The fear of needles is very real and can even cause fear-based health problems. Fear has nothing to do with tattoos. Keep in mind that when getting a tattoo, you must be conscious and sober. I’ve heard common stories everywhere with someone asking to get drunk to get a tattoo or asking if they can pass out first. Thirty or forty years ago, it may have been more common, although it is still wrong. In today’s modern age, no reputable tattoo artist will let you go near a tattoo if you are drunk or unconscious. What they will do is call 911.

Common symptoms of these phobias can be anxiety, panic, crying, tremors, fainting, loss of consciousness, increased high blood pressure (hypertension), and/or irrational behavior. Many people do not like needles. However, there is a big difference between not liking needles and falling into one of these symptoms.

My 13-year-old daughter, who has not been officially diagnosed with a phobia, I think she has trypanophobia. Every time we go to a doctor’s office, when she sees a needle, her eyes go to the back of her head; she will pass out. On another occasion, she kept yelling at her mom that she couldn’t see; her before she passed out her. It’s pretty scary to see that from your daughter.

My wife usually takes her to the doctor or hospital. On one occasion, I accompanied them to the hospital when she needed some tests. Before the nurse came in to give her an injection, I took the nurse to her side to explain her situation with the needles. After telling me that she understood, she proceeded to inject saline with a needle right in front of her to test it. My daughter started shaking and crying. Needless to say, I politely escorted the nurse OUT OF THE ROOM. Some people…

There are 4 phobias that can directly or indirectly apply to the fear of needles and getting a tattoo:

• aichmophobia
• belonephobia
• enetophobia
• trypanophobia

trypanophobia o Needle phobia is an outright fear of needles in medical situations. Simply put, it is the biggest fear of injections. This phobia can be very dangerous. Unlike other phobias, this one can kill. The fear is so great that people have been known to ignore all medical help and treatment. Can you imagine a fear so great that you consciously neglect your own health? it’s very real. Historically, some psychologists believe it stems from an evolutionary drive for survival. Stab wounds, puncture wounds, etc. could be deadly before antibiotics became commonplace in the world.

aichmophobia or the fear of sharp objects encompasses trypanophobia and more. Any type of sharp object: needles, knives, nails, needles and even pencils. For most people with this fear, it is not very widespread. everybody sharp items. It is much more specific than that. Someone can be fine with nails but not with screws. Knives may be fine, but not a carving knife. That doesn’t mean it’s limited to one item and not multiple different objects, that’s very real and possible. It simply means that it is not a general fear of sharp objects. The greatest danger of this fear lies in the inappropriate use of sharp objects that one fears.

belonephobia It is an abnormal fear of sharp objects with an emphasis on needles. Like trypanophobia, fear can make a person irrational enough not to seek medical help when he needs it because the fear is too great.

enetophobia it is an irrational or abnormal fear of pins specifically and is related to belonephobia.

Nearly 20% of the world’s population has some degree of fear of needles and injections. You are not alone in this and you can get help if needed. We are all different, so what works for someone may or may not work for someone else. Do your research.

If your fear is more of a strong dislike, there are things you can do to distract yourself while getting a tattoo or even forms of self-meditation that can help. However, if your fear is at the highest levels and you find yourself crying, fainting or trembling, you may want to seriously reconsider a tattoo as it can become a private torture for you. I love tattoos, but the first thing I would say is get over your fears first.

The more relaxed you feel during a tattoo, the better it will work. Keep in mind; Getting a tattoo is a completely different needle than going to a doctor’s office or hospital. They are nothing alike. A tattoo needle hardly breaks the skin and you will never see someone approach you with this huge hypodermic needle.

In your research into tattoos and phobias, you may also want to raise these concerns with the artists you talk to and make sure you find someone who understands your concerns.