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4 The United Kingdom's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity. "Hmmmm," said the psychiatrist. "A serious case..." He put the rubber spider on the desk. When my friend stopped screaming, the psychiatrist told her to touch it. When she stopped screaming again C the idea of touching the plastic spider was enough to make her scream C she touched it. At first she touched it for just one second. She shivered all over, but at least she managed to touch it. "Ok," said the psychiatrist. "That?s all for today. Thanks. You can go home now." "That?s it?" asked my friend. "Yes." "That?s all?" "Yes, for today. This is the behavioural approach. Come back tomorrow." My friend went back the next day, and this time the plastic spider was already on the doctor?s desk. This time she touched it and held it for five minutes. Then the doctor told her to go home and come back the next day. The next day she went back and the plastic spider was on her chair. She had to move the spider so she could sit down. The next day she held the spider in her hand while she sat in her chair. The next day, the doctor gave her the plastic spider and told her to take it home with her. "Where do spiders appear in your house?" asked the psychiatrist. "In the bath, usually," said my friend. "Put the spider in the bath," he told her. My friend was terrified of the spider in the bath, but she managed not to scream when she saw it there. "It?s only a plastic spider," she told herself. The next day the psychiatrist told her to put the spider in her living room. My friend put it on top of the television. At first she thought the spider was watching her, and she felt afraid. Then she told herself that it was only a plastic spider. The next day the psychiatrist told her to put the spider in her bed. "No way!" she said. "Absolutely not!" "Why not?" asked the psychiatrist. "It?s a spider!" replied my friend. "No it?s not," said the psychiatrist, "It?s a plastic spider. It?s not a real one." My friend realised that her doctor was right. She put the plastic spider in her bed, and she slept there all night with it in her bed. She only felt a little bit afraid. The next day, she went back to the psychiatrist. This time, she had a shock, a big shock. Sitting in the middle of the doctor?s desk there was a spider. And this time it was a real spider. My friend was about to scream and run away, but she didn?t. She sat on the other side of the room, as far away as possible from the spider, for about five minutes, then she got up and left the room. "See you tomorrow!" shouted the psychiatrist to her as she left. The next day she went back and this time the psychiatrist let the spider run around on his desk. Again, my friend stayed about five minutes, then left. The next day she stayed for ten minutes, and the day after that, fifteen. Eventually, the psychiatrist held the spider, the real spider with long furry legs and little eyes, in his hand. He asked my friend to come and touch it. At first she refused, but the doctor insisted. Eventually she touched the spider, just for a second. The next day she touched it for a few seconds, then for a few minutes, and after that she held the spider in her own hand. Then she took the spider home, and let it run around in her house. She didn?t feel afraid. Well, ok, she did feel afraid, but only a tiny bit. "So, now I?ve got a pet spider!" she told me again. "Well done!" I said. "There?s only one problem," she said, and as she spoke I noticed that she was shivering all over. Then she screamed and climbed up on the chair. She was pointing to something on the floor. "Over there!" she screamed. "Look! It?s a beetle...!" THE END Story C A Serious Case http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/stories/serious-case ? The British Council,