Are you scared of needles?

Of course when I say needles, I mean syringes, and by syringes I mean injections or having blood taken and that’s a scary thing, right?

For many people just the mention of 'needles' or 'injection' is enough to reduce them to a quivering wreck - and for some the fear will be so intense that passing out is an embarrassing reality. It may begin in childhood or come on suddenly in later life, but whatever the reason it can lead to many challenging situations.

 So what are the consequences of living with this fear?

• Health checks, including dentistry may be avoided leading to long term issues and missed diagnoses.
• Exotic holidays are what other people do (no jabs, no travel).
• Friends may find it a great source of amusement to wind you up by making reference to jabs or needles.
• If you are a parent, there is a very real possibility that you will pass on your fear to your child.

The good news is that hypnotherapy can usually help by neutralising negative past experiences and/or by allowing the client to take control of their skin sensitivity levels. The therapist will encourage client participation in identifying how sensitive various areas of the hand or arm might be. Always with the client’s consent, the therapist will test sensitivity on the arms and hands using something like the blunt end of a pencil or a pen and engage the client in reducing the skin sensitivity level.

The therapist will talk through the injection procedure/blood session several times, giving the client more and more control and taking constant feedback on sensitivity levels. The therapist may also repeat the procedure on both arms and hands to cover all of the usual medical procedures.

The problem is usually straight forward but may take several sessions; the client may also feel reassured by having a top up session just before any clinical procedure involving syringes or blood tests.