Fear of Needles? No problem!
Not everyone loves shots. Some people may feel panic, anxiety, dizziness and even fainting when they receive a needle, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
It’s a real fear, and overcoming it is easier said than done. Depending upon your medical needs, getting poked could be a way of life so it’s important to reduce the mental burden. These days we all need a bit more peace of mind, so whether it’s the usual or only an occasion let’s discover what it takes to lessen your stress around needles.
As a mobile IV drip, we are responsible for administering thousands of IV drips to patients throughout our service are and we can certainly help you overcome your fear of needles for good.
Needles cause some people to become afraid.
You can develop a fear of all things injectable, due to either psychological or physiological reasons. Some people have a mental fear of injecting, while others have a physical fear.
If you’ve ever been poked, probed, or had blood drawn at a hospital, then you already know the horror of veins that are “rolling” or “slippery.” Some nurses just can’t pin down those veins, so they have to prod you multiple times to find one. You might’ve even had a phlebotomist give up on your arm and just go for the wrist. Over the course of multiple pokes, you might be getting annoyed.
There are two theories regarding why people are afraid of injections. One suggests that the modern needle was designed to kill. This would mean that the human immune system developed over time to resist the needle. However, the other theory states that it is simply part of our innate DNA.
Sometimes, a little prick will hurt. Fortunately, there's a remedy for that below.
Multiple factors may be causing your fear of needles. In addition to the trauma you experienced as a child when you received vaccines, anxiety and other mental health problems might be contributing to your fears.
There are a number of causes, but we think that, if anything, you can overcome it. But the question remains: how?
HELPFUL TIPS FOR OVERCOMING YOUR NEEDLE PHOBIA
TALK TO YOUR NURSE OR MEDIC
Medical professionals often calm tense or anxious patients using a variety of techniques, including breathing exercises and songs, distractions, and medications.
TRY DIFFERENT BREATHING TECHNIQUES
We are really surprised that by focusing on your breathing and tuning out the rest of the world, you can feel more calm before a shot or an injection. Closing your eyes and tuning out everything else will give you some relief. Try it now.
REFRAIN FROM LOOKING
No matter how scared of needles you may be, you still do this. You try to look away or close your eyes while practicing breathing techniques, and then top it off with a topical cream that you apply over the area where the needle is about to go. Then, once it’s over, you don’t even realize what happened.
THERAPY
It may be time to look beyond what you’ve been doing in order to overcome your fear. With cognitive behavior therapy, you’ll learn to gain a deeper understanding of your feelings and behaviors, allowing you to start the process of overcoming your fears.
JUST DO IT
That is true. But there are a few different methods of exposure therapy. One of them is called “in vivo exposure.” In this method, the patient tries to confront the fear in a safe environment, like a doctor’s office or with a registered nurse. However, this is not a procedure that you can try at home, because you could poke yourself and get an infection.
At DRIP83, we want you to feel safe and comfortable. Our friendly nurses are trained to administer injections to clients using only aseptic techniques, so we’re able to make sure your fear is unfounded. After we insert the needle, we remove it. The only thing left after that is a little plastic tube called a catheter. To learn more, check out our page on how IV drips work.
I've never tried to make a difference in the world before, so who knows, it might just work!