There is a reason why I say "needle and medical anxiety" instead of "needle phobia."
"Needle phobia" makes people think it's just about fear of pain from a needle.
But for many adults with this, it's about a whole lot more than pain & reducing it to that is, frankly, ableist.
"Needle phobia" makes people think it's just about fear of pain from a needle.
But for many adults with this, it's about a whole lot more than pain & reducing it to that is, frankly, ableist.
If you're doing a story on needle phobia and/or actually want to help adults with needle & medical anxiety get vaccinated, I urge you to dig deeper than taglines related to pain.
For some (not me), it may have started with a painful experience.
But either way many of us with needle and/or medical anxiety have been dismissed & poorly treated in healthcare settings so the anxiety of clinical settings has become more generalized beyond the actual injection.
But either way many of us with needle and/or medical anxiety have been dismissed & poorly treated in healthcare settings so the anxiety of clinical settings has become more generalized beyond the actual injection.
If you really want to help people with needle-related phobias and anxieties, talk about accessibility.
What types of accommodations are available? How can we arrange them in advance? Can we bring a friend? Do staff know how to use a Buzzy or Shotblocker or clean off EMLA cream?
What types of accommodations are available? How can we arrange them in advance? Can we bring a friend? Do staff know how to use a Buzzy or Shotblocker or clean off EMLA cream?
But in the long run, I'm gonna need to see a lot more empathy and disability justice coming from the medical community because the ableism has been PALPABLE with the vaccine rollout in Canada & the US.
Not everyone can access therapy or self-advocate for accessibility.
Not everyone can access therapy or self-advocate for accessibility.
Speaking of therapy.... exposure therapy can help needle anxiety, yes...
But also if things were more accessible and we had more compassionate healthcare options, there would be a lot fewer triggers we'd have to learn how to expose ourselves to.
But also if things were more accessible and we had more compassionate healthcare options, there would be a lot fewer triggers we'd have to learn how to expose ourselves to.
And I know everyone loves CBT (and I successfully did CBT in the past after every neuro textbook I read sang its praises)..
But if you're struggling with needle anxiety, please look into EMDR, what my awesome therapist calls CBT's less ableist cousin.
But if you're struggling with needle anxiety, please look into EMDR, what my awesome therapist calls CBT's less ableist cousin.
PS. for my fellow medically anxious friends, I was lucky to be able to get both my doses & have also found an awesome therapist + GP who understand anxiety.
I know how hard it is to access compassionate healthcare but lots of excellent providers exist. Here to chat if you need💗
I know how hard it is to access compassionate healthcare but lots of excellent providers exist. Here to chat if you need💗
Some starting points for improving COVID vaccine accessibility:
https://twitter.com/NathanStall/status/1407814345912946692?s=20
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