Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Coping
Bee phobia is a type of specific phobia. Read on to learn more about how bee phobia presents, why it occurs, and what you can do about it.
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What Is a Bee Phobia?
Bee phobia is categorized as an animal phobia, which is a type of specific phobia.
Specific PhobiasSpecific phobias involve intense, irrational fear of an object or situation that is unlikely to be harmful or dangerous. It can also be an exaggerated reaction to a potential threat.
Specific Phobias
Specific phobias involve intense, irrational fear of an object or situation that is unlikely to be harmful or dangerous. It can also be an exaggerated reaction to a potential threat.
For example, although bees can sting, they usually only sting when threatened. Unless you’re allergic to bees, the injury is typically minor—a small area of pain, redness, and swelling that resolves within a day.
Many people develop a normal fear of bees. After all, no one wants to get stung. However, people who have a phobia of bees have a fear level that’s higher than the actual threat warrants. They may know the fear is irrational, but they feel the fear anyway.
For people with a specific phobia, anxiety symptoms can occur even if they’re not around the source of their fear. Thinking about it, anticipating encountering it, or seeing a representation of it such as a photo or video can cause severe anxiety symptoms.
What Is a Phobia?
Symptoms of a Bee Phobia
An encounter with a bee can cause people with a bee phobia to experience symptoms similar to a panic attack, such as:
People with a bee phobia are likely to avoid situations in which they may encounter a bee. The fear may even influence larger decisions, such as choosing to live in a big city instead of a rural area.
What Is Panic Disorder?
What Causes Fear of Bees
Do I Have Anxiety? How to Recognize the Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosing a Bee Phobia
Apiphobia isn’t a diagnosis in and of itself. It falls under the category of specific phobia, which does have an official diagnosis.
Based on the criteria outlined in the fifth edition of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM-5), people with a specific phobia:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
People who have phobias are usually aware that they have them. If you think you may have a phobia, talking with a healthcare professional (usually a primary healthcare provider) can help lead to adiagnosis.Your provider can suggest treatment or make a referral to a mental health professional.
Bee Allergy vs. Bee Phobia
Treating a Bee Phobia
There are several treatments available for specific phobias.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a treatment that encompasses many types oftalk therapy.
Exposure therapyis a first-line treatment for phobias. It involves gradually introducing a person to the source of the phobia and increasing the closeness gradually.
Fear Ladder for Fear of BeesExposure therapy is done in a controlled environment. It often uses a technique called a fear ladder. A fear ladder for bees might include the following:Look at pictures of bees.Watch a video about bees.Look at a bee through a window.Look at a bee in a glass jar from across the street.Stand 10 feet away from a bee in a glass jar.Stand 5 feet away from a bee in a glass jar.Stand beside a bee in a glass jar.Stand far away and observe a bee flying freely.Stand 10 feet away from a bee flying freely.Stand 5 feet away from a bee flying freely.Stand near a bee flying freely.
Fear Ladder for Fear of Bees
Exposure therapy is done in a controlled environment. It often uses a technique called a fear ladder. A fear ladder for bees might include the following:Look at pictures of bees.Watch a video about bees.Look at a bee through a window.Look at a bee in a glass jar from across the street.Stand 10 feet away from a bee in a glass jar.Stand 5 feet away from a bee in a glass jar.Stand beside a bee in a glass jar.Stand far away and observe a bee flying freely.Stand 10 feet away from a bee flying freely.Stand 5 feet away from a bee flying freely.Stand near a bee flying freely.
Exposure therapy is done in a controlled environment. It often uses a technique called a fear ladder. A fear ladder for bees might include the following:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that is commonly used to treat phobias.CBTinvolves identifying unhealthy or harmful thoughts and behavioral patterns, examining them, and transforming them into healthy ones.
Medication
Medication is usually not prescribed for a bee phobia, but antianxiety medications may be prescribed if you and your healthcare provider feel they’re right for you.
How Is Phobia Treated?
Coping With a Fear of Bees
While professional treatment is effective, there are some measures you can take on your own to help with your bee phobia, including:
Helping Children Deal With a Fear of Bees
The following are things you can do to help your child deal with a bee phobia:
Do not excessively avoid bees. Increase exposure in a healthy, reasonable, and supportive way. For example if a child is avoiding going outside altogether due to fear of bees, you want to encourage healthy/safe exposure to the outside with support and reassurance.
There are many tactics you can use to help your child overcome a fear of bees. When your child becomes stressed or anxious, try one of the following distraction techniques to help them take their focus off the fear:
How to Reduce Stress: Techniques and More
Summary
A bee phobia can also be called apiphobia or melissophobia. It’s a specific phobia, which means it involves an intense, irrational fear of an object or situation that’s unlikely to be harmful or dangerous. An encounter with a bee may cause symptoms similar to a panic attack.
CBT is a type of psychotherapy often used to treat phobias. In most cases, medication isn’t prescribed for a bee phobia. Antianxiety medications may be prescribed, if necessary.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Pucca MB, Cerni FA, Oliveira IS, et al.Bee updated: current knowledge on bee venom and bee envenoming therapy. Front Immunol. 2019;0. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02090/fullNational Health Service.Overview — phobias.Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.Specific phobias.Schönfelder ML, Bogner FX.Individual perception of bees: Between perceived danger and willingness to protect. PLoS One. 2017;12(6):e0180168. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180168HelpGuide.Phobias and irrational fears.American Psychiatric Association.What is psychotherapy?Updated January, 2019.Wildlife Preservation Canada.No fear of stings!Kandola A, Stubbs B.Exercise and anxiety. In: Xiao J, ed.Physical Exercise for Human Health. Vol 1228. Springer Singapore; 2020:345-352. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-1792-1_23Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Tackling Irrational Fears in Children and Teens.Penn Psychiatry.Specific phobias.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Pucca MB, Cerni FA, Oliveira IS, et al.Bee updated: current knowledge on bee venom and bee envenoming therapy. Front Immunol. 2019;0. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02090/fullNational Health Service.Overview — phobias.Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.Specific phobias.Schönfelder ML, Bogner FX.Individual perception of bees: Between perceived danger and willingness to protect. PLoS One. 2017;12(6):e0180168. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180168HelpGuide.Phobias and irrational fears.American Psychiatric Association.What is psychotherapy?Updated January, 2019.Wildlife Preservation Canada.No fear of stings!Kandola A, Stubbs B.Exercise and anxiety. In: Xiao J, ed.Physical Exercise for Human Health. Vol 1228. Springer Singapore; 2020:345-352. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-1792-1_23Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Tackling Irrational Fears in Children and Teens.Penn Psychiatry.Specific phobias.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Pucca MB, Cerni FA, Oliveira IS, et al.Bee updated: current knowledge on bee venom and bee envenoming therapy. Front Immunol. 2019;0. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02090/fullNational Health Service.Overview — phobias.Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.Specific phobias.Schönfelder ML, Bogner FX.Individual perception of bees: Between perceived danger and willingness to protect. PLoS One. 2017;12(6):e0180168. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180168HelpGuide.Phobias and irrational fears.American Psychiatric Association.What is psychotherapy?Updated January, 2019.Wildlife Preservation Canada.No fear of stings!Kandola A, Stubbs B.Exercise and anxiety. In: Xiao J, ed.Physical Exercise for Human Health. Vol 1228. Springer Singapore; 2020:345-352. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-1792-1_23Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Tackling Irrational Fears in Children and Teens.Penn Psychiatry.Specific phobias.
National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.
Pucca MB, Cerni FA, Oliveira IS, et al.Bee updated: current knowledge on bee venom and bee envenoming therapy. Front Immunol. 2019;0. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02090/full
National Health Service.Overview — phobias.
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.Specific phobias.
Schönfelder ML, Bogner FX.Individual perception of bees: Between perceived danger and willingness to protect. PLoS One. 2017;12(6):e0180168. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180168
HelpGuide.Phobias and irrational fears.
American Psychiatric Association.What is psychotherapy?Updated January, 2019.
Wildlife Preservation Canada.No fear of stings!
Kandola A, Stubbs B.Exercise and anxiety. In: Xiao J, ed.Physical Exercise for Human Health. Vol 1228. Springer Singapore; 2020:345-352. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-1792-1_23
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Tackling Irrational Fears in Children and Teens.
Penn Psychiatry.Specific phobias.
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