How to Overcome Fear of Needles?

The fact that a person has a feeling of fear towards an object or situation and this causes negativities in daily life is called phobia in medicine. Dark, closed environment, various animals, tissues or many different factors can be the subject of phobia. One of the most common among them is the fear of needles. Fear of needles, medically known as trypanophobia, is an extreme fear of any injection or healthcare procedures involving subcutaneous injections. Although it is more common especially in childhood, fear of needles is a condition that can be seen frequently in individuals of all ages. This situation, which causes only 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. In this way, it is beneficial to get psychiatric support in trypanophobia, which causes serious problems and negatively affects daily life and health. feels a little nervous before the procedures. It may be natural for the needles to cause a small amount of pain, and to cause a momentary uneasiness, 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 screenings and treatments. This condition is called needle phobia or fear of needles and its medical name is trypanophobia. People with needle phobia may develop strong mental, physical or behavioral reactions to needles. Fear of needles is more common, especially in disabled individuals, due to inadequate communication regarding fears and the difficulty of understanding the procedures by the patient. Some of the symptoms that people with a fear of needles show before any injections, injections or procedures such as blood draw are as follows:

• Extreme anxiety
• Shaking
• High blood pressure
• Dizziness
• Falling out or feeling like you are going to pass out
• Rapid heart rate (palpitations)
• Panic attacks
• Emotional or a desire for physical violence
• From medical treatment The desire to wake up
• Insomnia

Reactions by the body such as self-twitching, tremors, blood pressure irregularities, heart palpitations in individuals who are afraid of needles can make the medical procedure even more difficult and unbearable. However, there are several ways to overcome the fear of needles. For this reason, individuals should take the necessary precautions to overcome the fear instead of delaying their screening and treatment and should not avoid getting psychological support if needed. is usually included in them. However, fears that decrease with growth often disappear completely in adulthood. In some individuals, a severe fear of needles that persists into adulthood indicates trypanophobia or needle phobia. Although many scientific studies have been conducted on why phobias occur, it is not yet known exactly why phobia develops in some people 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 the age of 10
• Sensitive or defensive personality structures
• Learned from negative experiences
• Differences in brain chemistry

Is treatment necessary for people who say they are afraid of needles? It will vary depending on the level of fear and the reactions it causes in the individual. In some individuals, if there is 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 is present, some examinations by psychiatrists and then treatment are usually needed. Before the diagnosis of trypanophobia is made and psychotherapy or other treatments are started, it is useful to exclude possible different diseases with a general examination and screening.

How to Overcome Fear of Needles?

Fear of needles is common in childhood. And although it is a natural situation in general, fear of needles in adulthood can cause great negativities for the individual. Desire to avoid treatment and health check-up Except for these feelings of fear; It can also bring about undesirable situations such as shame, lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem in the person. For such reasons, those who are afraid of needles usually look for ways to get rid of needle phobia. Although the type of treatment varies from person to person, depending on the underlying cause of trypanophobia, psychotherapy is usually recommended. The first option in psychotherapy is usually with the help of therapies called cognitive behavioral therapy, it is usually possible to discover the factors that cause fear of needles and to overcome the fear by learning ways to cope with it. By learning how fears are formed and how they affect people, and that fears and emotions can be managed by changing the way of thinking, those who have fear of vaccination or 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 the physical and mental reactions to the fear factor of needles. The different aspect is that in this process, the therapist exposes the patient to needles and thoughts that trigger fear, and applies techniques to change the person's perspective and way of thinking towards them. In severe trypanophobia cases, drug treatments may be required if the patient is not clear enough to receive psychotherapy. In this case, some sedative drugs, which are also used in anxiety treatments, can be used. People who have a fear of needles, but whose problem is not severe enough to affect their daily life and health screenings, can also overcome their fear of needles with some precautions and thinking methods that 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 their fear or phobia:

Understanding the factors that cause fear is very effective in managing fear. If there are situations that exacerbate the fear, such as seeing a picture of a needle or watching the needle being made, avoiding exposure to them can be quite effective.

For some people, it can be comforting to see different people around them getting injections or vaccines. In such a situation, it will be more beneficial to receive treatment in environments where many people are injecting in a room. A healthcare professional who explains the procedure before starting the procedure, is realistic and states that the vaccine consists of a simple pain sensation such as poking and pinching, and continues to inform the patient during the procedure, will significantly reduce the patient's fear. In this context, it is beneficial to prefer health institutions and health professionals that are known and trusted by the patient. However, in people with a fear of needles, this pain may be felt much more severe than it 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 the injection. Apart from this, behaviors such as focusing on some distracting thoughts, watching a video, using relaxation and breathing control techniques can be used. Each injection procedure relieved in this way will create a positive experience for the patient and will enable important steps to be taken in overcoming the fear.

If you are experiencing more severe fear attacks and avoid even having your treatments due to fear, you can consult a psychiatrist to get information about fear management and overcoming techniques, and get treatment.

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