How to Overcome Fear of Needles?

When a person has a feeling of fear towards an object or situation and this is to the extent that it causes negativities in daily life, it is called phobia in medicine. Dark, closed environment, various animals, tissues or many different factors may be the subject of phobia. One of the most common of these is the fear of needles. Needle phobia, medically known as trypanophobia, is an extreme fear of any injection or healthcare procedure involving hypodermic needles. Although it is more common especially in childhood, fear of needles is a condition that can frequently be seen in individuals of all ages. This situation, which only creates fear and anxiety in some individuals, may be a strong phobia that will lead to serious fear reactions and behaviors such as avoiding health checks and treatments in others. It is beneficial to seek psychiatric support for trypanophobia, which causes serious problems and negatively affects daily life and health.

What is Needle Fear?

The majority of people do not like needles and feel a little nervous before procedures such as injections and bloodletting. It may be considered natural that injections cause even a small amount of pain and that they cause momentary anxiety, especially if there have been bad experiences in this regard before. However, in some individuals, the fear of needles is so great that this causes them to avoid health checks, some scans and treatments. This condition is called needle phobia or fear of needles, and its medical name is trypanophobia. People with needle phobia may experience strong mental, physical or behavioral reactions to needles. Fear of needles is much more common, especially in disabled individuals, because communication about fears is inadequate and procedures are more difficult to understand by the patient. Here are some symptoms that people with a fear of needles show before any vaccine, injection or blood draw that involves needles:

  • extreme anxiety
  • Shake
  • high blood pressure
  • dizziness
  • fainting or feeling like fainting
  • Acceleration of heart rhythm (palpitations)
  • panic attacks
  • Desire for emotional or physical violence
  • Desire to avoid medical treatment
  • Insomnia

In individuals who are afraid of needles, reactions given by the body such as stiffness, tremors, blood pressure irregularities, and heart palpitations can make the medical procedure even more difficult and unbearable. However, there are various ways to overcome the fear of needles. For this reason, individuals should take the necessary precautions to overcome fear instead of disrupting their screening and treatment and should not avoid receiving psychological support if needed.

What Causes Fear of Needles?

Fears are very common, especially in childhood, and fear of needles is often among them. However, fears that often decrease with growth disappear completely in adulthood. It indicates a severe fear of needles, trypanophobia or needle phobia, which persists into adulthood in some individuals. Although many scientific studies have been conducted on why phobias occur, it is not yet fully known that some people develop phobias while others do not. However, some factors that are thought to lead to the development of phobia are as follows:

  • Traumas experienced in the past or during childhood
  • Having a family history of phobia
  • Childhood phobias diagnosed before age 10
  • Sensitive or defensive personality structures
  • Learnings brought about by negative experiences
  • Differences in brain chemistry

For people who say they are afraid of needles, whether treatment is necessary will vary depending on the level of fear and the reactions it causes in the individual. If some individuals have a fear of trypanophobia, stressful attacks such as panic attacks may occur, medical treatment may be delayed or treatment may not be possible. When such a chronic phobia situation exists, some examinations and subsequent treatment by psychiatrists are usually needed. Before diagnosing trypanophobia and starting psychotherapy or other treatments, it is useful to rule out different possible diseases through a general examination and screening.

How to Overcome Fear of Needles?

Although fear of needles is a common and generally natural situation in childhood, fear of needles in adulthood can cause great negativities for the individual. Apart from the desire to avoid treatment and health check-ups, these feelings of fear; It can also bring about undesirable situations such as shame, lack of self-confidence and decreased self-esteem. For such reasons, those who are afraid of needles often look for ways to get rid of their needle phobia. Although the treatment method varies from person to person depending on the underlying cause of trypanophobia, psychotherapy is generally recommended. The first option in psychotherapy is to discover the factors that cause fear of needles with the help of therapies called cognitive behavioral therapy, and it is usually possible to overcome the fear by learning ways to cope with it. By learning how fears form and how they affect people, and that fears and emotions can be managed by changing the way of thinking, those who have a fear of vaccination or a fear of needles as a result of these therapies can overcome this problem. Another treatment method is exposure therapy. This treatment is basically similar to cognitive behavioral therapy, as it aims to change physical and mental reactions to the needle, which is a fear factor. The different aspect is that in this process, the therapist exposes the patient to injections and fear-triggering thoughts and uses techniques to change the person’s way of looking and thinking towards them. In cases of severe trypanophobia, if the patient is not open enough to receive psychotherapy, it may be necessary to resort to drug treatments. In this case, some sedative medications used in anxiety treatments can be used. People who have a fear of injections, but whose problem is not severe enough to affect their daily life and health screenings, can overcome their fear of needles with some precautions and thinking methods they can take on their own. People who have a fear of needles should pay attention to the following issues in order to overcome or manage this fear or phobia:

  • The person who will undergo a health screening or have procedures such as injections or vaccinations should understand why this procedure involves a needle and what benefits the injection can provide to the patient.
  • Understanding the factors that cause the feeling of fear is very effective in managing fear. If there are situations that aggravate fear, such as seeing a picture of a needle or watching a needle being administered, avoiding exposure to these can be very effective.
  • For some people, it may be comforting to see other people around them receiving injections or vaccinations. If this is the case, it would be more beneficial to receive treatment in an environment where many people are injected in a room.
  • The behavior of the healthcare personnel who will administer the injection to the patient is very important. A healthcare professional who explains the procedure before starting the procedure, is realistic, states that the vaccine is just a simple feeling of pain such as poking or pinching, and continues to inform the patient during the procedure will significantly reduce the patient’s fear. In this context, it is beneficial to choose healthcare institutions and healthcare professionals that are known and trusted by the patient.
  • Most of the time, the pain caused by the needle is mild and short-lived for most people. However, in people with a fear of needles, this pain may feel much more severe than it actually is, as the brain tends to focus on the needle and the pain it causes. In some cases, applications such as numbing creams or sprays, vibration or cooling may be preferred before injection. Apart from this, behaviors such as focusing on some distracting thoughts, watching a video, and using relaxation and breathing control techniques can be used. Each injection procedure that is relieved in this way will create a positive experience for the patient and will enable important steps to be taken in overcoming fear.

If you are afraid of needles and wondering how I can overcome my fear of needles, you can get rid of these fears over time by paying attention to the issues above. If you experience more severe fear attacks and avoid even getting treatment due to fear, you can consult a psychiatrist to get information about techniques for managing and overcoming fear and get treatment.

Abbas Jahangir

I am a researcher and writer with a background in food and nutritional science. I am the founder of Foodstrend.com, our reputable online platform offering scientifically-backed articles on health, food, nutrition, kitchen tips, recipes, diet, and fitness. With a commitment to providing accurate and reliable information, we strive to empower our readers to make informed decisions about their health and lifestyle choices. Join us on Foodstrend.com's journey toward a healthier and happier lifestyle.

You may also like...