A person who has a phobia usually experiences a hysterical fear of an object or situation that is not really a threat to safety or even not dangerous at all. Although the object of the phobia can vary, ranging from heights, spiders, to narrow spaces, the impact of this condition makes a person act excessively to protect himself. This can cause a number of problems in your life. This is the problem with people who have a fear of wasps (spheksophobia) and/or bees (apiphobia or melissophobia). Fortunately, you can overcome an unwarranted fear of wasps and bees by confronting them, changing the way you think, learning how people behave around you, or talking to a therapist about your problem.
Step
Method 1 of 6: Using the Flooding Technique
Step 1. Discuss your fears with a therapist
Not everyone needs to use a therapist to treat a phobia, but some people may feel more comfortable having a professional guide them through a variety of strategies. The most common methods of treating phobias are exposure therapy and cognitive therapy. Most therapists can also try a variety of other methods such as social learning theory (modelling), biofeedback, and hypnotherapy.
- To determine whether you need the help of a therapist or want to work on it yourself, you should consider the severity of your phobia and the support you need. If your phobia is severe and can cause panic attacks or anxiety disorders, or if your fear prevents you from doing activities like going on a picnic or watching your child's baseball game by yourself, you may need professional help.
- Hypnotherapy should not be done without professional supervision.
Step 2. Use an imaginary exposure
Flooding is the process of exposing a person to the object of his phobia, in this case a wasp or bee, in a controlled environment. Since it's impossible to directly use lots of real wasps or bees, a therapist may ask you to imagine that these animals are around you. This is known as imaginary exposure.
Keep in mind that when you think of a wasp or a bee, you may feel a little panicky
Step 3. Wait for your level of fear and anxiety to decrease
When you're exposed to a stimulus long enough and nothing bad happens, you're less likely to feel anxious or afraid over time. Note that this can take hours and may even need to be repeated in different sessions. You have to be strong and let the fear go.
Step 4. Repeat this process as many times as needed
There are no specific rules about the amount of exposure that can treat a phobia. You may only need to do this once, or many times until the fear of wasps and bees disappears. Whatever happens, repeat this process as many times as needed.
Method 2 of 6: Using the Systematic Desensitization Method
Step 1. Practice relaxing
Systematic desensitization is the application of removing a negatively reinforced behavior, or eliminating a specific response to a stimulus. This approach basically stems from the idea that you can't feel relaxed and anxious (or scared) at the same time. Before you practice replacing negative responses with relaxed ones, you should practice relaxing. Some good relaxation techniques to learn are:
- Deep breathing
- Meditation
- Progressive muscle relaxation
Step 2. Make a list of things related to wasps and bees
If the flooding technique exposes you to many wasps and bees simultaneously, systematic desensitization exposes you to the thing you fear gradually. You should write about 15-20 scenarios related to wasps or bees that make you feel anxious or scared. You have to expose yourself to all of those scenarios over time. For example, you could create a list like this:
- Thinking about wasps and bees
- Draw a wasp and bee shape
- Watch a video about wasps and bees
- Observing wasps and bees from a distance
- Sit in the backyard or in a place where wasps and bees often appear
Step 3. Rank each point on the list
Use a 0-100 scale to rank everything on your list. 0 indicates that there is no fear or anxiety associated with it, while 100 indicates the greatest fear and anxiety imaginable. No need to think too much about these rankings, just use the first number that comes to mind when you think about each case. For example, a compiled ranking might look like this:
- Thinking about wasps and bees 12
- Draw a wasp and bee shape 30
- Watch a video about wasps and bees 57
- Observing wasps and bees from a distance 71
- Sitting in the backyard or in a place where wasps and bees often appear 92
Step 4. Organize each point into categories based on their ranking
You must determine five levels of fear or anxiety, from lowest to highest. Ideally, you should have at least two items in each category. If you can't find two items for each category, you may need to rethink the rankings in your compiled list, or add something new to the categories.
- Put things that are ranked 0-19 in the low fear trigger category. (For example, thinking about wasps and bees)
- Put items that are ranked 20-39 into the medium-low category of fear triggers. (For example, drawing the shape of a wasp and a bee)
- A rating of 40-59 is a moderate category of fear triggers. (for example, watching a video about wasps and bees)
- Put things that are ranked 60-79 in the medium-high category of fear triggers. (for example, observing live wasps and bees from a distance)
- Put items that are ranked 89-100 into the medium-high category. (For example, sitting in the backyard or in a place where wasps and bees often appear)
Step 5. Choose the trigger to use in the first session
You must choose three things to start a systematic desensitization session. These things should come from the low or maybe medium-low category. You don't want to shock yourself in the first session.
Step 6. Begin your first systematic desensitization session
Start by using the relaxation method of choice to relax your body. Once relaxed, come into contact with the first trigger or scenario that could cause anxiety or fear, such as thinking about wasps and bees. Keep exposing yourself for as long as you're comfortable doing so, then stop and evaluate your anxiety level (from 0-100). If you experience anxiety, repeat the process. Once you no longer feel anxious after being exposed to the trigger, replace it with a new trigger and repeat the process.
Systematic desensitization can be performed in vivo (real self-exposure) or in vitro (via imagination). In vivo procedures give the best results, but in some cases, this may not be possible
Step 7. Relax your body at the end of each session
Each session should close with relaxation. You don't want to finish the session feeling anxious or scared. This will allow you to move on to another session, and build confidence for the next session.
Step 8. Continue regular therapy sessions
You usually need a minimum of 4-12 sessions to benefit from systematic desensitization. You should start each session by repeating the use of the last object used. For example, if at the end of the previous session you watched a video of wasps and bees, you should start your next session by watching the same video. If you feel you need extra help, you should ask a therapist for support.
Method 3 of 6: Using Cognitive Therapy
Step 1. Identify your negative thoughts
Often times, anxiety and fear stem from unrealistic thoughts or expectations you have of the presence of wasps or bees. Cognitive therapy will help replace these thoughts, but the first step is to recognize them. Negative thought patterns usually fall into three categories:
- fortune telling is a condition when you assume that you already know the outcome of your confrontation with the thing you fear. "If I saw a wasp or a bee, I would panic and be stung."
- overgeneralizing is when you use a specific incident and experience as a benchmark. “The last time I saw a bee, I was stung. I know, if I see a bee again, I will be stung again."
- Catastrophizing is a state where you imagine the worst that could possibly happen. “If I see a wasp or a bee, then it's most likely their nest is nearby. They will attack me. What if I have allergies? I could die."
Step 2. Fight your negative thoughts
Ask yourself if there is any evidence to support your fears. Usually, you'll have a hard time finding anything that can prove that you're about to be stung or attacked by wasps and bees. Sometimes it can help you to imagine how to explain the same thing to a friend who has a similar fear. If you can tell a friend that your fear is unfounded, it can help you admit that your own anxiety is unfounded.
This can be a starting point for consulting with a therapist to guide you in discovering which thoughts are most worrisome and which thoughts are exaggerated
Step 3. Think of something more reasonable about wasps and bees
Once you admit that your thoughts are too overwhelming, you can start looking for positive ways to deal with them. Instead of thinking “I must have been stung,” you can change it to “Most likely I won't be stung.” This will help limit your fears because you are judging a situation from a logical point of view.
Method 4 of 6: Modifying Your Behavior according to the Behavior of Others
Step 1. Choose someone to emulate
The person in question could be a close friend or an expert on wasps and bees. The important thing to note is that the model person must respond calmly to the presence of wasps and bees. Be sure to choose someone you can feel comfortable with.
If you work with a therapist, he or she is likely to be able to help you find a suitable model or model for this method of therapy
Step 2. Observe the behavior of the model near the wasps and bees
The first step is to watch your chosen model respond to the presence of wasps and bees. Be sure to practice relaxation techniques so that you feel calm while doing them. If you feel anxious during the observation, stop observing and focus on being calm until you are ready to start again. This will give you a frame of mind or reference for how to respond calmly. It can also build a foundation so that you can imitate the behavior of the model.
Step 3. Imitate the behavior of the model around the wasps and bees
Once you're comfortable and no longer anxious about observing the model, you should join her in dealing with the wasps and bees. With the model, you can imitate how she responds to the presence of wasps and bees. This will help you feel calm and relaxed when you are around a wasp or bee alone.
Method 5 of 6: Using Biofeedback
Step 1. Determine the variables to be measured
Biofeedback is the process of measuring the body's response to a stimulus to help control its response. Responses that are measured are usually heart rate and blood pressure. You can buy an instrument to measure both of these at the nearest pharmacy.
A therapist or other medical professional can help you complete this step
Step 2. Prepare the necessary instruments
You should be prepared to monitor your body's response before exposing yourself to wasps or bees in any way. For example, if you want to measure your heart rate, make sure you have a heart rate monitor installed before you expose yourself to wasps or bees.
Step 3. Expose yourself to wasps or bees
You can do this in a number of ways, such as watching a wasp or bee video. Choose a type of exposure that you can deal with without feeling pressured. Most importantly, you must monitor your body's response to the exposure.
Step 4. Respond to biofeedback
Use the information you get through biofeedback as a guide for relaxation. As your heart rate increases, start relaxing your body. When your heart rate drops, you know that the relaxation technique used is working. You can use relaxation techniques such as:
- Integrated imagination. To use this technique, you must imagine a place that is peaceful and quiet, and then use that imagination to calm yourself down.
- autogenic phase. To use this technique, you must repeat calming words to yourself, such as "I feel calm and at peace."
- Deep breathing.
Method 6 of 6: Recognizing the Origin and Triggers of Your Fear
Step 1. Record any fears or anxieties you experience
If something related to wasps or bees triggers a reaction, you should make a note of it. This will help you identify the triggers that are causing your anxiety or fear. Knowing this will help you treat and/or avoid those fears.
Step 2. Remember any previous contact you had with a wasp or bee
Phobias are learned behaviors. This means that you were not born with a fear of wasps or bees, but that you went through a number of processes that made you fear them. This type of fear often comes from bad experiences, such as being stung as a child. Try to identify the origin of your fear so you can dispel the false assumption that you created the phobia yourself.
Step 3. Rethink everything you've been taught about wasps and bees
It is common knowledge that parents, teachers, or other adults often teach us to have unwarranted fears. If the only thing you've been taught about bees is that their stings cause pain, you likely won't have a positive view of the animal. This eventually leads to anxiety disorders and a fear of something you don't understand.
Tips
- Sometimes, combining several methods can give the best results.
- Be patient. You probably won't overcome your fear of wasps and bees in one session.
- Practice general body relaxation. This ability will help you regulate your anxiety level in all situations, including when you see a wasp or bee.
- When you see wasps or bees, or are near them, try to think of something else. For example, if you are walking your dog and see a bee, focus your thoughts on your dog. Remind yourself that you'll be fine as long as you don't disturb or hurt the bee.
- If you have an allergy to wasps or bees, you can take steps to keep them away from your home, but you should still try to minimize your fear in order to cope with the situation of seeing wasps or bees outdoors.
Warning
- Lack of anxiety when exposing yourself may indicate that you are not exposing yourself to the right stimulus, or that the stimulus used is not strong enough.
- An excessively high level of anxiety when exposing yourself means that you haven't learned to cope with an intense stimulus, or that you've been exposing yourself for too long at a time.
- Hypnotherapy should only be done by a professional.
- Do not expose yourself to wasps or bees in the real world if you have allergies. This is very dangerous. You should consider contacting a professional if this is the case.
