Hypnosis for Needle Phobia
Are you or someone you love stressing out about getting needles? You are not alone! According to the research, up to 25% of adult population experience fear of needles, with the figure even greater in children and adolescents. There is even special term Trypanophobia (Greek term trypano — meaning puncturing or piercing — and phobia, meaning fear).
Around 7% people will develop such a strong phobic response that will prevent them from getting seasonal vaccination.
With a strong push for mandatory COVID-19 vaccines this topic becomes very sensitive and deserves clinical attention.
If you believe you have fear of needles, I would like you to read on.
How do I know if I have fear of needles?
Let’s be honest, no-one likes needles! However some people will tolerate and manage to stay calm, while for someone with a strong fear of needles even thinking about a possibility may cause strong bodily response.
Symptoms of trypanophobia (or fear of needles) include:
- increased heart rate
- high blood pressure
- panic attacks
- dizziness
- fainting (resulted from the drop of blood pressure)
- anxiety
- insomnia
When present with the idea they will get needles or in sight of needles the person may be feeling emotionally or physically violent (fight) or run away from medical care (flight) or faint (freeze).
Sometimes symptoms can be so intense that they can be debilitating and precede weeks and months leading up to an event only to be refused or unable to receive the medical intervention (vaccine or blood test).
How can Hypnotherapy help overcome the fear of needles?
Hypnosis is a natural phenomenon that produces calm state of consciousness and narrowed focus of attention that in clinical hypnotherapy is used to facilitate desired change. When using hypnosis, you are being guided by the clinical hypnotherapist who will test suggestions for desired changes in subjective experience, alterations in perception, sensation, emotion, thought and behaviour.
As an added benefit, you may also be interested to learn self-hypnosis, which is the act of administering hypnotic procedures on your own.
What to expect in your treatment plan: Hypnosis for needles phobia
It all starts with a discovery call. it is important that you feel safe and supported. Remember, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, I can not make you want to do anything against your will and won’t influence your free will of choice. I will only facilitate discovery of the source of the fear and help you release the emotional tension, address cognitive distortions and decide on the desired behaviour.
During a hypnotherapy session, a range of fast interventions are used, including:
- breathing relaxation and anchoring relaxation response to be available at a cue
- metaphoric language, storytelling
- guided visualisation
- nervous system regulation, heart rate coherence
- emotional desensitisation
- timelining (working on the past and future resolving trauma and anticipation anxiety)
- enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy
The beauty of our emotional mind is than it does not know the difference between a fantasy and reality. What you imagine becomes your reality. Imagining your success in the event of getting the needle, so the brain registers this as if that happened in the reality, is much more helpful that extensive negative anticipation.
In the session I offer a safe and supportive environment to face your fear and overcome it, develop new copying strategies and rehearse your actions, just as an actor or an athlete does before the performance.
Ready to start now?
It all starts with a phone call – call 0401 256 724 to make your initial appointment. Your 30 minutes Discovery Session is free so there is no risks or strings attached.