Forgive the poor Gimpage skills. But you get the Gist
Arachnophobia – the fear of spiders apparently occurs in 50% of Women, and 10% of men. The Phobia can be mild, or quite severe, it seems rather high, that 50% of women have it. It’s supposed to be the most common of all phobias.
We have a lot of spiders in WOW. you will see that spiders can be found at most of the stages of leveling in World of Warcraft, and no matter the class, or race you play – you will see spiders at some point. You craft with spiders, you cook with spiders
In Wow, they throw poison spit at you, web, and trap you like prey stare at you with beady eyes.
Could you play Wow if you had Arachnophia?
I will admit they are creepy. I’m a Woman. I’m not sure I would call my feeling towards them a phobia, In Australia we grow up being exposed redback spiders in our backyards. We even make fun of them in a Song called “Red back on the Toilet seat.” I think I have a healthy respect for them, not a fear or a phobia. But I will kill a redback and a white tail if I see them.
One of the places in WOW if I did have a phobia of spiders that I imagine I would not be able to endure is the Spider trash room, clearing your way to Sindragosa In ICC,
If you haven’t seen the room I found a short Youtube Video Rogues V Spiders that show the spiders creeping towards the centre, hanging from webs and crawling down the walls.
The Gates close behind you, and you are trapped and face an onslaught of what seems an unending flood of spiders. Your party stands there chest deep ( or over your head if you’re a gnome or a dwarf) in the bodies of the fallen spiders. I’ve used a screen shot from the remains of that fight, overlayed with the Arachnophobia Title from the 1990 movie.
Do you know anyone with a fear of spiders that plays Wow? – How does it affect them while they are playing? Or are the graphics far enough away from reality to disassociate?
The Spider Phobia is easily enough to relate back to Wow, but I wonder if people can get affected by other phobias by gaming, and specifically our experiences in WOW
Ophidiophobia: Fear of snakes – we have snakes in game.
Acrophobia: Fear of Heights – we have lots of high places, and even a quest horde side in a Thousand Needles that requires you to jump off a cliff for Test of Faith as well as the quest requiring you to jump off a cliff for the Tuskars : Conversing with the Depths
Pteromerhanophibia: Fear of flying – would make getting around a lot harder
Even Emetophobia: Fear of Vomiting. Better hope you don’t get Vile Gas in the Plague wing
I’m sure we could find a lot of phobia triggers within the game, but is the person far enough removed from the reality of the phobia, that it doesnt affect them by gaming.
Could then gaming be used to treat phobias? Creating Virtual environments for people to explore their fears without threats.
Provided by 
Pugnacious Priest's Warcraft Blog 