Have you ever met anyone who likes needles? Probably not.
Whilst many people generally dislike needles, some people have intense needle phobia that can affect their everyday lives. And when you’re living with T1D, dealing with needles can be part of your daily reality, making needle phobia especially difficult to navigate.
On The Stripped Pod, we spoke with Lauren Barber, a clinical nurse specialist and founder of NeedleCalm, a medical adhesive pad that is designed to reduce pain and anxiety during needle procedures. We discussed why needle phobia matters and how people can feel more comfortable accessing healthcare.
What is Needle Phobia?
Picture this, you’re going to the doctor for your yearly flu shot, and you feel uneasy, with a mild and temporary nervousness, but as soon as it’s over you’re fine and get on with your day.
Imagine if this yearly shot involved an intense fear that could potentially cause severe physical symptoms, which might cause you to avoid necessary medical care. This is exactly what needle phobia is.
In Episode 79 of The Stripped Pod, Lauren explains that needle phobia can often be misunderstood, with people experiencing it sometimes feeling embarrassed or dismissed by healthcare professionals. Research estimates that needle phobia affects around 10-15% of people worldwide.
There’s no exact cause or trigger to needle phobia – it can be a reaction to past traumatic experiences, or it could just be a hard to controlfear someone generally might have, and people from all ages can experience it.
Importantly, needle phobia is not simply something people can overcome by being told to "get over it". It is a genuine fear that deserves understanding, support and appropriate care.
How Does Needle Phobia Affect People Living with Type 1 Diabetes?
So, how does needle phobia affect those living with T1D?
T1D comes with frequent injections, glucose monitoring and other needle related procedures, and as Lauren points out, "they have to have at least 1,400 needles if they're injecting insulin per year. That's a lot."
Understandably, needle phobia can make an already demanding daily routine all the more challenging.. You might find yourself potentially avoiding appointments, delaying blood tests or just generally struggling with everyday diabetes management, or even affecting your emotional wellbeing and confidence in managing diabetes.
For someone living with T1, avoiding or skipping insulin can be dangerous, making it important to seek support when needle anxiety begins affecting diabetes management.
5 Ways to Manage Needle Phobia and T1D
-
Speak to your diabetes healthcare team
Communication is so important, so talking to your healthcare team is step number one. Explain your fears as best you can to a GP, endocrinologist, diabetes educator or nurse, and ask if there’s any adjustments that could make procedures more comfortable. As Lauren explains, taking this step would “give patients control over the procedure as well”.
-
Explore psychological support
Lauren suggests cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help manage anxious thoughts and responses, as needle phobia is a genuine fear and isn’t something you can necessarily overcome through willpower alone. Again, talking to your GP can allow you to explore suitable psychological support. Communication is key!
-
Build positive experiences gradually
Feeling positive is great right? And it can help us overcome fears too. Lauren discusses the importance of small, repeated positive experiences to help manage needle related fear. This could mean gradual exposure, such as starting with non threatening illustrations of needles, which may help some people become more comfortable with the idea of injections.
Although it’s important to avoid forcing yourself through distressing experiences, particularly if your fear is severe, make sure you work through this with a healthcare professional, to gradually build confidence.
-
Explore ways to reduce injection discomfort
Lauren has developed a device to assist with needle phobia, called NeedleCalm, which can be incredibly helpful when injections are a regular part of everyday life.
How does it work? Well, it’s designed to help reduce the sensation of pain during needle procedures.
NeedleCalm combines cooling and pressure to provide alternative sensory input during an injection. As Lauren explains on The Stripped Pod: “Both of the cooling and the pressure, they activate something that goes on in the body called the gate control theory of pain.”
The device is placed on the skin before an injection, with pressure applied while the needle is inserted underneath. Lauren explains that these sensations can help the brain focus on the sensation created by NeedleCalm rather than the sharp sensation of the needle.
For people with T1D who experience anxiety around insulin injections, NeedleCalm is one option they can discuss with their healthcare team when looking for ways to make injections more comfortable.
-
Create a supportive diabetes management routine
Having a predictable and supportive routine may be just the thing to help reduce uncertainty and make managing diabetes with needle phobia a lot less daunting. You could try to identify what helps you feel more comfortable before and during injections or blood tests, bring a support person with you during medical appointments and if you react by fainting, tell your healthcare professional beforehand so they can help you manage the procedure safely.
Try to remember that managing needle phobia is a gradual process, and that different approaches work for different people, so try not to be too hard on yourself!
You Don’t Have to Face Needle Phobia Alone
Needle phobia unfortunately also comes with a lot of stigma and shame and healthcare professionals may not always ask about needle anxiety. But this should not be the case.
Living with a phobia like this is challenging and can be very isolating, so using your voice and speaking up is one of the best things you can do. Open communication can help patients feel more in control and allow clinicians to adjust their approach, what helps the most is when there is “someone to believe them… and tell them that they’re not alone” as Lauren says.
If needle phobia is making things difficult, you can chat with Lauren at Sydney Phobia Clinic or reach out to one of the many other specialists who can help.