Needle phobia - or trypanophobia to give it its medical name - is an irrational fear that creates anxiety and even panic in around 10% of the adult poplulation. In this article, a leading British hypno-psychotherapist explains how this truly debilitating condition can be permanently removed with the correct treatment.
Anyone can be affected by needle phobia
The correct medical name is trypanophobia - an irrational and often intense fear of hypodermic needles or injections - though it is regularly labelled belonephobia, this term is incorrect since it denotes a fear of pins and needles, without reference to the medical aspects.
Regardless of the label, for those suffering from needle phobia the very thought or sight of a syringe or hypodermic needle can provoke overwhelming feelings of anxiety and even panic.
At least 10% of all adults are believed to suffer from this truly inconvenient and potentially dangerous condition.
Indeed, the actual figure may very well be in excess of this, since the most severe cases are not recorded because of the tendency of people suffering from this phobia to assiduously avoid all medical treatment.
The cause of needle phobia usually lies in the individual's past and most often springs from two causes:
At some time in the past, most often in childhood, the needle phobic has experienced pain or trauma involving an injection or a hypodermic syringe. As a result of this, he or she has subconsiously twinned this experience with a fear of all hypodermic needles in a process known as 'conditioned response'.
The other main way in which this phobia can be acquired is simply because someone else has had a bad experience with hypodermic needles and this has been passed on to the individual, again, often in childhood.
Some have suggested that there may be a genetic element to trypanophobia because about 80% report having a relative who also has the same phobia. I have not found this to be the case, however, in my own clinical experience.
The fact that such a large percentage of people suffering from needle phobia have family members who also suffer from the same condition seems to be an indication of the ability of the child to empathetically mimic the fears of the adult or of other children.
There can also be links to other phobias and fears, such as to the fear of bleeding or other elements that may serve to strengthen and complicate the phobia.
The consequences of living life as a needle phobic can be truly serious for the individual's well being. Some people simply avoid going to the doctor or dentist at all costs, even when they are experiencing terrible pain or are in urgent need of medical treatment.
The good news is that real help is available.
With correctly applied advanced transformational hypnotherapy, even long standing, chronic cases of needle phobia can be cured.
Once the cause, the origin of the fear is uncovered, then the subconscious mind can be taught to get things back into perspective and release its fearful grip.
Often the needle phobic's conscious mind is only too well aware that this is a fear that is irrational, but it is simply unable to remove it.
With the modern advanced techniques of transformational hypnotherapy, it is possible to readjust the faulty perceptions of the subconscious mind, thereby releasing the individual from this debilitating and poentially dangerous fear.
If you or someone you care about is a needle phobic, suffering from needle phobia - trypanophobia - then the truly valuable help that you need and deserve is available.
With advanced transformational hypnotherapy you can indeed set yourself free.
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