No, this is not a book review, although for those of you who have read the Goosebumps story that shares the same title as this hub, you'll probably agree that a bee is certainly not the kind of creature you want to snuggle up next to or emulate in any way. Alright, alright, maybe the honey bee with it's fuzzy rounded body fits most closely with the collective mind's definition of "cute" and/or "harmless"...but I know from experience that even these diligent little workers are anything but cute if you rub them the wrong way.

I could detail each type of bee and wasp, the places they inhabit, the kind of nests they build, their markings, you name it. For those of you that are curious, "killer bees" are not killers, it is just a colloquial term given to a hybrid of the African honey bee with various honey bees of the European persuasion, dubbed so because of their slightly more aggressive nature.

No, I am not a bee enthusiast. Quite the opposite in fact. I am an Apiphobic. What is a phobia you may ask? It is a commonplace word, but how many of you really know what it is like to be consumed by a fear? I like the definition provided by seekwellness.com: " A phobia is something a person fears to the point that they feel they have to change how they behave." For me, it came down to the need to know my enemy; my inexorable fear of bees has led me to learn of each kind, so that I know what kind of danger I'm up against. It has subsequently also given me a better idea of how to place together Latin prefixes and suffixes.

To be afraid of a single stimulus that poses no serious threat or danger, (bees, in my case) is termed as a specific phobia. Perhaps it would be understandable for me to sweat a little under the collar at the sight of a bee if I were allergic, but I am not. I have never been attacked by a swarm of bees either. I've been stung unprovoked plenty of times after hearing repeatedly that "they will leave you alone if you leave them alone." But could mistrust in this adage lead me to hyperventilate at even a close-up photo of a wasp or bee? A large fragment of my thinking allows me to understand that bees are no real threat to me, yet the panic that arises inside me at the sight of a bee encroaching on my personal space is uncontrollable, irrational....phobic.

Specific phobias affect 1 out of 10 Americans, and women are twice as likely as men to suffer. This comes as no surprise, as fears are linked heavily to emotion, and women tend to more sensitive to their emotions than men. Other specific phobias include fear of heights, elevators, snakes, water, the list goes on. Once on Maury Povich one of the guests was deathly afraid of pickles...and she worked in a restaurant! Mr. Povich asked her how she handled a customer's request for pickles. Her reply? "I won't get it for them. Either someone else gets it for them or they don't get it." (I hope she never waits on me!)

Specific phobias are treatable. Many people choose not to because of the discomfort that accompanies facing his/her fears. Often times in the summer I will keep my windows closed in my car even on a really hot day. If I am at the beach and a bee is hovering over the blanket, I race like a mad woman to the water, hoping it won't follow me. I don't know if it's the evil-looking arthropod face, the pointy pulsating stinger, or that horrific buzzing noise they make in your ear. It certainly isn't the pain of the actual sting. The point is, I too, could benefit from some treatment, but like many others, have avoided it thus far. However, when I consider the possibility of a bee flying into my car while driving and the serious harm that my reaction could induce, my phobia isn't so funny anymore.

Phobias, both of the above-mentioned nature and social phobias (fear of crowds, judgements from others, or other social situations) can be treated either with medication and/or therapy. Phobias are anxiety disorders, which can be treated with a number of different types of drugs. The type of psychotherapy that explores a person's behavior, its origins, and ways to change it is called Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. It is up to you to talk to your doctor to figure out what kind of treatment is right for you. Sometimes it is a matter of simply learning out to manage your stress through physical activity, so that you may have more control over keeping yourself calm when the need arises.

For more information on phobias and other mental illnesses, visit the National Institute of Mental Health website, www.nimh.nih.gov.