EMDR and Needle Phobia
Of all the specific phobias, needle phobia is one that comes up often in therapy. My theory is that needle phobia tends to prevent clients from living in alignment with their goals and values. People want to get vaccinated, complete bloodwork, receive dental care, or pursue cosmetic treatments, but the intensity of the phobia keeps them from taking action. Needle phobia is generally a good candidate for EMDR, because most clients with this fear have a specific memory at its core, for some, it's a traumatic medical procedure; for others, it's the memory of their first vasovagal response (fainting).
EMDR works because it targets the "touchstone," or core memory, associated with this specific phobia. At some point in the client's life, their body learned an unpleasant response to the visual or physical trigger of a needle. The good news is that this response can often be unlearned through treatment. EMDR allows the client to build a new neural pathway, which in turn changes the physical response to the trigger.
In addition to EMDR treatment for needle phobia, the following strategies can be helpful for clients seeking medical treatment:
Applied tension - mindful engagement of the leg and torso muscles during needle procedures (prevents the blood pressure drop associated with fainting response).
Vibration - distracts the nervous system from the physical stimulus of the shot.
Icing the area beforehand - provides a numbing effect.
