Fear of needles
Trypanophobia is a very real phobia affecting nearly 10% of the world’s population. It consists of an irrational or excessive fear of needles, pins or injections. While most people, children especially, fear getting their vaccination shots or blood samples taken, in case of people with extreme fear of needles, the idea of getting one triggers an immediate anxiety response.
In very severe cases of
Trypanophobia, the avoidance, anxiety or distress associated with the condition
may interfere with one’s daily routine, occupational functioning or social and
personal relationships.
Before discussing common
causes of Trypanophobia, it is first essential to distinguish between normal
childhood fear and actual fear of needles phobia. Crying, tantrums, clinging,
freezing in children before an injection shot is common behavior in
preschoolers but will not interfere with one’s daily activities. In adults
however, the phobia can lead to behavior problems as well as extreme avoidance
and anxiety symptoms.
Doctors have various
explanations for the fear of needles phobia:
Symptoms of the fear of
needles phobia can be physical or psychological:
Apart from fear of needles,
many Trypanophobic individuals fear everything related to blood and gore.
Trypanophobia is a very real phobia affecting nearly 10% of the world’s population. It consists of an irrational or excessive fear of needles, pins or injections. While most people, children especially, fear getting their vaccination shots or blood samples taken, in case of people with extreme fear of needles, the idea of getting one triggers an immediate anxiety response.
Causes
•Injections are generally
unpleasant for most people. In case of Trypanophobia, the person might have a
painful memory or a frightening experience with his first injection. For a
child, getting an injection from a doctor, a stranger, is in itself
frightening. He is unable to understand why the parents are not protecting one
from the pain.
•Parents, grandparents and
caregivers may also be responsible for instilling a fear of needles in the
child. One often uses statements like: “Stay away from infected needles, you
may catch a disease”, or “be brave when you get your shot” etc and these can
lead to fearful thoughts about needles.
• If a significant adult
in one’s life displays the fear of needles, then the child unknowingly learns
it.
•A child might have seen
an elderly relative receiving a shot and then passing away later. This forms an
unpleasant association between needles and death.
•Receiving bad news like
testing positive for a serious disease after a blood test or that of the death
of a close friend/family member while seeing needles at the same time can lead
to fear of needles.
•Drawing blood, feeling
faint, or having an increased heart rate are a few more negative associations
with needles. Some individuals simply worry about embarrassing themselves by
fainting and hence they tend to avoid needles completely.
Symptoms
•Feeling faint, passing
out at the sight or thought of needles
•Having an increased heart
rate or blood pressure
•Shortness of breath, dry
mouth, tremors, and nausea are a few more physical symptoms of Trypanophobia.
•Full blown panic attack
is likely when the person fears s/he cannot escape the needles
•Frightening thoughts and
images about needles, death, pain etc lead one to be unable to distinguish
between reality and fantasy.
Good one
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