Many people who have injection phobia do not seek treatment until faced with the prospect of having to have an injection or blood tests. For example they may wish to go aboard on holiday to a destination where vaccinations against certain diseases are mandatory; or they may need to have an operation or it may be that they wish to become pregnant.
For patients who suffer from injection phobia just the thought of an injection or blood test is terrifying for them.
Injection phobia can be treated with either psychotherapy or hypnotherapy or by a combination of both of these. Which ever of these two approaches is used, it is essential in the early stages of the treatment that these patients learn to familiarise themselves with needles and syringes simply as pieces of equipment. During the treatment sessions the therapist will gradually introduce these items first in picture form and then produce real sterile syringes and needles. Once the individual is able to look at these items without fear they are then able to move on to the next stage of the treatment which involves handling them. Again this is done gradually in the context of the therapy. The next stage is for the patient to see a photograph of someone about to have an injection. The treatment progresses through a number of stages until eventually the patient is sufficiently confident to cope with actually having an injection or blood test themselves.