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4 minutes
Being afraid of needles is much more common than you might think, but do you still not know how to deal with it? In this article you will discover some useful tips.
Every time your doctor tells you that you have to take a blood test, do you cringe? The fear of needles and injections is quite common and, although you think you will never be able to overcome it, this is not the case.
You have a lot of resources at your disposal so that this fear stops limiting you and this is what we are going to talk about. Are you still reading?
1 in 4 adults is afraid of needles
Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that 1 in 4 adults is very afraid of needles. If the same thing happens to you, You can see that it’s not unusual although it is important to determine where it came from. Did something really happen to you that makes you afraid of getting an injection? Or is it something irrational?
This is the starting point in any therapy process to overcome the fear of needles and injections. Sometimes just by looking at this, the fear can go away. You realize that there is nothing to make sense of it.
But it may happen that you have had a negative experience. The fear that it will happen to you again then feeds that fear.
What symptoms appear with the fear of needles?
The first symptom that appears if you are afraid of needles or injections is a flight response. You usually do not attend those blood draws that your doctor asks you to check your markers, postpone appointments for injections that you should get, among other attitudes that you try to avoid at all costs.
This is not good, because you are putting your health at risk.
Other symptoms that appear with the fear of needles are the following:
- Nervousness.
- Increased heart rate.
- Accelerated breathing.
- Sweating just before entering the consultation for the injection or blood draw.
All this makes that escape response that we were talking about before even more intense. In the most serious cases, it can happen that your blood pressure drops, you turn pale and even faint.
Anxiety or panic can generate this type of reactions that make you lose control completely. You shouldn’t be ashamed of it. Remember that 1 in 4 adults are afraid of needles.
How to overcome this kind of fear?
There are several ways to overcome the fear of needles or injections. Not all of them have to work for you. Each person is helped by something different.
Therefore, our advice is that if you find yourself in this situation, keep in mind the first of the recommendations. Perhaps the most important.
Go to psychological therapy
Psychological therapy is essential whenever there is a fear or a problem that prevents you from leading a normal life. Therefore, find the right therapist.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective. Although there are many other types of psychological therapy that can work for you.
Learn about the procedure
Another valid advice to overcome the fear of needles or injections is that you inform yourself about the procedure. Many times, Fears appear due to ignorance. As soon as you inform yourself, these disappear.
Do not hesitate to ask the doctor any questions that may arise. Be careful when using the internet; much information can be categorized as fake news.
Practice relaxation exercises
Meditate, learn to breathe, do yoga… These activities can give you very useful resources for that day when they have to draw blood or give you an injection. You will see how you handle it much better and you are able to overcome your fear.
Don’t put off an appointment
Our last piece of advice is to never put off an appointment. Doing so will increase your fear of needles or injections. And in the end, you will have no choice but to face it!
Therefore, do not think too much at that time. Instead, meditate on all of the above advice and go to your date as if you were moving in autopilot.
A traumatic situation experienced as a child, an irrational fear, limiting beliefs… The reasons why the fear of needles and injections paralyzes you have their reasons. You just have to put them on the table to manage them. Seek professional help and do not let fears continue to be the ones that direct your life.
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