- Experts say a fear of needles can come from experiences during childhood, particularly if you had a lot of medical procedures when growing up. And many will be too ashamed to seek help
- But medics say there are ways to combat it, and a number of exercises and practice that can make you overcome it
Needle phobia affects at least 1 in 10 people, particularly if you went to the doctors a lot as a child – here’s how to get over it.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) instructs fear-stricken patients to breathe deeply a few days ahead of your appointment.
They even suggest investing in a numbing cream right before the dreaded checkup to dull the sensation that is to come, but ensure you tell your phlebotomist whereabouts – and that you’re scared of injections generally.
The NHS also have a relaxation technique on hand for the needle averse. The applied tension technique is a simple technique to increase your blood pressure to a normal level again and avoid fainting.
First, sit down somewhere where you are comfortable to tense the muscles in your upper body and legs for about 15 seconds or until you start to feel the warmth rising in your face.
After about 30 seconds have passed, repeat this about five times or until you feel the warmth in your face and practise this sequence 3 times every day for about a week.
You can also practice your breathing in the weeks leading up to the injection.To do so, sit comfortable with your back upright, relax your jaw and your shoulders and place one hand on your lower belly.
Then take a long, deep breath, breathing through your nose and out your mouth, but be sure not to force it.
To do this as deeply as is comfortable for you and repeat for five breaths.
You are more likely to alleviate your fear if you practice this three times every day for a week.
After achieving relaxation from practising your breathing, it’s important to confront the needles head on with a fear ladder.
Essentially, this is a list of every needle situation you fear, ranked from order of difficulty – with 0 being the easiest to handle and 10 the most difficult.
This could include pictures of a needle, videos of a surgery taking place, and actually having the procedure.
Put the easiest situation at the bottom – like the first rung of the ladder.
Start with the bottom of the ladder and work your way up – once you feel confident, move up to the next step, but take your time to ensure you’re comfortable with every step of the ladder.
But if you’re still panicking – and refuse to go to the doctors because of it, speak to your local GP surgery and enquire about counselling like behavioural therapy.
