Fear of Injections ( Needles ) - Trypanophobia
I have a fear of needles, like getting shots or anything else involving them.
Trypanophobia is a severe fear of needes and injections
About Trypanophobia-
Trypanophobia is a very real phobia affecting nearly 3.5 to 10% of the worlds 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.
( Source - Fear of Needles Phobia )
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This phobia stemmed from a disease I had when I was younger. For the longest time I was very sick and no one could figure out what was wrong. I underwent many exams and tests and given many sorts of shots and medications. I think I was about 5 when I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder ( an autoimmune disorder is when body's immune system attacks healthy cells instead of attacking the disease or bad cells ) called PFAPA Syndrome. PFAPA Syndrome (periodic fevers with aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and adenitis) syndrome is a periodic fever syndrome that typically manifests between ages 2 yr and 5 yr; it is characterized by febrile episodes lasting 3 to 6 days, pharyngitis, aphthous ulcers, and adenopathy. Etiology and pathophysiology are undefined.
I used to get fevers that would go up to 107 F... But the thing was, my body would feel ice cold. I would shake and cry and scream and I had to be taken to the hospital many times before they finally acknowledged something was wrong and I didn't just have bad fevers. I was flown down to a specialist in California and I had to undergo many tests. Finally they found out what was wrong. I ended up growing out of this disorder when I became a little over the age of 10. But since then, I have been terrified of needles and injections. This makes me avoid going to the doctors and/or hospital.
Does anyone else have a fear like this? If so, please share!
( Source - PFAPA Syndrome )
Check out this thread that is about some other phobias I have - Fear of Men – Androphobia // Fear of Sexual Relationships - Genophobia
@Jennalovely2 I have the same fear, so you're not alone. I can't even look at pictures of them, I struggle to even write the words 'needles' and 'injections' sometimes and it's got so bad over the years that's it's extended to sewing needles and all medical situations (I have panic attacks just walking into a doctors surgery sometimes as I know there are sharps on the premises). However I am lucky that the phobia generally only occurs when other people are present e.g. I can sew on a button if there's no one else around, do my own piercings etc.
A few years ago I tried desensitisation therapy but it was stopped when the therapist realised it wasn't working and even making me worse! After looking online, it turns out this is completely the wrong sort of help for this type of phobia.
Even writing all this has got my heart pumping and my head spinning a little bit!
I know I really need to get over this phobia as I avoid all medical care because of it but I don't know how. There's very little support from the NHS and I can't afford private care.