When it comes to deciding between self-administering and seeking a therapist, you should consider the severity of your phobia and your need for support. If your phobia is so severe that you have uncontrollable anxiety or panic attacks, or your fear keeps you from participating in activities such as office picnics or watching your son’s baseball game, then you should have additional support. [1] X Trustworthy Source HelpGuide Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources. Go to source Hypnotherapy should not be attempted without professional guidance.
Keep in mind that when you imagine the wasps and/or bees you will probably start to feel overwhelmed.
Deep breathing Meditation Progressive muscle relaxation
Thinking about wasps and bees Drawing a picture of wasps and bees Watching a video of wasps and bees Observing wasps and bees from a distance Sitting in the backyard where wasps and bees may be present
Thinking about wasps and bees 12 Drawing a picture of wasps and bees 30 Watching a video of wasps and bees 57 Observing live wasps and bees from a distance 71 Sitting outside and seeing wasps and bees nearby 92
Group items ranked 0-19 in the low anxiety category. (e. g. , Thinking about wasps and bees) Items that fall from 20-39 should be put in the medium-low anxiety category. (e. g. , Drawing a picture of wasps and bees) Rankings of 40-59 will go into the medium anxiety category. (e. g. , Watching a video of wasps and bees) Place items that rank 60-79 in the medium-high anxiety category. (e. g. , Observing live wasps and bees from a distance) Put any item that ranks 80-100 in the high anxiety category. (e. g. , Letting a wasp or bee land on your arm)
Systematic desensitization can be done in vivo (actually having the exposure) or in vitro (imagining having the exposure). In vivo produces the best results, but in some cases may not be convenient to facilitate. [11] X Trustworthy Source Simply Psychology Popular site for evidence-based psychology information Go to source
Fortune telling is when you assume that you already know the outcome of an encounter. “If I see a wasp or bee, I will panic and get stung. ” Overgeneralizing is when you use one specific incident and project it on all future encounters. “Last time I saw a wasp or bee it stung me. I know, if I see one again, it will sting me. ” Catastrophizing is when you imagine that an encounter will be as bad as it could possibly be. “If I see a wasp or bee then there is probably a nest or hive nearby. They will all attack me. What if I’m allergic? I might die. ”
This can be a good place to consult a therapist to help you walk through which thoughts are really concerning and which ones might be exaggerated.
If you are working with a therapist, they will likely be able to help you find a suitable model or be your model for this treatment.
A therapist or other medical professional can be of great help for this step.
Guided imagery. For this relaxation technique, you would need to imagine a serene, quiet place and use the imagery to calm yourself down. Autogenic phrases. For this relaxation technique, you would repeat calming phrases to yourself, such as “I am feeling calm and still. ” Deep Breathing.
