Needle phobia
Ranked #20,380 in Healthy Living, #294,367 overall
Fear of needles is not so bad
Needle phobia is the subject of this webpage (lens) . It is a common fear of having a vaccination or blood taken. I draw on my own experience with this condition and my father's phobia and how the fear is far worse than the actual procedure, ways to overcome needle phobia and feel much more comfortable.
Some time ago I had to have a vaccination against tetanus after a bicycle accident and worked myself into a state about it, the nurse cleverly asked me a question and the event was over so fast I barely knew it had happened! Last year and more recently, I have had to have blood tests- and my veins have a habit of hiding! In case this is making you feel faint, absolutely none of the actual events proved to be as bad as the phobia that I felt before the procedure!
I will offer suggestions on how to manage any phobia or fear of needles to make you feel more confident about any such medical procedures. Ultimately, a phobia remains a phobia when it remains unchallenged, challenging a phobia may feel uncomfortable but the payoffs are huge! To challenge a phobia requires some mental tools which are easily learnt and can smooth the path to overcoming a phobia.
The results from my poll show that about 50 percent of people visiting this lens have avoided medical tests due to their needle phobia- and this is exactly why this needs to be discussed- the phobia is life threatening and people need to be able to seek help to overcome it. It is entirely possible to overcome this phobia and once you challenge your fears- you will realise that you are far bigger than the fear you thought was so big. Obviously, having some tools
Some time ago I had to have a vaccination against tetanus after a bicycle accident and worked myself into a state about it, the nurse cleverly asked me a question and the event was over so fast I barely knew it had happened! Last year and more recently, I have had to have blood tests- and my veins have a habit of hiding! In case this is making you feel faint, absolutely none of the actual events proved to be as bad as the phobia that I felt before the procedure!
I will offer suggestions on how to manage any phobia or fear of needles to make you feel more confident about any such medical procedures. Ultimately, a phobia remains a phobia when it remains unchallenged, challenging a phobia may feel uncomfortable but the payoffs are huge! To challenge a phobia requires some mental tools which are easily learnt and can smooth the path to overcoming a phobia.
The results from my poll show that about 50 percent of people visiting this lens have avoided medical tests due to their needle phobia- and this is exactly why this needs to be discussed- the phobia is life threatening and people need to be able to seek help to overcome it. It is entirely possible to overcome this phobia and once you challenge your fears- you will realise that you are far bigger than the fear you thought was so big. Obviously, having some tools
Needle phobia poll
How do you rate your needle fear?
A very quick poll to see where you stand on the needle phobia scale.
Loading poll. Please Wait...
You are not alone!
Fear of needles is a common fear and you are not alone in having it, fears and phobias don't get discussed much by people suffering them because they think it's something to be ashamed of- whereas, discussing the fear or phobia is one way to overcome it. There is nothing to be ashamed about, a phobia is a phobia- irrational as it is, it feels like a geniune threat to you because your imagination has created a monster.Needle phobia affects about 10 percent of the population and causes many people within this group to avoid medical tests and treatment which can be a life-threatening course of action. This is one major reason to discuss any phobia you have with your doctor as there are local anethetic creams that can be applied to the skin to avoid any sensation.
Realising that many other people have overcome this fear can help you manage your fear and reduce any negative feeling you may have.
Phobia busters from Amazon USA
Here are some self help resources from Amazon to help you create your inner resources and beat the phobia.
Helpful mind tricks to fight your phobia
There are a number of easy to do mental tricks that you can use to fight your needle phobia, in fact, to fight any phobia!Talking:
As simple as it may sound, talking to other people about your phobia can help you reduce the feeling of isolation and you may find that other people share your phobia or have overcome their phobia. Talking to the medical professional about to do the procedure can help, too. My father had a sever needle phobia and found that talking to the person giving him the procedure helped him focus on the conversation rather than the procedure.
Mental rehearsal:
Part of a phobia is creating contastrophic images in your mind- imaginging all kinds of terrible things happening. Our ability to create these images prior to an unfamiliar event can be harnessed to create positive images. This "mental rehearsal" could be things such as imagining you having the procedure but having a good chat with the doctor or nurse and feeling OK. Repeating the positive image often and building it brighter can really help you use your imagination to help you instead of to scare you!
Think past the event:
Often when facing an event that creates anxiety- we become fixated in that moment in the future that may cause us the most anxiety. A simple trick here is to think about what you're going to do after the event. Where are you going on holiday? When are you going for a nice meal with friends? Imagine getting home after the event and having a nice bath.
You can do it!
Facing your fears robs them of their power and hands it back to you.
Feeling Good the New Mood Therapy
This book is like a tool box of helpful thinking
This is my webpage (lens) about the life-changing book- Feeling Good, The New Mood Therapy which explains both the concepts and how you can use techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy to empower you to make powerful positive change in your life immediately and consistently.
by alexkazam
alexkazam
Hi- I perform magic shows at children's parties as Alexkazam!I first worked with children in France as a "courier" helping run a self drive holiday site,... more »
- 44 featured lenses
- Winner of 7 trophies!
- Top lens » Honda C90
Feeling creative?
Create a Lens!
Explore related pages
- Holosync: My Experience with Holosync and Lifeflow Meditation Holosync: My Experience with Holosync and Lifeflow Meditation
- Do We Realize It? Do We Realize It?
- ❤ Open MRI Units ❤ Claustrophobia - No More Fear! ❤ Open MRI Units ❤ Claustrophobia - No More Fear!
- Being Afraid: The Things That Scare Me Being Afraid: The Things That Scare Me
- Changing Your Internal Dialogue with NLP & Self Hypnosis Changing Your Internal Dialogue with NLP & Self Hypnosis
- Carl Jung’s Method of Dream Interpretation Carl Jung’s Method of Dream Interpretation
