Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Medical recommendations for fighting anxiety
• Part 2 of 3: Distract yourself during the procedure
• Part 3 of 3: Emotional and rational objections
• Tips
• Warnings

Humans may be evolutionarily conditioned to fear sting from sharp objects such as needles. That probably won't help you, but at least it makes it easier to understand why the threat of needles is sending chills down your spine. It is estimated that more than 10% of Americans fear needles, making it a fairly common phobia. It is not known how high that percentage is in the Netherlands. Some people fear the pain, others fear the size of the needle, and still others fear fainting. It is important to remember that you are not alone. Injections can be terrifying at first, but after a little practice and proper posture, you can train your mind and body to stop being afraid of needles.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Medical recommendations for fighting anxiety

1. Talk about your fear. Instead of keeping your fear of needles a secret and thereby escalating it into a full-blown anxiety attack, talk to the nurse who will insert the needle. Tell him / her about your fear. Being able to express themselves and social contact often help people to relax. The nurse will talk to you about your options and take precautions to make it more comfortable and less painful and scary.
   • You can also make an appointment with your doctor instead of talking to the nurse who will draw your blood or give you an injection. Your doctor will be able to put you in touch with a counselor who can help you calm the psychological anxiety, as well as prescribe medication to calm you down.
2. Ask for an anesthetic. An anesthetic is a pain reliever generally applied to the skin to relieve pain from the needle. Although a needle does not cause much pain for most people, a needle phobia can feel intense pain when a needle is used. A local anesthetic can help enormously in those cases.
   • The nurse helping you should have a wide range of topical anesthetics to make it easier for you. The most common in America are:
     • Needle Buster
     • Numby Stuff
     • EMLA cream
3. Have an effective posture. In some patients, who may pass out and lose consciousness, it may help to reduce certain symptoms of needle phobia if they lie down and / or put their legs high. For many people this is a serious concern as many people with needle phobia in combination with vasovagal syncope also have a fear of passing out. It is important in these cases to treat the fear of needles as well as the possibility of them passing out.
4. Take anti-stress medication. Tension medication can especially help those who are afraid of passing out or actually pass out when they receive an injection. Together with proper posture and local anesthesia, your needle appointment can be as easy as a walk in the park. There are a number of things to keep in mind when taking a sedative medicine:
   • To overcome your fear of needles overcome, and not just postpone it temporarily, you can start with a heavy dose at first, then reduce the dose on subsequent occasions. This will train your brain that getting an injection doesn't have to be accompanied by fainting or an anxiety attack.
   • Since relaxing medications can make you dizzy, it is better if you take a family member or friend to the hospital to take you home. You may have to stay in the hospital afterwards until the medicine has worn off.
5. Try a different medicine. Beta blockers, which weaken the effects of various stress hormones, can also make the experience a bit more enjoyable, especially if you're not so much afraid of the pain of the shot itself as of passing out. Unlike other calming medications, this generally does not make you sleepy. So they also don't affect your ability to drive home afterwards.

Part 2 of 3: Distract yourself during the procedure

1. Don't make it bigger than it is. Don't think about the needle, or about getting the needle. Don't worry about the size of the needle or get tense about the pain.If you keep worrying about the needle before you even get the injection, you will only build tension about it. In the long run, this will make the whole process more unpleasant.
2. Think about something else. Distract yourself! Bring friends so you can talk and laugh with them. Think about the party coming soon, or that special someone you care about so much. If you want, you can also countdown in your head; even count sheep. You can bring an iPod and listen to music to take your mind off the needle.
   • You can ask your friend or partner to hold and squeeze your hand during the procedure. These kinds of 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 insert the needle. Look the other way and try to focus on something enjoyable. Do not focus on the nurse or doctor giving the shot, as they are targeting the injection and can therefore let you know when the injection is going to happen.
   • Some people like to close their eyes completely, although this gives your thoughts less sensory material to distract themselves.
4. Don't forget to breathe slowly and deeply. Focus on maintaining your breathing. Slow, regular breaths can calm your nerves and give your brain something to hold on to.
5. Try to relax! Focus on ways to relax. Look elsewhere, count from one to ten, or back from ten. When you're distracted, you don't think about the needle. When you are at the end of the countdown, the action will be complete and you will be ready to go.

Part 3 of 3: Emotional and rational objections

1. Remember you are bigger than this. It's just a needle. You are in control of your life, and an injection cannot change that. Take back control of what you feel by acting proactively, not reactively. You determine your own future!
2. Help remind yourself that getting an injection or giving blood is medically necessary. Your general health will benefit from this procedure, even if you experience some temporary pain as a result. Avoidance, like other tactics, is often not the solution.
   • As a result, many people with a fear of needles do not go to the doctor and do not have necessary blood tests, or they do not take medicines because they can only be administered intravenously. This puts you at a health risk, which usually means there are more blood work needs to be done and more medication administered to compensate. So, when you think about it, avoiding needles can actually put you at risk of coming into contact with them even more.
3. Tell yourself that hundreds of thousands of people come into contact with needles every day without incident. Ok, if emotional argument it does not score high, but it is quite a good rational argument. This is something that happens every day with many people, without the patient getting anything out of it. If they can do it, so can you!
4. Tell yourself it will only take a few seconds. There are 86,400 seconds in a day, and getting an injection or giving your blood can take anywhere from two to thirty seconds. Then the needle is gone and the operation is performed. Even if it bother you, it will take up about 0.0003% of your day!
5. Reward yourself after the shot. Ok, the injection itself is not nice. But if you are allowed to indulge yourself afterwards, chances are that you will associate the experience with at least something that is positive.
6. Make use of your most optimistic side. Optimism is the belief that, all things being equal, everything has a positive effect in the end, even if it takes time to see the positive. Getting an injection isn't the end of the world. In fact, it is even the progress of the world. Life goes on, and everything will most likely be better when the shot is over. The needle is just a bump in the road.

Tips

• While you are getting the shot, try to say the alphabet backwards in your head. It's so hard that your brain doesn't have time to remember to feel sick and pass out.
• An injection hurts more in a tense muscle, so massage your muscle before getting the shot and relax it in the moment.
• Do not watch when the doctor gives you the shot. Think nice things.
• If you are nervous about your injection, be sure to tell your nurse or doctor. They will calm you down. Always keep breathing deeply. Look away, close your eyes and count back from ten when it is done, and it will be over in no time!
• Use your other hand to squeeze your leg. It will help drown out the pain of the needle and keep you focused on something else.
• Relax your arm so it doesn't hurt too much.
• Bring something to bite on, such as hard candy, such as a lollipop, and a hand to hold. Get in some sugar and breathe in and out deeply.
• Think about sitting there with professional doctors and nurses. You are in good hands, and breathe in and out deeply!
• Listen to rock & roll or Dubstep, this will help focus your brain more on the beautiful sounds than a puny needle.
• Remember that the pain only lasts for a few seconds. You will do well!

Warnings

• Don't move and shame while you get the shot. You can risk having to get it again.
• Don't do anything that could distract the person giving you the shot.
• Try not to expect pain - just don't think about it!