Overcome a Fear of Needles

Humans may be evolutionarily conditioned to fear the puncture of sharp objects, such as needles. That probably doesn't help you, but at least it makes it easier to understand why the threat of needles sends a cold shiver down your spine. It's estimated that more than 10% of Americans have a fear of needles, which makes this phobia pretty common.[1] Some people are afraid of the pain, some are afraid of the size of the needle and others actually experience a fear of fainting. An important thing to remember is that you are not alone. Shots can be scary at first, but with a little practice and the right attitude, you can train your body and mind not to fear needles.

Steps

Medical Recommendations for Combating Fear

  1. Share your fear. Instead of keeping your fear of needles secret and letting it snowball into a full-blown anxiety attack, talk to the medical professional who will be using the needle. Let them know about your fear. Expression and social connection often help people calm down. The medical professional will talk to you about your options and take special precautions to make the process less painful and anxiety-producing.
    • Instead of merely talking to the medical professional who will be giving you an injection or drawing your blood, make an appointment to talk to your doctor. Your doctor will be able to connect you with a counselor who can help calm the psychological fear, as well as prescribe medications that will ease your anxiety.
  2. Take an anesthetic. Anesthesia is a painkiller, usually applied onto the skin, that will dull the pain of the needle. Although needles only cause a small amount of pain for most people, a person with a needle phobia may feel an intense amount of pain during its use. In these cases, a topical anesthetic can help immensely.
    • Your medical professional should have a wide range of topical anesthetics available to assist you. The most common include, but are not limited to:
      • Needle Buster
      • Numby Stuff[2]
      • EMLA cream[3]
  3. Position your body effectively. For some patients who faint and lose consciousness, lying down and/or elevating the legs can help ease some of the symptoms of needle phobia.[4] This is a serious concern for many people, as many people with a needle phobia also report a fear of fainting associated with vasovagal syncope.[5] In these cases, addressing both the fear of needles and the possibility of fainting is important.
  4. Take an anti-anxiety medication. Anti-anxiety medication can especially help those who fear fainting or tend to faint during a shot or injection. Used together with correct body positioning and a topical anesthetic, your date with a needle can be a walk in the park. There are several things you'll want to remember when taking an anti-anxiety medication:
    • In order to overcome your fear of needles, and not just temporarily postpone it, you may want to begin with heavier dosage to begin with and taper the dosage on subsequent procedures. This will help train your mind that getting a shot doesn't have to be accompanied with anxiety and/or fainting.[4]
    • Because anti-anxiety medicine can make you drowsy, you may want to take a friend or family member with you to the hospital or clinic in order to drive you home. Otherwise, you may need to stay at the hospital or clinic afterwards while the medication wears off.
  5. Try other medication. Beta-blockers, which weaken the effects of various stress hormones, can also make the experience more pleasant, especially if your fear is of fainting and not the pain associated with the needle itself.[6] Unlike other anti-anxiety medications, they usually don't produce drowsiness, which means they don't affect your ability to drive afterwards.

Distracting Yourself During the Procedure

  1. Don't make it a big deal. Don't think about the needle, or getting the needle. Don't worry about the size of the needle, and don't stress over the pain. If you keep stressing over the needle before you even get the shot, you're just building up anxiety about it. In the long, this makes the whole process more uncomfortable.
  2. Think about something else. Distract yourself! Bring along friends with you so you could talk and joke with them. Think about that party that's coming up, or that special somebody you are fond of. If you want, count down in your head; count sheep even. You could try bringing an iPod with you and listening to music to take your mind off the needle.
    • Ask your friend or partner to hold and squeeze your hand during the procedure. This physical stimuli will help ease the pain of the needle and distract your body from the procedure.
  3. Try not to look. Do not watch them administer the shot. Look away and try to focus on something engaging. Do not necessarily focus on the nurse or physician administering the shot, as they may be focusing on the injection itself and will tip you about when the injection is going to happen.
    • Some people find that closing their eyes completely is helpful, although this may give your mind less sensory material to distract itself.
  4. Remember to breathe slowly and deeply. Focus on maintaining your breathing. A slow, steady breath will calm your nerves and give your mind something to latch onto.
  5. Try to relax! Remember to relax, look away, count from 1 to 10, or backwards from 10. When you are distracted, you are not thinking about the needle. By the time you reach the end of your countdown, the procedure will be over and you'll be ready to leave.

Making Rational and Emotional Appeals

  1. Remind yourself that you are bigger than this. The needle is not your master. You are in control of your life, and there's no reason why a little sting should end it. Reclaim control over what you feel by being intentional, not reactive. You are the master of your own future!
  2. Remind yourself that getting a shot or drawing blood is medically necessary. Your greater health is being helped by this procedure, even if your temporary sensation is that of hurt. Avoidance, like other tactics, usually isn't the answer.
    • Many people who have a fear of needles avoid going to the doctor and getting necessary blood tests as well as medications that can only be administered intravenously. This puts you at a health risk, which usually means more blood work and medications in order to compensate. So if you think about it, avoiding needles actually puts you at risk for more contact with them.
  3. Tell yourself that hundreds of thousands of people come in contact with needles every day without incident. Okay, so it's probably not the most effective emotional argument, but it's an okay rational one. This is something that happens day-in and day-out to lots of people, without cost to the patient. If they can do it, so can you!
  4. Tell yourself that it only takes a matter of seconds. There are 86400 seconds in a day, and getting a shot or getting your blood drawn takes anywhere from 2 seconds to 30 seconds. After that, the needle is gone and the procedure is done. Even if there is pain or discomfort, that pain or discomfort is likely only to take about 0.0003% of your day!
  5. Give yourself a nice reward after the shot. Okay, so the shot itself doesn't feel so good. But if you give yourself a treat or indulgence afterward, you may be more likely to associate the experience with at least something positive.
  6. Tap into your most optimistic self. Optimism is the belief that, all things being equal, everything is likely to turn out positive instead of negative, even if it takes a while for the positive to show. Getting a shot is not the end of the world. In fact, it's the continuation of the world. Life will go on, and everything will most likely be better after the shot is done with. The needle is just a little road bump along the way.

Tips

  • Try to say the alphabet backwards in your head when you are having the shot. It's so difficult that your brain won't have time to think about feeling sick and faint.
  • An injection hurts more in a tense muscle, so massage it before getting the shot, and relax during it.
  • Don't look when the doctor is giving you the needle. Think of happy things
  • If you're nervous about your injection make sure you tell your nurse or doctor because they will calm you down and always take deep breaths, When getting it done look away, shut your eyes and count from 10 downwards and it will be over in an instant!
  • Use your other hand to pinch your leg. It'll help cover up the pain of the needle and keep you focused on something else.
  • Remember that the pain only lasts a few seconds. You'll be fine!
  • Relax your arm so that it won't hurt too much.
  • If you enjoy listening to music grab your phone before you have the shot then just listen to what makes you feel comfortable.
  • Bring something to bit down on like a hard candy for ex: lollipop and a hand to hold. Get some sugar in you and take deep breaths in and out.
  • Listen to rock and roll or Dubstep, this helps your brain focus more on the interesting sounds more than a puny needle.
  • Think about how you are with professional doctors and nurses, You are in good hands and take deep breaths!
  • Ask for them to do it on your strongest arm. Since you use this arm a lot, the aching afterwards will go away much more quickly.
  • Count up, you may get distracted and not feel it.
  • Tell yourself that it is already in and almost over.
  • Thinking about the pain will make it worst. Don't look at it and try to think of something else. Maybe occupy yourself with something and ask the nurse to do it unexpectedly.
  • Bring something to cover your eyes , so you don't look at the needle being injected.
  • Remember it's normally the anticipation of the shot that's the worst. The actual injection isn't that bad.
  • Try counting by twos from 1-20. By the time you do, your shot will be done!

Warnings

  • Don't move around and wail while getting the shot. You might risk having to get it again.
  • Don't do anything that would cause the person giving you the shot to be distracted.
  • Try not to expect any pain - don't think about it!

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/disorder-types-273889-5.html
  2. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11759560
  3. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/drugs/mono-8170-LIDOCAINE%2FPRILOCAINE+CREAM+-+TOPICAL.aspx?drugid=2358&drugname=emla+top
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/disorder-types-273889-5_2.html
  5. ↑ http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/104/8/903
  6. ↑ http://www.needlephobia.com/
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