Fear of needles is common among a great proportion of the population. It is just a reality that a needle induces pain, although mild pain. It is doubtful that anyone would look forward to either vaccination or bloodwork. However, for some individuals, the fear of needles becomes magnified in their minds into a full-blown phobia. This excessive fear of needles is called trypanophobia, and according to Harvard Health, the excessive fear of needles affects up to 25% of the population and can interfere with maintaining good health by avoidance of vaccinations, bloodwork, and even crucial medical procedures and even necessary dental work.
What is the difference between a needle fear vs a phobia?
Fear is mild anxiety that is a normal reaction to real events. It protects us from danger by putting the body in an alert and reactive state. Getting jabbed with a needle is a normal event that does produce mild anxiety in most as needles cause pain. However, a phobia is an all-out overreaction to an actual event. Symptoms include avoidance, sweating, rumination of what terrible things can happen before the event occurs, and even all-out panic attacks with a fast heart rate and in some cases, fainting.
There are probably thousands of cases on the records of individuals who went in for vaccinations and/or bloodwork and fainted at the mere sight of the needle.Phobias are ingrained subconscious reactions of which you might not be aware. Neural pathways are present in all of us. Some of the neural pathways control our reactions, and when a needle phobia exists, it is generally because the neural pathways have been programmed subconsciously to overreact to needles.
A fear of needles that turns into a phobia eventually will interfere with the quality of life.
Although many people do not take their needle phobia seriously, since all vaccinations, bloodwork, and medical and dental procedures generally require needles, health can be impacted in a big way. Since avoidance of needles, unlike other phobias, is not a part usually of everyday life, it is possible that if you suffer from needle phobia, you can put off taking optimal care of yourself and others will not notice. Let’s face it, if you suffer from some other types of phobias, such as agoraphobia, which is fear of leaving the home, or claustrophobia, which is fear of confined spaces, others will generally notice eventually. A needle-phobic individual can hide this phobia for most of their lives and it might only become apparent when faced with a health emergency that requires needles.
Causes of needle phobia are diverse and do not seem to be genetic.
Babies do cry during injections, but that is because of the mild pain. Most needle phobias seem to be either learned behavior from parents, whom themselves had one, or from cases where a rather inept practitioner, either a technician, doctor, or nurse, repeatedly tries to insert an intravenous line in someone or stabs someone during an injection rather brutally. Repeated instances such as this can cause a needle phobia or for some individuals, only one rather terrifying instance is enough to trigger the needle phobia. If one of your parents also had this phobia, one awful needle experience can be enough to make your subconscious roar into overdrive and push your fear into a total needle phobia.
Can hypnosis assist in overcoming a needle phobia?
If you think about it, hypnosis is probably the best method to overcome a needle phobia. Unlike a fear of driving or fear of leaving your home, exposure therapy does not sound appealing. A therapist can use talk therapy but cannot just stab you repeatedly with a needle to help you overcome your needle phobia. Hypnosis will put you into a trance-like state, at which time positive reinforcements are used to replace the negative reinforcements your subconscious is focused on. Hypnosis can also unlock memories perhaps that you have lost of the circumstances which caused the needle phobia.
Can I overcome my needle phobia even though I have had it for years?
Of course, you can. My course Overcome Fear of Needles and Doctors will replace your negative overreaction by working on your subconscious mind and replacing the negative overreaction with positive thoughts by putting the experience of having to face needles into perspective. Four full-length audiotapes will be provided to you for when you must face the prospect of injections or bloodwork, and can change your emotional response to one that is rational.
Audios for overcoming needle phobias work remarkably well.
Hypnosis audios are a prime weapon against needle phobias. You will need these audios before you face a medical or dental procedure that involves needles, and you will take better care of your overall health by not avoiding necessary medical treatments. Your health matters and taking charge of it by overcoming a needle phobia is crucial.
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