Introduction
A phobia is a psychological disorder characterised by excessive fear that interferes with normal functioning, originating from the old Greek myth that irrational fears were due to Phobos, the god of fright. Trypanophobia is defined as an intense fear of needles, often preventing people from getting necessary medical procedures such as vaccinations, blood tests, or intravenous infusions. (Jha., et al., 2023)
Trypanophobia
Belonephobia or Trypanophobia is another term for needle-related or injection phobia. This term was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1994 under blood-injection injury type, and it affects people across all age groups.
According to research, up to two-thirds of children and one-fourth of adults are afraid of needles. Children seem more prone to trypanophobia than adults (Chin, 2021). Some grow out of this fear, but many adults continue to fear injections. It is estimated that one in ten adult persons has a needle phobia, according to studies conducted. Despite being considered a common phobia, Trypanophobia can have serious implications on medical adherence. To develop an appropriate treatment plan for trypanophobia, it is important to seek professional help.
Symptoms of Trypanophobia
People suffering from trypanophobia experience intense anxiety when they see or think about a needle-based procedure. This anxiety can become debilitating at times. It may result in a panic attack, which is a sudden surge of anxiety that causes physical symptoms. The symptoms may differ from individual to individual, depending upon the intensity of their irrational fear. Some of the common symptoms noticed in people who have Trypanophobia are as follows. (Elitsa,2023).
- Experience Profuse Sweating
- Temporarily Raised High Blood Pressure
- Tremor
- Muscle Weakness
- Heart Racing Or Fast Heart Palpitations
- Dryness Of Mouth
- Nausea Or Puckish Sensation
- Dizziness
- Feeling of Suffocation
- Insomnia
- Obsessive Thoughts And A Desire To Escape.
Causes of Trypanophobia
There is usually not a single cause of trypanophobia. History of negative or traumatic experiences with needles. Family history of needle phobia. The other fears related to illness in general or medicine, such as having hypochondria or germaphobia. Other anxiety disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).
Some of the pre-requisites for trypanophobia are (Elitsa,2023),
- Inadequate and poor quality of healthcare.
- Improper concern of medical professionals towards their patients.
- Past negative experience with injections.
- Previous trauma brought on by a specific object or situation.
- The role of hereditary leading to a genetic predisposition for an individual to be susceptible to this phobia.
- Changes in brain chemistry.
Effects of Trypanophobia
Trypanophobia has dire impacts on individuals and their day-to-day life. One might feel embarrassed to face the crowd due to their fearful reactions and attracting others’ gazes towards themselves. It may result in stressful episodes that panic attacks may accompany as it may lead to a delay in all essential medical treatment.
It may also act as a barrier to good and healthy access to good medical care, avoidance of disease prevention, and medical treatment. If this fear is handled appropriately, it can change and create an alternative path for you to walk through the illness of Trypanophobia.
5 Ways to Deal with Trypanophobia
Trypanophobia can take its toll on your emotional and mental health if you keep running into a rut time and time while trying to deal with it. Given below are some of the ways to deal effectively with it.
- Cryotherapy: The heat pain threshold of the body is extended and the inflammatory response and muscle spasm are reduced by applying ice and cold application being generally referred to as cryotherapy.
- Attention Distraction Techniques: Becoming involved in music, movies, or game sessions using mobile apps to shift the focus away from the needle. Besides the creams and patches offered, anesthetics are used if the pain is the cause.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Therapists help you talk about what you are afraid of and then decide what to do first. The psychotic mode of CBT is accessible to the patient; thus, a patient can have a greater degree of control over his symptomology by this therapy.
- Diaphragmatic Breathing: Relaxation and proper breathing exercises are techniques that can improve your health and help you manage stress.
- Medication: Medication is a necessary thing when the person has stress so much that the person does not give psychotherapy the uptake. Anti-anxiety and sedative medications that relax your body and brain enough to reduce your symptoms help tremendously.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, negative social factors, psychological stress or illness, and genetic characteristics are some of the main reasons for trypanophobia. The core of successful management of your trypanophobia lies in understanding what is driving it. Once you have established the cause of your fear of needles, you will need to stick to your treatment. Through treatment, you will learn newer ways of accepting and coping with this fear by working on your irrational fears.
References
- American Psychiatric Association, D. S. M. T. F., & American Psychiatric Association, D. S. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5 (Vol. 5, No. 5). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
- Chin, K., Thompson, M., & Ziat, M. (2021). The Effect of Multimodal Virtual Reality Experience on the Emotional Responses Related to Injections.
- Cleveland. 2022, December 4. Trypanophobia (Fear of Needles). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22731-trypanophobia-fear-of-needles
- Elitsa & Hristova, Tsveta. (2023). Reports Awarded with “Best Paper” Crystal Prize ’21 Techniques and Approaches to Overcome the Injections-Related Fear.
- Jha, A., et al., (2023). Trypanophobia among medical students – An overlooked concern. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, 20, 101257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2023.101257
- National Institute of Mental Health. Specific Phobia (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/specific-phobia).
