How to Overcome the Fear of Injections

Co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS

Last Updated: November 11, 2024 Approved

Hate them all you might, injections are largely unavoidable. Most commonly, injections are used to vaccinate patients, and without such vaccinations, one may contract many deadly diseases. Many other important medical procedures, like diabetes treatments, blood tests, anesthetics, and dental treatments, also involve injections. This makes overcoming one's trypanophobia—that is, one's fear of needles—very important because all too often there are no alternatives. Around one in ten people suffer from fear of injections or needles, so you are not alone.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Preparing Yourself for the Injection

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1
Confront your fear. Knowing more about what you're afraid of could very well help you overcome your fear by making needles and injections seem more ordinary. Try exposure therapy to help reduce your fear of injections.^{[1]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health

Go to source} Do some research about injections: their history, their purpose, even their dangers.
- Look up pictures of needles and injections online to desensitize yourself. To take this to the next level you might consider handling real (clean, unused) syringes for a few minutes every day.^{[2]
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- This might be difficult to start with, but it could help you overcome your fear. The more exposure you have to needles the more ordinary they will seem.
Some people develop a fear of injections because they associate them with another traumatizing event. Often those who suffer from needle phobia are those who had a lot of procedures involving needles when they were a child.^{[3]
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Research source} Think back over your childhood and talk to your parents about this. Understanding the roots of your fear can help you to confront it.

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3
Rationalise your fear. Rather than dwelling on your fear of injections, focus instead on how the injection is going to help you.^{[4]
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Research source} Continually remind yourself that you're protecting yourself from something much worse than a simple injection.^{[5]
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Research source} Or, if you're donating blood, think about all of the people you're helping by overcoming your fear.^{[6]
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Red Cross Blood Donation Services
Website run by the Red Cross Organization providing information about how and where to donate blood safely

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- List your fears and concerns (“Injections are painful!”), and then counter those fears with positive, rational ideas (“Injections keep me healthy!”).^{[7]
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- If you have a child who's scared of needles, be honest with him or her about the importance of the injection. And don't tiptoe around the pain. Be honest about that too.^{[8]
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4
Practice applied tension.^{[9]
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Research source} One of the most effective ways to combat fear, and the drop in blood pressure that can lead to fainting, is to practice applied tension. If you begin to feel faint or have in the past fainted at the sight of needles, applied tension, which helps regulate your blood pressure, can help keep you from fainting again. You will need to learn how to do this before you go for the injection.^{[10]
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Research source} If you start to feel scared, applied tension can help you calm down before the injection. To practice applied tension, follow these steps:
- Sit comfortably.
- Tense the muscles in your arms, legs, and upper body and maintain that tension for about 10 to 15 seconds, or until your face begins to feel flush.
- Relax your muscles.
- After 30 seconds, tense your muscles again.
- Repeat until you've done this five times.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Dealing With the Injection

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Ask someone you trust to come with you when you get the shot. Having someone you know with you could provide you with a confidence boost.^{[11]
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Red Cross Blood Donation Services
Website run by the Red Cross Organization providing information about how and where to donate blood safely

Go to source} Ask them to hold your hand tightly during the procedure.
2
Express your fear. Tell your doctor or nurse that you are scared. Talking about your fear can let that person know to treat you with extra care. He or she might even be able to talk you through it and offer you tips to help you relax and keep things in perspective.
- If you would like to donate blood you might find it less scary if you tell the person drawing your blood that he or she has one chance to get it right.
- Doing this can help you feel more in control of the situation.
3
Distract yourself. Many people focus on getting the shot, but taking your mind off of the injection by, among other things, looking the other way, can help allay your fears.^{[12]
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Research source} Strike up a conversation with someone else in the room, be it the doctor, the nurse, or the family member or friend who has accompanied you.^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source

Red Cross Blood Donation Services
Website run by the Red Cross Organization providing information about how and where to donate blood safely

Go to source} Research has found that doctors who talked to trauma patients about something other than the trauma itself were able to significantly reduce the patient's anxiety levels.^{[14]
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- Concentrate on something else in the room. Try rearranging the letters of a sign to make as many new words as you can.^{[15]
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- Play a game on your phone, listen to some soft music, or read a book or magazine
4
Position your body correctly. You might find that lying down or having your legs elevated while you receive and injections can help to ease your fear and symptoms. Lying with your head down and feet slightly elevated will lessen the chances of fainting. Even after the injection stay prone for a while, and don't try to jump up and run out. Take your time and listen to what the doctor or nurse is telling you.^{[16]
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- When you are lying down, place one hand on your stomach and concentrate on your breathing.
Try to relax. Take deep breaths and do progressive muscle relaxation to calm yourself down.^{[17]
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Research source} When the shot is about to be administered, take a deep breath and slowly count down from ten before breathing out. By the time you get to zero the procedure will be done!

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Tackling Your Fear With a Fear Hierarchy

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1
Draw up a fear hierarchy. A fear hierarchy is a way to document the different degrees of fear you experience related to needles and injections.^{[18]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health

Go to source} This technique gives you a clear progression, but allows you to move at your own pace and make your own records of what how find most fearful. Write down different aspects of needles and injections which scare you and rank them by the amount of distress they cause you, on a scale of 1–10. An example could look like this:
- Having an injection in my arm - ranked 10/10.
- Holding a needle - ranked 9/10.
- Watching someone have an injection in real life - ranked 7/10.
- Watching a video of an injection online - ranked 5/10.
- Looking pictures of needles and injections - ranked 4/10.
- Thinking about an injection - ranked 3/10.
2
Start at the bottom. Once you have drawn up your hierarchy you will have already begun thinking about your fears, an important step in countering them. When you are ready, start at the bottom of your hierarchy and put yourself in the situation which gives you the lowest amount of distress. When you begin to feel distressed, practice applied tension or breathing for relaxation to bring your blood pressure back down and control your fear.
- Stay in this stressful situation until your anxiety has started to noticeably drop. As you come out of this situation, looking away from the video of an injection, or putting down the needle, take time to breathe deeply and relax.
- Congratulate yourself on your progress and courage before moving up your hierarchy.
3
Steadily work your way up. Now you can steadily work your way up your hierarchy and keep track of your success. Only move on when you feel really confident with the previous situations, and don't worry if you need to re-do one situation a number of times before you feel comfortable. It's worth persisting with it.
- Overcoming your fear will take time, practice, commitment and courage. But, it will certainly make your life freer from anxiety and stress in the long-run.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Combating Your Fear With Medication

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1
Try a painkiller. Some people who are afraid of needles are very sensitive to pain and the normal small amount of pain experienced when getting an injection will be heightened. If this is the case, you can ask the doctor or nurse to give you numbing cream, or apply an anaesthetic cream or warm compress to the area 20 minutes before you expect the receive the shot.^{[19]
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- Request either a thin needle or a butterfly needle. Butterfly needles, which can be more precise than standard needles, are often used on patients with needle phobia.
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Take anti-anxiety medication. Sometimes your doctor may recommend anti-anxiety medication for acute cases of needle phobia. If someone faints uncontrollably at the sight of a needle, anti-anxiety medication may be necessary in the short-term. You should never consider this unless your doctor suggests it, concentrate on combating your fear without medication.
- If you are taking anti-anxiety medication you will take it before the injection, and may not be able to drive after the injection.^{[20]
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- When fainting is the primary concern, beta-blockers can be an effective option, and should enable you to drive afterward. But always talk to your doctor about your options.
- Practising applied tension is a way to combat low blood pressure and fainting without medication.
^{[21]
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Research source} An acute fear of needles can be a serious problem if it stops you from getting the shots and jabs you need to stay healthy and inoculated from disease. Fear of needles is a recognized condition and behavioural therapy may help you to deal with your fear. In more extreme cases, psychotherapy or hypnotherapy might be necessary.

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Tips

Relax and know that everything will be okay. Tell your doctor if you are scared. Be brave.

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Never look at the needle, it will only make things worse.

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To help build up your confidence around needles, get a minor medical procedure that involves injections (something like a flu shot).

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Warnings

Always talk to your doctor about your fear of injections. Be up-front and honest about it.

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Helpful 26 Not Helpful 5
Common side effects for vaccinations include nausea, fever, headache, and fatigue.

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Patients who become unruly may be administered a sedative.^{[22]
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