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Fear of injections and needles

Key points about injection and needle phobia

The fear of injections and needles is common.
It may affect you when having a blood test, vaccination or injecting your own medicine such as insulin.
There are things you can do to help manage your fear or anxiety.

Needle phobia is a fear of injections and needles. This anxiety can range from mild worry to severe anxiety. Some people feel extremely anxious just thinking about or seeing needles and injections.

Anxiety can make it difficult to have a blood test, vaccination or inject your own medicines such as insulin or GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Wegovy.

As well as feeling anxious, you can experience other symptoms such as changes in your blood pressure, feeling faint, sweating or an increased heart rate.

This fear may be caused by memories from a past experience that was painful or distressing. Or it may be the sight of blood that makes you feel anxious or upset.

To learn how to manage mild worry and anxiety around injections and needles there are some suggestions provided below.

If you think that injection or needle phobia is preventing you from getting treatment for your health, read more about managing fear of injections and needles below.

Don’t be ashamed of being scared of injections – you're not alone. Being anxious about injections and needles is very common, about 10% of people (1 in 10) are anxious about needles. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Here are some things to try to help you manage your anxiety next time you need to have a blood test, vaccination, or inject your own medicine.

Tell healthcare providers about your worries

Tell the person giving your injection or doing your blood test about your worries. They can answer your questions and help you cope with the procedure. They won’t be annoyed or judge you. Take your time and ask all the questions you need to.

Remember it won't hurt that much

Remind yourself that the needle or injection won't be unbearably painful. It feels like a quick pinch or brief stinging sensation. It will only hurt a little.

Plan ahead to reduce worry

Try to book your appointment for first thing in the morning so you don't spend the whole day worrying about it. You can ask for a longer time when you book your appointment and bring a support person with you.

Learn relaxation techniques

It's useful to know how to get into a relaxed state before going into a situation that makes you feel anxious. Practise a relaxation technique when you're calm, so you know how to do it when you need to. Choose a method of relaxation that suits you. You could try progressive muscular relaxation, breathing exercises or mindfulness meditation.

Distraction techniques

Distract yourself by focusing on something else. You can try focusing on a fixed point in the room and studying it intensely. Watching a video, wearing headphones and listening to calming music or reading on your phone can also help.

Applied tension

Applied tension is a simple practice to increase blood pressure back to normal levels to prevent you from fainting. Sit in a chair. Tense or squeeze the muscles in your arms, upper body and legs for about 15 seconds until your face feels flushed or warm. Then relax. Find information about how to do an applied tension exercise(external link).

Remember why you’re doing this

Pause and remind yourself of how this injection will help you, or why your blood test is important.

If you’re anxious about injecting your medicine, remember that even if it makes you uncomfortable for a few moments, treating your condition is important for your health. If you need to have a blood test, remind yourself how important it is to be diagnosed so you get the right treatment you need to stay well. And if you're having a vaccination, remember that you're helping protect yourself and your loved ones.

Build a support team

If your anxiety is about an injection that you have to give yourself, such as insulin or Wegovy, get some support. Having a caregiver or a member of your whānau give you the injection may be easier, or they can offer support while you inject your medicine yourself. Ask your healthcare provider about training a friend, family/whānau member or another caregiver to inject your medicine.

As well as having adult symptoms of anxiety, children may cry, become clingy or say they feel sick (nauseous) when they have a fear of injections and needles.

Explain what will happen in simple terms and what they should expect.

Before the injection, a numbing cream, such as Emla cream or Numit cream, or a device called a Buzzy Bee that contains an ice pack that vibrates, can be used to reduce needle anxiety.

If you think that injection or needle phobia is preventing you from getting treatment for your health, talk to your healthcare provider. There's support available and therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help manage phobias.

Anxiety NZ(external link) provides specialist support, treatment, and education for phobias.

The oVRcome app is a self-help virtual reality (VR) programme for phobias, including needle phobia. It was developed in Aotearoa New Zealand, and is based on research done at the University of Otago. Read more about oVRcome.