Clinical hypnotherapy to help with fear of needles and medical procedures involving injections
Do you experience an overwhelming fear at the mere sight of a needle or the thought of a medical procedure? You’re not alone! The fear of needles, also known as trypanophobia, can be distressing and even debilitating for those who suffer from it. From a racing heart rate to feeling faint, to a full-blown panic attack, the symptoms of needle phobia can make necessary medical procedures a frightful challenge. But there is hope! Clinical hypnotherapy offers a transformative journey for people to overcome their fear and regain control over their responses to needles and injections. In this article, we’ll explore the telltale signs of trypanophobia and delve into how hypnotherapy can provide effective relief for those who long to conquer their fear and approach medical procedures with newfound confidence and calmness.
Signs and symptoms of trypanophobia (fear of needles)
Here are some signs and symptoms of trypanophobia, also known as needle phobia:
Intense Fear
Individuals with needle phobia experience an overwhelming and irrational fear of needles, injections, or medical procedures involving needles.
Avoidance Behaviour
People with needle phobia may go to great lengths to avoid medical situations that involve needles. This avoidance can lead to postponing necessary medical appointments or procedures.
Physical Reactions
Exposure to needles triggers a range of physical symptoms, including rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, sweating, trembling, feeling nauseous, dizziness, and even fainting.
Panic Attacks
Needle phobia can trigger panic attacks characterised by sudden and intense feelings of fear, dread, and impending doom. These attacks can be accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, and a sense of loss of control.
Extreme Anxiety
The thought of upcoming vaccinations or medical procedures involving needles can cause days or weeks of anticipatory anxiety. This can impact daily life and functioning.
Fainting (Vasovagal Response)
Many individuals with needle phobia experience a vasovagal response, which can lead to fainting or near-fainting when exposed to needles or medical settings.
Emotional Distress
Needle phobia can lead to significant emotional distress, impacting an individual or child’s overall well-being and mental health.
Cognitive Distortions
Individuals with needle phobia often have irrational thoughts and beliefs about needles, injections, or medical procedures, which contribute to their fear and anxiety.
Avoidance of Medical Care
Due to the fear of needles, some doctors say individuals with needle phobia might avoid seeking necessary medical care, even when facing health concerns.
Hypervigilance
People with needle phobia may constantly scan their environment for potential needle-related triggers, which can result in a constant state of anxiety.
Negative Impact on Quality of Life
Needle phobia can limit or affect an individual’s participation in social activities, work, travel, and other life events that might involve medical procedures.
Excessive Worry
Individuals with needle phobia may experience intrusive and persistent worries about future medical situations involving needles.
What does hypnosis involve?
When you think of hypnosis, you may imagine what you’ve seen on TV during a stage trick or in a movie. Working with a trained hypnotherapist is very different and it can’t make you do anything that you don’t want to do. When you’re in hypnosis, it is called being in a trance state or hypnotic state.
Trance is like being in deep meditative state. It uses guided relation, concentration and focused attention to achieve heightened awareness. Your body will be relaxed and you’ll usually feel calmer. These benefits are often an enormous relief from the symptoms of anxiety and emotional distress.
In this calm state, you can deeply relax and access your subconscious mind – those deeper parts of yourself that are sometimes not immediately apparent.
Over 90% of your mind is subconscious and this is where our most deep-seated beliefs and values are stored. By accessing this part of ourselves, we can treat you and make significant changes and help to release emotions and past traumas so that you can heal and overcome your needle phobia.
It is in the safety of the relaxed state of hypnosis that you can more easily process the triggers of your extreme fear, and treat your concerns directly.
This means you can begin to build a bridge between the fearful experience and the present and teach your mind and body to trust. Trust that it is now safe and that you can choose how you would like to respond in any given circumstance.
How hypnotherapy can help you overcome a needle phobia or fear of a medical procedure
Working with a skilled Hypnotherapist, like our Shift team, provides personalised strategies for overcoming your fears and creating a more positive relationship with medical settings and procedures. Here are some of the many ways Hypnotherapy can assist needle phobia sufferers:
Desensitisation
Hypnotherapy employs systematic desensitisation techniques to gradually expose individuals to the fear-inducing stimulus, such as needles or medical procedures. This exposure is done in a controlled and safe environment, helping the person build tolerance and reduce anxiety.
Relaxation Techniques
Hypnotherapy teaches relaxation techniques that can be applied before and during medical procedures. Deep breathing, visualisation, and mindfulness exercises help calm the nervous system and manage anxiety.
Cognitive Restructuring
Hypnotherapy addresses negative thought patterns and cognitive distortions associated with needle phobia. Therapists guide affected individuals to reframe their beliefs and thoughts about needles, instilling more rational and positive thinking.
Gradual Exposure
Under the guidance of a hypnotherapist, individuals can gradually work up to facing their fear by visualising and experiencing incremental steps related to needles or medical procedures. This approach helps build resilience and confidence.
Anchoring Positive Associations
Hypnotherapy creates positive associations with medical settings, needles, and procedures through guided imagery. Individuals learn to associate these experiences with feelings of calmness and control.
Hypnotic Suggestions
During a state of heightened suggestibility, a hypnotherapist provides positive suggestions to reshape an individual’s perception of needles and medical procedures. These suggestions help build a sense of safety and diminish fear.
Building Self-Efficacy
Hypnotherapy enhances self-confidence by helping individuals believe in their ability to cope with their phobia. Empowering suggestions foster a sense of control and mastery.
Reframing Past Trauma
Hypnotherapy can address any past negative experiences or traumas related to needles or medical procedures. By reframing these memories, individuals can release emotional distress and establish a healthier perspective.
Reducing Physical Reactions
Hypnotherapy can assist in reducing physical reactions to the phobia, such as fainting or rapid heart rate. Techniques to regulate physiological responses contribute to a more composed and relaxed state.
Mindfulness Techniques
Hypnotherapy teaches mindfulness techniques that help individuals stay present and manage anxiety during medical situations. Mindfulness practices enhance patient emotional regulation and reduce panic.
Empowerment
Hypnotherapy fosters a sense of empowerment by helping individuals regain control over their emotional and physical responses to needles. This newfound control contributes to a sense of accomplishment.
Long-Term Management
Hypnotherapy equips individuals with other therapy tools, like self hypnosis, which they can continue to use in various medical situations to manage anxiety and dread, promoting lasting change.
Our Brisbane Hypnosis Clinic
Pricing
An initial hypnotherapy appointment is $195 and is approximately 90 minutes long. Return appointments are $180 and are one hour long. Our well-known Quit Smoking Program is just $495 for the program.
Booking
You can book your appointment using our easy online appointment scheduler 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Book your hypnotherapy appointment here.
The current wait time for an appointment is approximately 1-3 weeks – be sure to check the next few weeks for availability in your search results. If you have an urgent concern that cannot wait, please call us on 07 3367 0337 and we will do our best to fit you in earlier.
Arrival
When you arrive at Shift at Brisbane Natural Health you will start your appointment with our hypnotist learning more about you and what you’d like to work on using hypnotherapy. During the initial 90 minute session, we spend a lot of time guiding you into a relaxed state. We want to create a supportive environment where you feel safe and secure and able to share your issues. We have an amazing team who will make sure you are comfortable during and after your session.
Your first session for hypnosis to help needle phobia
Hypnotherapy treatment can help to facilitate some profound, positive changes in your mind and body. Patients that benefit the most are those that have identified that they have some habits, behaviours or thought processes that are not healthy – and they want to make a change.
There are several reasons to try hypnotherapy – for anxiety disorders and depression or weight loss or quit smoking hypnosis at Shift at Brisbane Natural Health.
Hypnotherapy is safe, affordable and effective for the treatment of many issues. Think of it as healing to your physical and mental health as well as strengthening the emotional part of you. The part where we often store our most deep-seated fears and the part which can stop us from reaching our full potential.
Ready to see a Shift Hypnotherapist for your extreme fear?
Hypnotherapy services and appointments can be done face-to-face or online from anywhere in the world. We help our patients with hypnotherapy every day to work through all kinds of behavioural, physical, mental and emotional issues.
At Shift, our highly trained therapists use a combination of clinical hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, counselling and other techniques to help you to Shift your mind, overall well being and life.
Head here to book an appointment online or call our lovely reception team on 07 3667 0337.
