This content originally appeared on diaTribe. Republished with permission.

By Susannah Chen

From blood tests to self-injections and technology, needles are an inescapable a part of diabetes care. If you have got a fear of needles, there are several anxiety management strategies you should use to beat this fear.

Carol Gee recalls shuddering when her mother was diagnosed with diabetes late in life and placed on insulin. “I couldn’t imagine ever having to do this,” she said, referring to her lifelong fear of needles.

Fifty years later, Gee herself landed within the hospital with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. “I used to be hospitalized with blood glucose so high that for 4 days the nurses kept saying that I used to be lucky to not be in a coma or worse,” she recalled. “I used to be told I would want insulin. I used to be frightened to death.”

Gee, an Atlanta-based creator who has now lived with type 2 diabetes for 14 years, has since learned to administer her fear of using needles. For her and so many others, it was a necessity. Because diabetes requires constant monitoring of blood glucose, for each children and adults with the disease, which means that facing sharp objects like syringes, lancets, injection pens, infusion sets, and continuous glucose monitors (CGM) are an unavoidable a part of life, as are regular blood tests.

By addressing a number of the psychological roadblocks around self-injection and self-testing, and with the assistance of hysteria management strategies, you may manage and even overcome a fear of needles.

Know that a fear of needles is comparatively common

When you live with a fear of needles, syringes, and medical injections, it could be helpful to understand that you just’re removed from alone. As many as 2 in 3 children struggle with some level of either needle fear (anxiety about pain immediately prior to facing a needle) or trypanophobia (a fear of needles that’s severe enough to affect quality of life).

But a fear of needles can affect anyone, no matter age, and it often also carries from childhood into maturity. So, should you’re feeling embarrassed a couple of fear of needles, keep in mind that as many as 1 in 4 adults around you struggles with the identical thing.

Remind yourself of your ‘why’

It’s helpful to begin by remembering why you’re coping with the fast, temporary discomfort in the primary place.

“Insulin needles are often only a half-inch long, and injections last for a couple of seconds,” said Angie Victorio, an Orange County-based registered nurse, diabetes educator and founding father of DiaBettr.com, a site focused on helping people manage type 2 diabetes. “It’s not as invasive as other injections, and [it’s] something you do within the comfort of your individual home.”

Skipping injectable medications or blood glucose checks can have a negative impact on blood sugar control and increase the chance of diabetes-related complications.

Victorio advises reminding yourself of why the test you’re about to manage or the injection you’re about to take is important and the ways wherein this treatment will make your body stronger. “These needles and injections are all a part of improving health,” she added.

Gee, for one, managed to recover from the initial hurdle of insulin injections by reminding herself of her resilience. “Any time I’ve needed to do something– military basic training, completing college, flying – I [have told] myself that I could do it,” she said.

Once she overcame the primary injection without passing out, she told herself she could proceed to manage insulin.

“Although I still hate injecting myself, I noticed not taking insulin had serious unwanted side effects, like amputations and a shortened life span,” she said. “I still hate needles – I cringe at people injecting themselves in movies – but I would like to live, and if injecting myself will help this, I’ll stick myself.”

Discover what precisely you’re afraid of

Determining the precise reason why you’re feeling anxious around needles will help to raised address the problem. Ask yourself: What specific aspect of the experience causes fear? Some possible reasons include:

• Worries that the pain of a needle will probably be unmanageable
• Physical hypersensitivity to the pain, which could be inherited
• A traumatic previous experience, corresponding to experiencing multiple attempts to attract blood
• Fear of an injection-related complication corresponding to bleeding, bruising, or injection
• An association between needles and a negative experience, corresponding to spending time in a hospital or being unwell

Determining the basis of the fear permits you to acknowledge and address concerns more directly.

The Anxiety & Depression Association of America recommends jotting your fearful thoughts down on paper in a single column (corresponding to “I’m afraid I’m going to faint”), after which addressing whether or not they’re supported by facts in one other (“if I’m fearful I’m going to faint, I can at all times ask to lie down first”).

Be upfront about your fear with healthcare professionals

In case your healthcare provider has either recently really helpful blood sugar monitoring or injectable medications, be honest with them in regards to the undeniable fact that you’re feeling nervous.

“Your care provider should definitely know if there’s anything that might affect your ability to take medication,” Victorio said.

Let any medical professionals who’re treating you recognize should you are feeling nervous, either about blood sugar monitoring requirements, injectable medications, or laboratory blood tests. They will work with you to develop a tailored plan that meets your preferences and helps manage your fears.

This might include offering alternative medications that aren’t injectable, finding ways to diminish the variety of needle procedures in your treatment, or answering any questions you may must put you more comfortable.

“It’s helpful to share specific concerns you have got with needles so your provider will help find different options,” Victorio said, adding for instance: “If the person simply won’t use needles for any reason, the provider could have a look at other ways to take insulin without needles, including through an insulin pump and even an inhaler.”

Even a refresher on injections could help. One global study suggests that simply asking a healthcare skilled to show the injection process will help many patients higher manage a fear of needles.

Try breathwork and other calming techniques

Victorio also suggests a variety of self-calming techniques, from practicing muscle rest techniques to meditation recurrently to scale back overall anxiety. “Playing calming or enjoyable music to distract from the injection and taking walks before injections” will also be effective, she added.

Practicing certain respiration techniques can aid you manage anxiety around needles, too. The Cleveland Clinic recommends those with trypanophobia try a deep respiration technique of counting to 4 on each inhale and exhale.

One other self-injection respiration technique involves taking deep breaths before the injection and exhaling forcefully through the injection.

Consider help from a professional

In case your fear continues to impede your ability to handle your health, consider looking for the recommendation of an expert.

One behavioral technique to aid you conquer anxiety around needles is exposure therapy, where a licensed therapist can work with you to progressively acclimate to needles in order that they turn into less intimidating over time.

If other measures have proven ineffective, a psychiatrist may prescribe sedative or anti-anxiety medications to assist calm down your body and brain.

Whatever the circumstances surrounding your concerns, it’s helpful to keep in mind that by conquering your fears, you’re taking steps to raised your overall well-being.

“When [a person with diabetes] chooses to take their medication or fingersticks, they’re actually taking control of their health and may be ok with that,” Victorio said. “It might probably function a every day reminder that they actually can take control.”