Don’t worry if you have a fear of needles – it’s completely normal. The feeling of something injecting you seems quite invasive, and it’s not uncommon that people present with this issue when they are about to get injected. But it is for your own good, so skipping it could be detrimental to your health. Here’s a few steps to stop you feeling so scared about needles.

1 – Let the person using the needle know you have a phobia. They can work with you to make you feel the most comfortable.

Healthcare professionals are here for your good. If you have any form of issue, it’s their responsibility to help address it. You can even make an appointment with your GP just to discuss this problem, and they will advise and comfort you, and refer you to relevant services if you wish!

2- Ask the healthcare professional to use a numbing agent before or during the needle stick so you feel less.

These may be simple numbing agents such as local creams and ointments which are simply applied and left for a few minutes. This makes the whole area a lot more numb, so the feeling of getting injected would be reduced. This makes the experience a whole lot easier.

3- Many people feel that watching the procedure makes their phobia worse. Look away while your provider pricks you. 

I actually use this technique myself. Watching the procedure and seeing how big the needle is gives a lot of last-minute fear, which could even cause you to tense up as the injection is being inserted. Not watching it makes it feel a lot less painful. It’s a bit like getting pricked by a thorn but not knowing, making it a lot less painful.

4- Use breathing and relaxing techniques before and during the procedure. 

This works a lot more than people think. Breathing and relaxing not only relaxes all the muscles in your body but it can help reduce stress and anxiety, in any situation. So whenever you start feeling scared, breathe in for 10 seconds and let it out for 10 seconds and watch how much better you feel!

5- Lie down before having the procedure if you have had past experience of fainting. 

This helps blood to evenly distribute throughout your whole body, including the flow of blood to your brain. This in effects reduces your chances of fainting! Lying down also helps a person to relax, which could make you feel less scared right before getting injected.

6- Distract your mind with other thoughts that keep you happy

Now- when thinking about something that makes you happy who doesn’t get distracted. Some people are so deep into their daydreaming that when people call them they don’t even realise. Distracting your mind with nice thoughts could make you completely forget that you are about to get injected. It’ll be done before you know it!

7- Bring a family or friend or someone that helps you calm down, and someone you can trust.

Everyone feels a lot more comforted when they are with someone they trust. Getting injected by someone that’s a stranger to you may also make you feel slightly alone, so bringing someone that you trust in and gives you comfort helps a long way.

Letting the healthcare professional know about your issue can help a long way. They will make the procedure a lot less frightening, and make it less painful than it normally would be for others. If you feel your fear poses a lot more serious consequences such as panic attacks and fainting, perhaps reading about trypanophobia and looking through the possible treatments for it may help.

Read about trypanophobia, symptoms and treatment options: