Years ago I watched a baby giggling as a big hairy huntsman spider was running about, the kid even tried to pick it up. Fear of spiders is a taught (by our parents) fear, like many others. Fear is normal as is worry. They are one of nature's way of self preservation. It's when fear and worry become overwhelming or irrational that things fall apart. Just growing old brings new fears and worries as we become less able to deal with crap that as a younger person, would be easy.