The views expressed are solely those of the writer.
OPINION: “I don’t trust the vaccine.”
“They made it too quickly. A zombie apocalypse is coming soon. They are preparing for a totalitarian One World Government. There is a large global event around the corner, hence the rush?”
Have you heard it all before?
Well, what if I told you that those sentiments and others are just built-in defense mechanisms anti-vaxxers and Covid-19 vaccine skeptics have because they don’t want to take the vaccine?
Why? Many of them are afraid of needles.
The condition is called Trypanophobia, which according to healthline.com is an extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles.
Trypanophobia is nothing new, in fact, according to Harvard University, it’s estimated that fear of needles affects up to 25% of adults, and may lead 16% of people in the US to skip vaccinations.
According to Harvard Medical School, trypanophobia is not limited to people who are overly sensitive to pain or aren’t “tough enough.” It can affect anyone. The cause is often unknown, but a particularly traumatic experience during childhood medical illness may set the stage for some people. And there may be a genetic component. Researchers have found genes linked to fainting after needle sticks, and trypanophobia sometimes runs in families.
According to Harvard Medical School, the symptoms of trypanophobia are as follows:
People with trypanophobia who are contemplating a needle stick may experience
- fear or anxiety
- panic attacks, nausea, or sweats
- palpitations
- fainting (due to a reflex in which pain or the sight of blood triggers a drop in blood pressure)
- insomnia in the days or weeks before an expected needle stick.
So, the next time you meet a vaccine skeptic or a person hesitant to take the Covid-19 vaccine, go easy on them, it might be trypanophobia.
The condition, however, with the right approach can be fought, through therapy.
By Concerned Medic
One News St.Vincent 