{"id":39938,"date":"2021-06-02T10:13:16","date_gmt":"2021-06-02T16:13:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=39938"},"modified":"2023-03-06T10:03:42","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T17:03:42","slug":"how-children-and-adults-can-overcome-needle-phobia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/how-children-and-adults-can-overcome-needle-phobia\/","title":{"rendered":"How children and adults can overcome needle phobia"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Kate
Kate Williams, 12, copes with needle phobia by not watching as she gets her vaccine at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many people want the protection of the COVID-19 vaccine but are afraid to get shots because they suffer from needle phobia or fear of needles.<\/p>\n

Needle phobia is quite common. But, the good news is that both children and adults can get help dealing with their fears.<\/p>\n

Some people can overcome their needle phobia after just a few sessions with a behavioral health expert.<\/p>\n

For others, simple calming strategies can make it easier and less frightening to get vaccines.<\/p>\n

How you can overcome needle phobia (fear of needles)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Vanessa Rollins<\/a> is a psychologist who cares for patients at UCHeath Family Medicine in Boulder<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rollins has a doctorate in psychology and together with behavioral health colleagues and primary care providers, she provides mental health and counseling services to patients of all ages, from children to older adults.<\/p>\n

Rollins is also the co-author of a study in the medical journal, Evidence-Based Practice<\/a>, that explored how to help children with needle phobia: Which Psychological Interventions are Effective in Managing Pediatric Needle Pain?<\/a><\/p>\n

We talked to Rollins about the causes and symptoms of needle phobia and how people of all ages can get help so they don\u2019t have to deal with the fear of needles for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n

\"Head
Vanessa Rollins is a psychologist who helps people with a variety of mental and behavioral health challenges. While needle phobia is very common among both children and adults, Rollins said many people can overcome their fear of needles. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why do people have a phobia of needles?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For many people, fear of needles feels innate, like something they were born with rather than a fear connected to one particularly scary incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a variety of causes of needle phobia. Some people say, \u2018I\u2019m scared and I don\u2019t know why. I\u2019ve always been afraid,\u2019 while others can clearly connect the fear to some past negative experience with shots or blood draws.\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

Pre-existing anxiety, a heightened sensitivity to pain, and having family members with the same phobia are also factors.<\/p>\n

How common is needle phobia, and does the fear of needles result in vaccine hesitancy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Needle phobia is so common that there\u2019s even a fancy name for it: trypanophobia.<\/p>\n

A recent meta-analysis of multiple research studies<\/a> found that a majority of children suffer from needle fear or phobia, while as many as half of teens and one-third of young adults suffer from needle phobia.<\/p>\n

The analysis found that it\u2019s common for people to avoid annual flu shots and other vaccines due to their needle phobia.<\/p>\n

What are some of the symptoms of needle phobia?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

People with needle phobia can experience rapid breathing or heart rate, anxiety, sweating and trembling. Some feel nauseous while others can\u2019t sleep in advance of a shot or medical procedure. The fear of needles may even trigger what\u2019s called a vasovagal response \u2014 a sudden drop in blood pressure that causes dizziness and even fainting.<\/p>\n

Is it possible for people to overcome needle phobia so they can easily get vaccines?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes. When it comes to a fear of needles, strategies that work the best range from simple distraction to hypnosis or behavioral therapy. People of all ages can go through relatively short-term treatment to improve or overcome needle phobia.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor many people, once they\u2019ve completed treatment, they\u2019re done and the phobia no longer impacts their life, while others may need regular tune-ups to get back on track,\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal isn\u2019t to learn to love needles. It\u2019s to get to a place where you can get a shot or have blood taken with the mild discomfort everyone experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

She encourages people of all ages to seek help if they need it, especially kids who need to get vaccines frequently.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll kids can have a one-off experience with a shot where they are way more distressed than usual, but you know it\u2019s turned into more of a phobia when the distress is happening more often than not, when everyone involved feels traumatized afterward, or if the child starts experiencing anxiety well before the doctor\u2019s appointment,\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

Vaccines are essential to protect children and people of all ages. And COVID-19 vaccines for children under age 12 are being tested on small groups of children now and could be ready by the end of summer. So, Rollins said now is a great time to think about getting help for children who need it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have time to see someone,\u201d Rollins said. \u201cPeople can get past needle phobia.\u201d<\/p>\n

How can a behavioral health expert help me overcome my phobia of needles?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Rollins uses different types of therapy to help people overcome needle phobia, but most often relies on what\u2019s known as behavioral or exposure therapy.<\/p>\n

There are different approaches to exposure therapy, but often the exposure is gradual. First, the patient outlines his or her specific fears about needles and ranks them from least to most scary. This is known as setting up a hierarchy of fears.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor some people getting the shot is the scariest thing. For others, the anticipation of getting it is worse,\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe start with the least scary thing first then slowly progress our way to the most scary thing,\u2019\u2019 said Rollins, \u201cAll the while, the patient builds confidence that the fear can be confronted and managed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The patient might start, for example, by simply looking at pictures of needles or think about going to the doctor\u2019s office and end with a successful shot or blood draw visit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe constant exposure decreases anxiety, builds confidence, and changes the way we think,\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we\u2019re working on the exposure a patient gets, the experience of watching their anxiety start out as a 10 out of a 10 and slowly decrease to maybe a 7 out of 10 or less, is a huge leap from \u2018I can\u2019t stand this\u2019 to \u2018Oh, I can tolerate this,\u2019\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

There are other therapy approaches that help patients learn relaxation techniques which are then paired with the exposure, Rollins said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe type and severity of phobia help us decide what approach might be best,\u201d she said. \u201cBut there is something really powerful about the experience of getting through anxious moments head-on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the great thing about being a psychologist in primary care, I\u2019m right in the doctor\u2019s office next to the dreaded needle area so there\u2019s a lot of opportunities to create exposures,\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

Does exposure therapy for needle phobia work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes. Rollins encourages early treatment but said many patients can meet with a behavioral health expert for short-term treatment and meet their goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can make the experience of getting vaccines markedly less anxiety-provoking,\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

Most adults and parents of frightened children don\u2019t realize that they can get help.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany parents have resigned themselves to dragging kids in kicking and screaming for vaccines and doing the walk of embarrassment afterward, but that\u2019s not the only option,\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

Does it work to tell people with a needle phobia that vaccine injections won\u2019t hurt?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

No. While getting the COVID-19 vaccine can be relatively painless for many children and adults, some people experience real pain. And kids who get multiple vaccines at each well-child visit can be sore after vaccines. So, it\u2019s best to tell people the truth and not to minimize their feelings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether or not they\u2019re phobic, kids don\u2019t buy it when you say it won\u2019t hurt because what you experience as a harmless pinch they might feel as a giant pain, so it\u2019s better to give them facts like it will be over fast, and let them talk about things they can do to get through it.\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because the phobia is real. The anxiety is real. And, for some people, the pain is quite real.<\/p>\n

Does distraction work if I have a phobia of needles?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes. Distraction does work. In Rollins\u2019 review of evidence-based methods for reducing needle phobia, she and her co-author found that children who took advantage of distractions reported significantly less pain while getting shots. Distractions included everything from reading stories to watching videos, listening to music, playing with a toy to holding a comforting object.<\/p>\n

For children who are mildly fearful of needles, Rollins advises parents to think in advance about what might help them and involve the child in picking a distraction technique.<\/p>\n

Continuing to breathe is important.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do always teach people with needle phobia simple paced breathing, in to a count of 5 and out to a count of 5, because breath holding during a fear response is really common. Paced breathing can help avoid that vasovagal response some people get,\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

Do bribes or post-vaccine treats work in overcoming a phobia of needles?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Offering children a treat after they get vaccines may work for some older children. But, bribes may not work as well for younger kids.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor toddlers and preschoolers, rewards have to be pretty immediate to work, they don\u2019t appreciate \u2018If you do this scary thing now, you\u2019ll get this unseen reward later,\u2019\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

Rather than using bribes or treats to coax kids into getting vaccines, Rollins thinks it\u2019s more effective to encourage children to strategize about good ways to overcome needle phobia.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiving kids some control over managing their fear is a far better strategy,\u201d Rollins said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I also want to acknowledge that vaccine time is really hard for parents too and we all just try to do the best we can to get through it, so if a bribe works, use it.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is hypnosis?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Hypnosis is a deep state of relaxation in which your mind is more focused and receptive to changing your thoughts Rollins said.<\/p>\n

Hypnosis is effective for treating needle phobia, but requires seeing a behavioral health expert specially trained in hypnosis.<\/p>\n

The great thing is that any of the treatment options from exposure therapy or hypnosis, are beneficial.\u00a0 And that makes it much easier to cope with necessary, life-saving vaccines, whether we\u2019re trying to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic or we\u2019re getting annual flu shots.<\/p>\n

Said Rollins: \u201cVaccines are part of our lives, in my opinion, thankfully, and moving past needle phobia can feel like a huge relief.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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