What is the treatment for needle phobia?
Psychotherapy. Exposure therapy is the treatment that is often recommended for treating specific phobias such as needle phobia. Through techniques such as systematic desensitization, you can gradually learn to tolerate needles.
How do doctors treat phobias?
The best treatment for specific phobias is a form of psychotherapy called exposure therapy. Sometimes your doctor may also recommend other therapies or medication. Understanding the cause of a phobia is actually less important than focusing on how to treat the avoidance behavior that has developed over time.
How do I calm my nerves before a needle?
Don’t hesitate to tell the doctor or nurse that you’re nervous before getting the shot….So next time your doc asks you to roll up your sleeve, try these tips:
- Distract yourself while you’re waiting.
- Concentrate on taking slow, deep breaths.
- Focus intently on something in the room.
- Cough.
- Relax your arm.
Does hypnotherapy work for needle phobia?
Clinical hypnotherapy can also help those with an injection/ needle phobia. Anxiety UK has a popular service which has helped many sufferers of specific phobias. Hypnotherapy involves getting into a state of deep relaxation, and using visualisation techniques to explore the phobia further.
Is needle phobia a medical condition?
Needle phobia is a recently defined medical condition that affects at least 10% of the population. Because persons with needle phobia typically avoid medical care, this condition is a significant impediment in the health care system.
Can a phobia be cured?
Almost all phobias can be successfully treated and cured. Simple phobias can be treated through gradual exposure to the object, animal, place or situation that causes fear and anxiety. This is known as desensitisation or self-exposure therapy.
Why do I have a phobia of needles?
Other potential reasons for having a fear of needles can include generalized anxiety or having a sensitive or negative temperament, previous trauma, having fainted or had severe dizziness due to a vasovagal response to shots or blood draws in the past, hypochondria, sensitivity to pain or memories of painful needle …
Where does needle phobia come from?
Needle phobias can have their roots in childhood, stemming from often inaccurate memories of painful injections, and they can go hand-in-hand with a fear of the dentist, where these needles may have been administered.
Is fear of needles genetic?
The cause is often unknown, but a particularly traumatic experience during childhood medical illness may set the stage for some people. And there may be a genetic component. Researchers have found genes linked to fainting after needle sticks, and trypanophobia sometimes runs in families.
How to get over needle phobia?
“Keeping the actual needle out of their sight is always helpful to prevent fear from getting heightened,” she says. Face your fear. Sometimes, viewing pictures of needles or even handling a needle (in a safe, monitored setting at a doctor’s office or pharmacy) can help you overcome your fear.
What are symptoms of needle phobia?
Symptoms of Needle Phobia Symptoms of needle phobia include dizziness, fainting, anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, high blood pressure or racing heart right beforehand, feeling physically or emotionally violent, and avoiding or running away from medical care.
What is the extreme phobia of needles?
This may include: fainting or severe dizziness as a result of having a vasovagal reflex reaction when pricked by a needle bad memories and anxiety, such as memories of painful injections, that can be triggered by the sight of a needle medically related fears or hypochondria
What is the phobia called when you are afraid of needles?
Fear of needles. Fear of needles, known in medical literature as needle phobia, is the extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles. It is occasionally referred to as aichmophobia, although this term may also refer to a more general fear of sharply pointed objects.
