Newbie here, excited to make friends!

[that_crazy_araneologist]

I've posted on other forums before, but I get a little anxious and tend to procrastinate going back....but this one, I'm going to try a little harder 😛

so, I should start with a few things about myself, I guess....I have anxiety and on/off depression, but I'm finding new ways to manage it that suit me better than cognitive therapy or medication. Idk, I'm just like that....I learn in a very specific way, just like my dad, by pulling something apart and putting it back together piece by piece to understand it, rather than read the manual or tutorial. I think that's what I've started doing with myself, and it feels much better

as you may have guessed by my user, I am an avid lover of all things spider related! I really enjoy studying spiders and watching them (I considered capturing a few, but then I realised the information I am looking for won't come from a synthetic environment, so I just quietly watch them outside now, sometimes for hours XD but that's okay, I love to be outdoors) I used to be a literal arachnophobe, but I am not one to view people or things from only one perspective, so i applied that to my phobia and started catching glimpses of a world that I never saw before....and I was hooked from there 🙂 I think I have discovered a lot about spirituality and the effect of thoughts which you project in my studies as well, something I never imagined I would say. I try to explain to my terrified mother my exciting discovery, but she doesn't want to hear XD fair enough, I've been her before hahaha. I wish I could share with more frightened people the things I have found....I won't go into it too much here, because well, I will go over the word limit hehehe....but I will say, I trust this ideology so much so, that I will let white-tailed spiders crawl on me 😉 everyone is calling me nuts, but they don't see, not like I do. Or feel I guess I should say

ANYWAY. I am really really looking for new friends which I can relate to. I'm extremely introverted, I almost prefer silence than talking, and I spend a lot of time in my head....not ofteh overthinking, more doing a heck of a lot of creative thought. I also think about prehistory and connect dots a lot. But that's beside the point, i mean to say I do really want friends that don't mind the inevitable awkwardness....idk, shoot me a reply if I haven't already put you off XD

[MsPurple]

I that_crazy_arnaelogist and welcome to the BB forums. Here we like to offer each other support and guidance. Like you many other users also suffer from a mental illness or care for someone with a mental illness. We are a judge free zone. All we ask is that you follow the rules and guidelines of the BB forum page (e.g. no swearing). They are pretty easy to follow

I look to seeing more of you around the forums. 🙂

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi that_crazy_araneologist,

Welcome! and thank you for being here and joining the forums.

I've got to say your post was a lot of fun to read - and I was really surprised by your love of spiders because almost everyone I know (including myself) is terrified of spiders! Not very helpful when we live in Australia full of spiders and creepy crawlies. Maybe you can teach me how to overcome my fear!

BeyondBlue is a great place to get to know people and we're a wonderful bunch if I can say so myself - one place you might want to check out is our social zone; basically a bunch of threads and posts helping people interact and talk about various things -

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/bb-social-zone

Hope that you enjoy being here.

[geoff]

hello that_crazy_araneologist, my dear Mum had no fear of picking up any spider in the house, she would put it in her hand and then walk to a door and release it, whatever type it was, meant nothing to her, and certainly of no concern, she had no fear, while some other people wouldn't even step into a room if there was a white tail on the wall. Geoff.

[that_crazy_araneologist]

hi there Geoff 🙂

she sounds like an awesome lady! I love people who appreciate spiders, I know when I've found someone I will click with easily when they are kind to our eight legged friends....I wish I knew some more people like that hahaha

[that_crazy_araneologist]

hey romantic_thi3f 😄

ooh I love Australia for it's invertebrates! I would love to travel to Brazil at some point though, I am itching to study some big Brazilian tarantulas hehehehe

actually, recently I have been watching a Sydney brown trapdoor, which I affectionately named Matilda 😄 she was very timid at first and I had to mind my step so as not to disturb her with vibrations, but now I can get down very close! she's a gorgeous girl, really big for her kind too. I'm watching a male as well but he isn't as fond of me, sometimes he gets anxious and slams the door shut XD so I give him lots of space and hopefully one day we can be friends hahaha

also I really like these forums, I've not been here long at all but already I can tell this is a community I would love to interact more with! everyone seems really lovely 🙂

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi that_crazy_araneologist

Thanks for your post! Good to hear from you again.

I never thought I'd meet a person that wants to see tarantulas! For someone who was once afraid of spiders, you've certainly come a long way! Do you have a favourite kind of spider?

Sounds like you and Matilda are getting along well! I hope that you guys can be friends - thinking about it now I'm guessing spiders would make great friends. They love your favourite movies, music, never eat your food and happy to go anywhere! Oh, and a great listener of course.

Do you capture spiders or have any as pets?

I'm really glad that you're enjoying this community - there's certainly lots of people to chat with. Feel free to post as much as you like.

[geoff]

hi that_crazy_araneologist, it's amazing, because no one could work out why my dear Mum could ever do this, pick up a spider and let it go, everyone was petrified even looking at them, now it doesn't worry me, unfortunately my dear Mum has passed away.
I do know someone who would use a couple of cans of insectide repellant on even a small, tiny spider, but now she lives alone, and now she has changed her attitude and can cope with it much better even though she still dislikes them. Geoff.

[that_crazy_araneologist]

hey romantic, sorry I've been MIA );

oh no I don't capture them 😛 I just like to watch them and interact with them, if they let me XD

I love to meet jumping spiders in particular tho because a lot of spiders have poor eyesight, but not these guys! I get down on their level and look them right in the eyes and they look back, it's so fascinating, I wonder what they must be thinking....some have jumped on my face before but I don't mind, they're welcome hahaha

actually, unrelated, but a few days ago something very magical happened! I was cleaning the cupboards a week before and happened upon a cockroach egg capsule thing and well, they're not safe in the kitchen not to mention hated by my family, so I gently removed it and kept it safe in my room while they developed....and then they hatched out WHITE! I had no idea, I thought they'd be black like the adult form, it was incredible! i moved the hatchlings outside once they got their bearings where I thought they would fair better but by gosh, I'm so happy I got to witness that. They were so small and sweet!

[that_crazy_araneologist]

Hi Geoff 😄

oh gosh that's sad to hear about your mum... 😞 she sounds like she was a very beautiful person though, people like her help to make the world a better place; kindness breeds kindness, even the smallest of gestures like not killing a spider. its such a lovely thing to open your mind to the little lives around you and acknowledge their worth like that, much respect for her (: