Buzz
Are you terrified of needles? Remember, you're not the only one who feels that way! Unfortunately, facing this fear is necessary if you want to protect your health. Start by confronting your fear and learning some coping techniques. When you visit the doctor's office, you can apply steps to manage your fear.
Steps
Confront the Fear
Start changing your thoughts. Typically, the best way to begin addressing a fear is by altering the way you think. For example, thoughts like 'Needles are the worst thing ever' or 'I'm scared of needles' only intensify your fear.
- Instead, try thinking something like 'A needle might hurt a little, but it helps me stay healthy.'
Write down situations that scare you. For some, even a drawing of a needle can send shivers down their spine. Write down situations related to needles that make you anxious, such as seeing a needle illustration, watching scenes of injections on TV, witnessing someone getting a shot, or being injected yourself.
- Other situations you might think of include: holding a needle, hearing others talk about injections, or simply touching a needle.
- Arrange these from the least frightening to the most terrifying situation.
Start with small steps. Begin with the situation that scares you the least. For example, if a picture of a needle is the least frightening, try searching online for images of needles. Let your anxiety rise to its peak. Don't stop viewing until you feel less tense than you initially did, as eventually, the fear will subside.
- Once you've completed the challenge, take a moment to relax.
Try to level up. Once you've overcome one situation, move on to the next step. For instance, your next level might be watching someone getting a shot on TV. Try watching videos online or medical programs on TV. Practice the same method – let the fear rise and fall naturally.
Keep pushing through each level. Keep challenging the situations you fear until you're ready for the actual injection. First, try overcoming this in your imagination, letting the fear peak and fade. Then, when you're ready, visit the doctor's office for the real experience.
Learn relaxation and coping techniques
Practice breathing to overcome fear. One way to manage anxiety is by learning breathing techniques you can use during injections or blood tests. Try closing your eyes and inhaling through your nose. Take a deep breath and hold it for a count of 4. Exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this 4 more times.
- Use this technique several times a day to get accustomed to it. Then, when facing a needle, apply it to regain your calm.
Lie down during injections or blood tests. Lying down and elevating your legs can help prevent dizziness during the procedure. Let the healthcare staff know that you tend to feel lightheaded while being injected and ask if it's possible to lie down during the process.
- Raising your legs is also a position that helps stabilize blood pressure.
Practice meditation (visualization). Meditation can help you relax, and the visualization technique during meditation will take your mind off the current fear. Start by imagining a place that brings you comfort, like a peaceful park, beach, or your favorite room in your home.
- Close your eyes and imagine you are there. Engage all of your senses. What images do you see? What scents do you smell? What do you feel on your skin? What sounds do you hear? What tastes do you savor? Build your own world with vivid details.
- For example, if you visualize a beach, picture the vibrant blue waves, the ocean scent, the warm sand underfoot, the sunlight on your shoulders, the salty air, and the sound of waves crashing on the shore.
- The more detailed and vivid the image, the easier it will be to forget about the present reality.
Use muscle tension exercises to raise blood pressure. Some people fear needles because they experience dizziness. If that's the case for you, try a technique called muscle tension to increase your blood pressure. This will help reduce the risk of dizziness.
- Start by sitting comfortably. Begin by tightening all the muscles in your arms, legs, and upper body. Hold for about 15 seconds. You'll notice your face warming up; then, release the muscles.
- Rest for about 30 seconds and then try again.
- Practice this technique several times a day to feel more comfortable when your blood pressure rises.
Consider therapy. If you're struggling to cope on your own, a therapist might be able to help. A therapist can teach you coping strategies and techniques to overcome your fear, as they are trained to assist those facing similar issues.
- Look for a therapist who specializes in treating phobias.
Communicate with healthcare professionals
Share your fear with the healthcare staff, nurse, or doctor. Don’t keep your fear inside. Instead, talk to the person administering the injection or drawing blood. If they know you're afraid of needles, they can help distract you from the needle and ensure you’re as comfortable as possible.
- Ask them to accommodate any specific needs, such as giving you a heads-up to look away before they withdraw the needle or counting to 3 before the needle is inserted.
Inquire about alternative methods. In cases of injections, rather than blood draws, you might be able to opt for a different method. For example, some flu vaccines are administered as a nasal spray instead of an injection.
Request a smaller needle. Unless you need to draw a large amount of blood, you’re generally safe with a smaller needle, like a butterfly needle. Ask the healthcare professional to use a smaller needle if possible, and explain your reason for the request.
Let them know you can only tolerate one needle insertion. If you're afraid of needles, you likely don’t want to have the needle inserted into your arm multiple times. Ask the healthcare professional to draw enough blood or administer the injection in a single attempt.
- If the procedure requires multiple shots, ask if it’s possible to return on a different day to complete the process. This way, you’ll have some time to recover in between.
Request the most skilled person to administer your injection. If you're worried that someone may not perform the injection well, ask for a skilled technician, especially in larger healthcare facilities. If you have a fear of needles, people will understand why you prefer someone who can perform the injection quickly and neatly.
Handling a visit to the clinic
Remind yourself that the pain will be brief. Telling yourself that the pain will only last for a moment can be helpful if you have a fear of needles. You could say, “It will hurt for a second, but it’ll be over quickly, just a few seconds. I can handle this.”
Try using a numbing cream. Numbing cream can be applied to the skin area where the injection will take place. Make sure to get approval from your doctor before using numbing cream and ask where you can apply it.
Distract yourself. Distraction can help you cope with the feeling of the needle. Try listening to music or playing a game on your phone. Bring a book to read to take your mind off what’s happening.
Use a coping strategy. Inform the healthcare staff about what you're going to do, then apply one of your coping techniques. You can practice breathing or visualization while being injected, or wait until the injection is over to perform muscle relaxation exercises.
Advice
- Try to focus on the benefits of the injection. For example, "The shot may hurt a bit, but it’s only for a few seconds and will save me from future pain."
- Try mentally reciting the alphabet backward while being injected. This trick will keep your brain occupied and prevent you from feeling nauseous or dizzy.
- Try pinching yourself somewhere on your body, like your leg, while being injected. You’ll focus on the pain there instead of the injection site.
- Distract yourself to forget what’s happening. Try focusing on something else, like where you’ll go after the injection.
- Don’t tense up! Try to relax the area where the injection is being given.
