Hypnotherapy for needle phobia

[fatcaaah]

Ds is 14. He has a severe needle phobia.

His tetanus, diptheria, polio booster is due, I've been dreading this and had a chat with him tonight but he is in such a state now. Feeling sick and faint, physically shaking.

He also has an issue with any medical things in general and last year fainted in a biology lesson at school (poor lad!) it wasn't the first fainting episode due to this but the first at school, they were brilliant and now he has permission to leave any lesson if he feels he needs to, don't think they want to be picking up a 6ft2 lad up off the floor again!

He feels lightheaded and sick when blood/surgery etc is even mentioned.

He had to have surgery twice in the last 2 years and the anaesthetist agreed to put him out with gas as he was in such an awful state, it was really quite disturbing.

He hates this himself and is perfectly reasonable about these things, he's not actually squeamish in so much as it doesn't bother him inside his head but his subconscious and / or body can't cope with it iyswim.

He had surgery at 6 yo and was terrified of the needles then, but I think that was the first time we had had an issue, it has definitely got much worse over the years, even in the last 2 or 3.

Have spoken to GP who just shrugged his shoulders.

I have flirted with the idea of hypnotherapy for some time but this evening I have started looking into it properly.

Does anyone have any experience of hypnotherapy being successful for anything, not just phobias?

I have found someone reasonably local and she looks ok, plus offers a free consultation session to discuss needs which I liked, a few wanted payment in advance of anything What should I be looking for in a hypnotherapist?

Is there anything else I could be looking into?

I need to do something for the poor lad

He could possibly be referred to your local CAMHS or Child Psychology dept for needle phobia. Speak to a more helpful GP.

My other ds is under CAMHS, I could speak to her, she's lovely. Do you think they could do much?

The GP i saw is usually great so I sort of assumed that this wasn't something the NHS would get involved in, I should get a second opinion. I'm not usually so weak! I'm the first to fight my dc's corner, no idea why i've let this slip. I'll speak to them tomorrow.

Selks- I spoke to our camhs worker Nd although sympathetic she said it's not something they would accept.

I have phoned a couple if hypnotherapists today and am waiting for them to call back so we'll see what they say. Thank you

Check their credentials - they should be current members of something like the BSCH (which means their training and insurance is up to date). Ask if they have experience dealing with youngsters and what areas they specialise.

They will work on relaxation techniques and visualisations to help him. It may take as many as 3-6 sessions but the the therapist won't be able to tell you at first session. It depends on the patient.

My DB had a terrible dentit phobia and saw a hypnotherapist. Ask your GP if they will reper you to one on the NHS. Some are covered on BUPA, PPPN etc.

A friend of mine was in exactly the same situation as you, she used hypnotherapy and it worked. However, be warned he now (is now 20 years old), has a LOT of tattoos! So there is a downside. Anyway in answer to your question yes it is a good idea and yes it can work.

lucjam. I wouldn't mind him covered in tattoos if we cracked this!! Well I would a bit but you get my point.

I'm quite excited about this now, it would be a massive thing for him to get over this.

frontpaw The website doesn't give any informational on professional memberships and tbh the training section is a bit sketchy with lots of jargon. Making me feel a little wary. However the centre has a good general reputation and has been recommended to me although not specifically for hypnosis (it offers lots of other therapies too and has a fantastic OT working there offering private sensory integration therapy)

She (the hypnotherapist) mentions NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) techniques, TFT (Thought Field Therapy/Emotional Freedom Technique ? EFT) and Reiki.

She mentions studying and training 'with the founders and developers, the most successful facilitators of these therapies: Richard Bandler (NLP), Roger Callahan (TFT) and Paul McKenna (Hyp)' but without any actual 'evidence' this doesn't mean much to me.

I have spoken to them now though and they have said she has experience with youngsters and have worked with a similar phobia. (convenient???)The first session is 90 minutes and then it depends how long it takes but they said quite probably a couple of sessions so i didn't feel I was getting a 'hard sell'.

I think i'm talking myself out of this......

bsch.org.uk/

Take a look here. The therapists are trained by the attached college and have to be qualified and insured. You can ask ivia the LCCH who specilises in this area. The best recommendations are personal ones, but this is a good place to start.

Thank you, I'll have a look

Whe abouts are you? I know some London based therapists.

Near southend, only an hour from London.

That would be great if you could recommend someone.

Thank you.

Hi Fat - I have asked at the BSCH for someone with experience here - should hear back soon. I haven't the exerience in treating young folk (its not too tricky but you need someone who has experience) and I know there are therapists who will know exactly what to do! Ill PM you when I get some details.

Hi
I had hypnotherapy at about your son's age (I think I was 15) for needle phobia. Can't remember any details about who (but as it was 20 yrs ago in Yorkshire guess that doesn't really matter). I think my mum stayed in the room for the first session. It didn't 'cure' me to the extent I'd have got a load of tattoos, but it did enable me to manage having injections like a 'normal' person that doesn't like them very much. (A couple of rounds of IVF and complex pregnancies later, I can self inject and am totally fine - the hypnotherapy was definitely the first step).
Happy to try and remember more about it if it would help. The description you've written about your son could have been about me as a teenager, hope that gives you hope!

That does give me lots of hope, thanks jassinkernow!

That's so helpful frontpaw thanks again