy.

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

About me

Common questions

What if I really do worry about spiders hiding in my coat?

That is a genuine fear of spiders rather than of anoraks, and it is very common. Shaking out coats or checking pockets can become a habit that keeps the worry going. Arachnophobia is well understood and is worth addressing on its own terms.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Further reading: Cleveland Clinic: Arachnophobia · Britannica: Arachnophobia · NHS: Phobias

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

See all session options and prices