Any tips on handling my newly bought ball python

I've held loads of snakes before and have always loved them, i bought my first a few days ago after doing lots of research, found i was quite nervous picking him up but today i picked him up and he started to go up my arm and i felt his head pushing quite hard on my forearm i just started to panic thought he was gonna bite me (looking back really don't think he was) i had a real full blown panic attack, and now the thought of holding him scares the living day lights out of me, i never thought i would reacted like this he's only young and not used to being handled and i know that now is the best time to get him tame. if any one could give me some pointers on how to handle him and how to over come my newly found fear it would really help.

Silly goose! Ball pythons are some of the most reluctant of all species of snake to bite. Seriously, don't get jittery around him (esp since he's getting used to you too. Remember: they can sense fear) Seriously, I've got a corn snake who has bitten nearly everyone that's come within a foot of him. (His name is Saladdin. He tries to attack anything that moves and is hell-bent on taking over the world. XD I've never been bitten by my ball python; and he came from a horrible home. I rescued him a few months ago. He's around three years old and about 3 1/2 ft long. He hides from everything (including the young corn snake that's no bigger around than a pencil! Meanwhile, Saladdin wants to attack him. Sooo messed up