What Causes Trypanophobia?

Sensitive Personality

Individuals who have a sensitive personality may experience trypanophobia because they are more likely to anticipate pain. A visit to the doctor’s office is already a stressful event, and a potential needle stick or blood test intensifies that anxiety. For individuals who are anxious by nature, it may be helpful to learn techniques for working with stress such as mindfulness and deep breathing. By consciously slowing down the breath rate, they can lessen the body’s stress response. If they are going to be receiving frequent medical treatments or tests, they may want to work with some form of exposure therapy that can make the presence of needles less of a stressor.