Videos for Managing Needle Fear
One of the best things you can do to overcome needle anxiety is to reverse the urge to avoid and engage with the topic safely. We’ve put together a compilation of videos to help you learn from others with needle anxiety who have gotten the Covid-19 vaccine, as well as other helpful videos for overcoming needle phobia.
Start here (easy videos)
Note: none of the three “easy” videos below contain really detailed needle procedures or any other medical procedures. Images of vaccinations are brief (if any) and not of the kind that bother most people with needle phobia. If you are greatly bothered by images of needles, though, you may want to start by just listening while not looking at the screen, then build up to looking at the screen.
Overcoming needle phobia for the covid vaccine: 7 TIPS (8:55)
A woman with needle phobia describing 7 excellent tips on how she overcame her anxiety and got the Covid-19 vaccine.
Content warning: Only one brief still image of a needle. No images of actual injections.
Doctor Distracts Baby From Shots With Goofy Song (2:24)
Joyful, skilled pediatrician using playful distraction to create a soothing environment for a baby receiving vaccinations
Content warning: Image of small syringe, but no close up image of the sharp itself.
Pain, empathy and public health: Amy Baxter at TEDxPeachtree (16:23)
Dr. Amy Baxter explores the reasons behind the large rise in cases of needle phobia since 1983.
Content warning: Still images of needles and a still image of children getting ordinary vaccinations.
Focus on the joy
Do a celebration dance (0:59)
Anxiety creates a bias in which the brain hyper-focuses on threat. Balance out this bias by focusing on the reward of getting vaccinated (protecting the health of yourself and loved ones, collective freedom from Covid-19, etc.). Do a celebration dance like this Canadian man celebrating Covid-19 vaccination with bhangra dance on a frozen lake.
Content warning: None
For people who faint
Getting Over Needle Phobia (3:13)
A man with needle phobia interviews a clinical professor at NYU College of Nursing and goes over strategies to prevent fainting.
Content warning: Brief, cartoon-like image of a hand holding a syringe.
How can you stop a fainting attack? (5:20)
Doctor describes common triggers for fainting and techniques such as applied tension for the prevention of fainting.
Content warning: None.
Woman with severe needle phobia using applied tension to prevent fainting (3:13)
News piece on a woman with severe needle phobia working with a therapist to learn applied tension, a simple technique to stabilize blood pressure and reduce fainting.
Content warning: Multiple brief, fairly graphic images of medical needles going into the skin.
Learn how to breathe
Box breathing exercise (4:17)
Try deep breathing techniques to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of the body responsible for generating rest and calm. Practice this box breathing exercise, which is used by navy seals to manage high-stress situations. Box breathing is simple: inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, repeat. Practice in the days leading up to your vaccination, as well as at your appointment itself.
Content warning: None.
More role models
Other (non-video) stories and tips from those overcoming needle phobia to get the Covid-19 vaccine:
Check out this Twitter thread by Dr. Samantha Yammine, a science communicator and needle phobe who shares her lessons learned after getting the Covid-19 vaccine.
Read this story by journalist Laura Purkess who got vaccinated despite her phobia of needles. She writes, “When it was over, the nurses made me feel like the bravest person in the world. Having convinced myself that my fear would be treated as a nuisance, I was surprised and touched to find the volunteers were practically tripping over each other to support me.”
Join an online support group like Needle Phobia Support.
Disclosure: Information being provided on this website is general in nature and is not intended to replace or serve as therapy. Should you be experiencing emotional distress, it is encouraged that you contact your doctor to locate a mental health professional in your area. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing thoughts of harming yourself or others at your nearest emergency room.