Fear of needles no trivial matter
Q I am terrified of needles. My children might have inherited my fears. How can I help them?
A Me too. I didn’t know how deep my fear of needles went until I had to be in hospital a few years ago.
This fear is neither imagined nor trivial. It should be given the respect it deserves.
No child is likely to take kindly to being stabbed with a sharp needle and members of hospital teams who need to use needles will know this and be sensitive about it.
But this is far more, and you should tell the treating staff about your fears. They can take the best approach to reduce any fear in your children.
If it is causing major problems, to the point where your children are terrified of even going to the doctors or a hospital because of the needles, then there might be a case to call on the expertise of a clinical psychologist, who would talk this through with you and your children.
The GP or hospital will be able to advise you. But the key is not to deny this. Face it by talking.
* Alan Taman is Press & Communications Officer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Send your child health questions to Ask Alan, Features Editorial, Bpm Media (Midlands), Floor 6, Fort Dunlop, Fort Parkway, Birmingham, B24 9FF
* To donate to the hospital’s Red Balloon Appeal call 0121 333 8525.
